For long, discussions, talks, and arguments have surrounded around increasing the generation capacity to address energy deficiency in the country, while the transmission and distribution side has been more of a step child. And endeavoring into more sophisticated aspects like emissions, energy conservation and energy efficiency has been secluded for the developed world.
This is also why a latest key attempt by the government to increase energy efficiency has not attracted much attention and hype. But from tomorrow, the government through National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NEECA) has decided to introduce efficiency standards for all lighting equipment and products. This comes as a first step of the energy conservation drive where transport, home appliance and air conditioners are to follow soon. In a recent interview with BR Research (Read the interview here: Energy efficiency gains are exponential), Dr Sardar Mohazzam, MD NEECA talked about the government’s upcoming 3-year energy efficiency strategy paper and its plans to introduce minimum energy performance standards for different appliances every month starting January 2020.
Globally, energy efficiency is being considered as a ’first fuel’, which translate into comfortable lives yet lower energy bills. From homes to industries, energy efficiency offers a range of solutions to reduce electricity bills, reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, guarantee energy security and sustainability, save money and resources, increase public private investment in efficiency and hence create jobs.
Dr Sardar Mohazzam highlighted that the energy conservation measures that they are looking into can reduce around 3 million tons of oil equivalent (mtoe) on the energy map, out of the total 88 mtoe, where 1 mtoe reduction annually, roughly translates into a saving of Rs36 billion.
The key role in this energy efficiency drive is that of the stakeholders like the end consumers and the private sector businesses involved. How can the government widen the engagement in efficiency and facilitate and encourage the uptake of technologies to induce efficiency? The low hanging fruits are global best practices, and standards and labels that apply universally. Then comets the awareness campaign, which NEECA plans to begin on product to product basis. Then comes mordernzing end-use as well as system efficiency through digitalization, which will be the deciding phase of the conservation drive as digitalization today is the key in all efficiency gains. And International Energy Agency adds the single most important policy consideration to accelerate energy efficiency process: access to energy-related data.
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