In June 2012, a Sunlabob team conducted an energy-audit aiming to analyze the main energy consumption of Veunkham Salt Co., one of the biggest salt producers in Laos and member of the Lao Salts Producer Group.

In order to identify potential energy savings, the energy audit team focused on the salt fabrication facility, electrical equipment and operation staff behaviors.

The main devices of interest were all those that consume the most energy.

Especially the coal and sawdust fueled salt boilers that currently work very inefficient were eye-catching to the team of engineers.

On May 17, an energy awareness event, organised by Sunlabob and German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), was held at the Settha Palace Hotel in Vientiane, Laos with the participation of over 50 senior representatives and decision-makers from the Lao government, private sector and international community.

Key speakers included the Minister of Energy and Mines, H.E. Soulivong Daravong, as well as the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Delegation of the European Union to Laos, Mr. Michel Goffin.

In May 2011, Sunlabob and its team of 10 engineers conducted an energy audit at Theun Hinboun Power Company’s (THPC) electricity dam in Bolikhamxay province, Laos.

THPC is an electricity producer with hydropower plants located in Bolikhamxay and Khammouane province. As an electricity producer, THPC has adopted a strategy to use energy efficiently, with the aim of consuming less electricity and selling more to customers.

On 31 Jan 2011, Sunlabob installed energy saving signages at the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation's (SDC) office in Vientiane, Laos, completing a series of energy efficiency implementations that had started last year.

Prior to the implementations, Sunlabob conducted an energy audit of the SDC office and concluded that the three-story building had an energy saving opportunity of up to 45% of the current consumption.

One of the large consumers of electricity was the air conditioning. This was attended by initiatives such as sealing the rooms with door rubber rulers and hydraulic door closers to avoid having the heat coming into each room, as well as installing insulation tiles in the roof where one fourth of the heat is gained in the hot season.

Sunlabob has teamed up with German development agency, GTZ, to provide energy efficiency training to teachers and undergraduates from the Faculty of Engineering, National University of Laos for a period of one year commencing Aug 1, 2011.

This initiative is based on the Lao-German programme on human resource development for the market economy, and the focus of the project is on labour market oriented integrated vocational education. The objective of the project is to enable public and private organizations to jointly improve the administrative, institutional and human conditions for a market economy, as well as to improve the performance of integrated vocational training system to support economic and social development.

The demand for Sunlabob’s energy efficiency and energy audit services is steadily rising. Since the establishment of the Sunlabob Energy Efficiency and Energy Audit department in April 2009, over 40 companies have expressed interest in engaging Sunlabob to reduce their energy spending.

Such a demand can largely be attributed to the fact that companies are becoming more aware of energy conservation, and realising that a significant amount of money can be saved as a result of an audit.

Sunlabob established an Energy Efficiency and Energy Audit Department in April 2009, after seeing that companies could use a service to manage their energy usage more cost-effectively. Up to 50% can be saved after implementing solutions recommended from an energy audit.

In Jan 2010, Sunlabob completed its first energy audit at the Lao-German House. Based on Sunlabob’s recommendations, the Lao-German House implemented energy saving solutions such as installing cellulose into their roof thermal insulation, changing T8 fluorescent tubes for more efficient T5 tubes, and installing motion sensors in toilets to switch on and off lights automatically.