What is energy conservation ?
Energy Conservation is the practice of decreasing the energy consumption through efficient means by which can be achieved by rational and judicious use of energy without sacrificing the human comfort.
What is energy intensity ?
Energy intensity is energy consumption required per unit product or activity. ‘less is the Energy intensity, higher is energy efficiency’.
Energy Intensity = Energy Consumption Required
Production Units or Activities
What is energy efficiency ?
Energy Efficiency refers to the output product or activity with less energy input.
Why energy conservation ?
With the dismal power scenario and energy crises that we are facing, Energy conservation turns out to be a key element in energy Policy. Energy Conservation can help reducing the demand supply gap with the demand which is always on the rise due to an advance development which has taken place. Energy Conservation if fully implemented can reduce the cost of energy, the need for new power plants and energy imports.
Energy conservation plays a crucial role in lessening climate change by reduction in atmospheric emission from power plants, industrial facilities and motor vehicles. It also reduce the numerous negative environmental and social impacts.
Energy conservation extends the life of equipment and appliances and reduces the maintenance cost by operating less hours and at less the maximum capacity.
Energy Conservation and the means for practicing this concept can also apply in all sections of the economy.
Commercial Sectors
Commercial sector includes shops, retail store, retail outlets, hotels, restaurants, school , private hospitals, nursing homes, work places etc., with the trends of energy usage, the same as that of residential sector , of course, with a larger proportions of saving them that of residential sector. The lighting saving in this sector plays a vital role than it does in the residential sector. A number of studies have shown that 50 % of energy wastage in over illumination of show rooms etc., by lighting can be saved.
The use of C.F.L., fluorescent lighting, electronic balast in place of the older system can drastically reduce energy consumption for lighting. Recent developments have shown the effectiveness through the use of occupancy sensors to switch off the light when the rooms in not occupied and with the photo sensors to dim or turn off the light when natural light is available.
Industrial sector
The Industrial sector comprises all the process for the production, farming, agricultural produce, mining. The increasing cost of production have compelled the intensive industry to make a steady improvement in energy efficiency over the past decades. These reduction are primarily the outcome of recycling of waste product and the utilization of cogeneration equipment for electricity and heat.
DSM as a policy tool
Energy has a crucial role to play in achieving growth rate in various segments of the economy ant eh ever increasing load Demand do not match with power production. Demand side management can therefore bridge the gap between Demand and Supply. DSM is the mechanism using which utility and means to assists the consumer to modify its load and usage by way of conserving energy by utilizing energy efficient appliance and equipments or by shifting a considerable amount of load demand form the ‘peak load’ to the ‘off peak’ period. It is during the peak load timing where the power crises shoots up. Demand side management requires the reduction of demand for electricity by suitably implementing Energy conservation and efficiency initiatives and measuers to be adopted by consumers. The saving achieved can contribute to electricity damand-supply gap.
Measure to be taken are :
- Promoting CFLs amongst consumers by incentivising its users like price reduction through bulk purchases.
- Reducing VAT and CFLs and making it uniform across the states.
- Issue of notifications / orders by the central and state government for the use of CFLs efficient pumps for water supply and agricultural purposes
- The government has to initiate the move by making it mandatory for all Government buildings to use CFL in place of GLS bulbs and to install energy efficient motors & pumps for water supply, agricultural purposes and creation of room conditioning.
The market based DSM
The Electricity Regulatory Commission can play a vital role by providing incentives for the Demand Side Management for the introduction of Tariff Structure which may be in the form of a Two part Tariff, Time of the day Tariffs, power factor incentives, Penal Changes for overdrawal etc.
There is also a possibility for the utility to provide incentives for the adoption of lighting efficient lamps and tubes for the Domestic and Commercial Consumers which are the major contributors for the lighting loads especially during the peak load hours. Some discoms have reduce the cost of CFLs through subsidiaries bulk procurement and recover back the cost of from the consumers in installments by adjusting with the energy bills of consumers in 10 or 12 months bills.
DSM is the only means for the utility to address the operational and management issues in tackling with systems losses, transmission constraints quality of power supply etc. If the problems of power shortages can be solved to a certain amount, it will be only through DSM |
