Enigin Update - India needs to Focus on Energy Efficiency not Renewables
INDIA needs to refocus on energy efficiency rather than just renewables, according to Saurabh Gupta, area convenor, energy regulation and practice, for The Energy and Resources Institute, writing for Indian Express.
He states that the need for promoting energy efficiency is well-known. Insufficient capacity additions in India, along with increasing environmental concerns and peak energy shortages are key reasons, according to Gupta, why India has to promote energy efficiency.
According to the Indian Integrated Energy Policy, the potential of demand side management is about 15 percent of the total electricity demand. Despite this fact, Gupta says that implementation of demand side energy management measures in the country remains poor.
The Indian Energy Conservation Act 2001 allowed state-designated agencies (SDA) to coordinate, regulate and enforce provisions of the Act in their areas.
However in most cases, the SDAs are doubling up and concentrating on renewable energy, but making very little progress, so Gupta says they now need to refocus away from renewables and onto energy efficiency and conservation to make in roads into energy demand and emission reduction.
Energy efficiency has been hindered by distortions in energy prices, which are either directly subsidised by the state governments or are cross-subsidised by other categories such as industrial consumers, thereby, leaving little incentive for efficient utilisation of electricity.
The lack of motivation from utilities is also a barrier. The conventional theory that the primary business of the utilities is to sell electricity and not to save it still holds sway in India. The focus has always been on improving efficiency at the supply side, with the demand side more or less ignored.
Gupta claims that high initial cost and poor awareness and information about energy efficient technology and solutions has been a barrier in the past.
He states that a mix of policy, regulatory, financial instruments and interventions are required in India to address these barriers and to promote energy efficiency in the country.
Enigin Distributors across the sub-continent have the full range of energy efficiency solutions from Enigin, which are cost effective in saving energy costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions - making energy efficiency a no-brainer for commerce, industry and the public sector.
