LAOAG CITY: The local government unit of Solsona in Ilocos Norte province has received a five-star rating in an energy audit conducted by the Department of Energy (DOE). Lawyer Alfonso Jeziel de los Reyes, Solsona's information officer and legal officer, said a team from DOE conducted an energy audit at the municipal government on Monday under the department's Government Energy Management Program. "The audit yielded impressive results, with LGU Solsona earning a 92.63 percent score, equivalent to DOE's 5-star rating,' he said in an interview Wednesday. De los Reyes said key indicators presented during the assessment include the institutionalization of energy efficiency and conservation, electricity conservation measures, fuel-saving measures, and inventory reporting. "Among the notable energy-saving practices implemented by the Solsona government are the use and installation of inverter-type air-conditioning units, adherence to energy conservation rules, scheduled air-conditioning operations, and maintain ing room temperatures at no lower than 25°C,' he said. Since 2019, the local government unit has instituted energy-saving policies, which are incorporated into the orientation for new employees and are detailed in the collective negotiation agreement between the local government and the United Government Servants Association-Rank and File. De los Reyes said the municipality has a designated energy conservation officer to ensure the implementation of a fuel conservation program, inventory management of lighting fixtures, air-conditioning units, and other office equipment, and the regular conduct of preventive maintenance schedules for government-owned service vehicles. Source: Philippines News Agency