Riyadh - Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman, Saudi-Arabian assistant minister of petroleum and mineral resources, has called for a reduction in electricity consumption in the Kingdom, through use of thermal insulation in buildings.
Energy use is growing at the rate of eight percent annually, and an urgent solution is required to reduce power consumption, said the Minister, speaking to reporters after signing five agreements with government agencies and companies at King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology (KACST) in Riyadh.
According to Prince Abdul Aziz, who is chairman of the national committee for energy conservation, the building sector alone consumes 80 percent of Saudi electricity supply, and 70 percent of that is used for air-conditioning.
The new agreements will help reduce power use in upcoming major housing projects. "It will have a positive impact on electricity consumers," he said, adding that the energy conservation program would help reduce electricity bills.
Adding thermal insulation will cost about three to five percent of a building's total value, Prince Abdul Aziz added.
PIC: Prince Abdul Aziz, right, shakes hands with an official in the presence of Mohammed Al-Suwaiyel, president of KACST, centre
