Government to promote use of energy-saving devices in rural areas

The government is embarking on a campaign to promote the use of energy-efficient electrical devices such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in rural areas, Electricity Minister A.K. Balan said.He was inaugurating a seminar on Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC), organised by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency and the Energy Management Centre, here. The project was aimed at substituting the heavy investment on generation plants with energy conservation practices, Mr. Balan said.
"Adopting scientific conservation methods can help to substitute the generation of additional power to meet the soaring demand. We have ignored this fact for too long. But today, the government is aware of the importance of energy conservation in finding a solution to the power crisis faced by the State," he said. Mr. Balan stressed the need to popularise power-saving devices such as LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and electronic chokes and regulators. "One-fourth of the annual generation of 14,000 million units in Kerala is lost in generation and transmission. By adopting conservation techniques, consumers can help save 1,300 million units and control the evening peak load. This will also ensure quality of power."The Minister reminded local self -government institutions of their role in creating awareness of the need for conservation of energy. They could also play a key role in carbon credit trading, he said. Mr. Balan said the Energy Conservation Building Code was emerging as a valuable tool in the drive to save energy. He called for a major initiative to promote new building materials and technology to minimise wastage. EMC director K.M. Dharesan Unnithan; Sanjay Seth, energy economist, Bureau of Energy Efficiency; and Vishal Garg, Head of the Centre for IT in Buildings Science, Hyderabad; were present. Experts presented papers on the features of the Energy Conservation Building Code.

The Hindu October 13