Electrical energy is the most popular form of energy and is widely used in all aspects of human life. Electricity is morphing from a commodity into a form of premium service. The demand for high-quality electricity will continue to grow. However, it should be noted that electrical energy is not available in natural form, but is generated by converting other forms of energy into electrical energy. It is mostly generated from natural resources, and the problem lies there.
Traditional fossil fuels are becoming scarce and expensive. Excess consumption of natural resources will not only exhaust them but also pollute the environment. This will be beyond repair. The only way forward is to conserve energy.
Demand side management is one smart way of conserving electricity. One example is shifting load from peak load hours to non-peak load hours. Another is to educate households about the abuse of electricity. A survey has shown that Delhi loses about 175 MW or 25% of the electricity produced annually due to gadgets switched off from the remote control only (placed in stand by mode).
Conservation tips
For commercial and industrial consumers:
Use ISI marked motors with proper ratings and speed control mechanism. Be wary ?repaired? motors; Avoid the use of neon lights, switch to LED lights; For heat and steam applications, it is best to avoid usage of electricity. Rely on co-generation and solar heater, among other alternatives;
Thermostat setting of an air-conditioner is very crucial. Use heat pump to transfer heat energy from the AC system. Use discharge/replacement air for cooling non-critical area;
Use air ventilators in an industrial shed to control temperature; Use insulating paints/ coats to reduce the load on air-conditioners. Roof garden is another good option.
For domestic consumers:
Replace ordinary lamps with energy-efficient CFLs, which use 80% less energy for the same light output; Use T5 in place of conventional 40 watt tube lights; Scaling on the heater element reduces the efficiency of geysers. De-scale/ replace them periodically; Install a Total Isolation Relay for invertors/generators/geysers to prevent your electricity meter from running during a power cut; Screen savers in computers consume energy. Starting and shutdowns do not use any extra energy, nor do they harm the components. Shutting down the computers when not in use reduces system wear & tear and saves energy; Air-conditioners on an average cost over Rs 10 per an hour to run. Energy use can be reduced by as much as 40% by shading the windows and the walls with plants etc. Set the AC thermostat at 25 degree celsius to provide the best comfort at the least cost; Ensure cooler fan motors and water pumping motors are efficient and ISI marked and lubricate them periodically.
A good method of spreading awareness about energy conservation is to take the children along. Catch them young can be a fair objective. BSES, for instance, has launched the Bijli Gyan Abhiyan ?a mammoth initiative targeting thousands of students across hundreds of schools spread across its licensed area. Under the initiative, Bijli Gyan Abhiyan schools were distributed a 10-minute audio-visual (AV) on energy conservation, global warming, rising Co2 emissions and generation of electricity through renewable resources. Such initiatives go a long way in educating households about conservation.
(The author is CEO, BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd)
