Mr. Varun Gupta, Director, Calco Poly Technik
Energy plays a very critical role in the development of any country. By the year 2030, energy demand is estimated to increase by at least 35 per cent, thus, creating a greater demand for solutions that will reduce energy consumption. A global response is therefore needed towards the demand for products, solutions and systems that can contribute to solving energy problems. Since Energy Efficiency and conservation will be key elements to a sustainable future, India needs to focus a lot more on the technologies that are more Energy Efficient and thus sustainable.
Energy conservation gains importance in India in the wake of widening gap between energy production and demand. Following the dictum ‘Energy Saved is Energy Produced’, the Governments at both the Centre and the State levels have moved in the direction of bringing a series of measures and setting up of mechanisms to promote conservation of energy. But homes and individuals need to be roped into the mission on a mass scale.
In order to meet the growing energy demand, it is important to increase electricity-generating capacity, preferably through renewable sources but also use it efficiently. Though energy conservation and energy generation go hand in hand, conservation is less expensive. It is possible to achieve good results in conservation, if commercial buildings, industries and communities use equipments with updated electrical standards along with practicing regular energy consumption audits.
The Government needs to push the sustainability agenda further by promoting the development and use of eco-friendly products. They are also encouraging the environmental / energy efficiency labeling and ratings of products which will definitely open up the market for eco-friendly products making India more competitive in this front. The focus should be on the demand side of energy management through policy and institutional mechanisms. The business model for Energy Efficiency needs to be strengthened by giving targets to distribution companies to reduce consumption by enhancing efficiency and reduce T&D (Transmission & Distribution) losses.
Energy Conservation ACTs
Keeping this inescapable truth in mind, the Government of India, along with active support from citizens, has kick-started a revolution in Energy Efficiency by introducing scalable and replicable demand side management initiatives. The Government has not only established a comprehensive policy for Energy Efficiency – National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE), but has also executed successful demand side management programs for consumers and Municipal Corporations to achieve overall energy savings while gradually mitigating the impact of climate change. The Government’s Unnat Jeevan By Affordable LEDs and Appliances for All (UJALA) Scheme is implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a super Energy Service Company (ESCO) under the Ministry of Power. UJALA, the world’s largest zero-subsidy LED bulb program for domestic consumers, is an example of a successful Energy Efficiency program, designed to help the country to achieve sustainable development by reduction of carbon footprint.
Energy Efficient Devices
The first step was initiated in this direction in 2001 when the Energy Conservation Act was put in place. It was amended in 2010. Under this, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) was set up and the Energy Conservation Building Code was formulated. The National Energy Efficiency labeling program was launched on May 18, 2006, by the Ministry of Power starting with Frost-free Refrigerators and Tubular Fluorescent lamps. It was extended to other devices subsequently. By 2009-2010, 95% of Refrigerators and 70% of Air-Conditioners sold in the market were showing consumer preference and market transformation.
The Union Government also launched the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEE) which is one among the eight national missions working for filling deficiencies in varied sectors of development and as part of national action plan on climate change. Efforts are also being made to efficiently use energy in the demand side through various innovative policy measures under the overall domain of Energy Conservation Act 2001 (EC Act).
The situation can be further improved by using Energy Efficient Solutions to bring down the demand, thus creating parity with Energy supply. Citizens can contribute to the National goal by going in for frequent Home Energy audits. By using CFLs / LEDs, replacing old wiring, plugging loopholes for power losses and by using Energy-Efficient devices, an average household using 247 units of power a month can bring it down to a mere 100 units. LED Bulbs consume half the energy as that of CFLs and one tenth as that of incandescent bulbs. This scheme saves 1,298crore kWh annually and also contributes towards the reduction of carbon emission from appliances.
LEED is the green building rating system which focuses on the design, construction and further, operation of high performance green buildings. According to The US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual ranking, India ranks third in the top 10 countries for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings. These buildings cost more than 2% in building than conventional ones. This contributes mainly towards conserving Energy and making the efficient use of it.
Installation of Solar Panels are becoming popular these days to heat water and generate electricity for homes. Although, they aren’t cheap but have several benefits, which helps in savings on energy bills in the long run, promote lower fossil fuel usage and may helps in qualifying for annual tax incentives.
In 2013, Government of India had also launched the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020. It aims to achieve national fuel security by promoting hybrid and electric vehicles in the country which includes the facilitating of hybrid/electric vehicles, promoting R&D in technology like battery technology, power electronics, motors, systems integration to name a few.
Company’s Overview
The Private Sector is also taking an active participation in helping the government to achieve their targets i.e. Efficient use of Energy.
Plastic plays a pivotal role in defining a sustainable roadmap for Energy Efficient equipments. Traditionally, plastic is a bad conductor of heat and electricity but we use them as insulators in electrical equipments. With modification in polymers, Calco Poly Technik, India’s Most Preferred Global Plastic Solution Provider has developed heat conductive material that can supply higher Watt per sqm.
This technology has significantly improved Energy-Efficient use of LED with low energy consumption. Similarly, modern panel displays and solar cells are all created by use of high conductive plastic. Corporates are majorly focusing on those components, which are the integral part in efficient electronic circuit for better ratings of electrical equipments. According to the industrialists, Indians have started accepting new solutions to save electricity which is built on smart technologies and decentralized approach offering Resilience, flexibility, etc. to meet the Energy Efficiency targets.
Conclusion
The main barriers mentioned to the uptake of the efficient technological options are often the high upfront costs of alternative technologies and processes and/or the need for a stronger policy push/business models to scale up the uptake of the more efficient options. It is understandable that for the development of the country, people require an uninterruptable flow of energy. But at the same time, to cope up with the rising demands, we are responsible to take actions to fill the gap between the demand and supply of Energy. Energy Efficiency is currently the most cost-effective method of giving back a portion of what we take, to the environment. While adoption of Energy Efficient appliances may not provide immediate results as far as climate change is concerned, it has bearings on the future generations. By urgently and fully adopting an Energy Efficient lifestyle, the world can build a positive momentum towards transformation of a Global Energy system that will achieve our common climate change and sustainable development goals. It is time to wake up to the reality and consider implementing reliable Energy Efficient measures to satisfy the country’s appetite in the coming decades.
