The Times of India 17.08.2010
PCMC gets incentive of Rs 1.93 cr for saving electricity
PUNE: The water supply department of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has earned an incentive of Rs 1.93 crore in the last five years from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) for efficient use of electricity through the Ravet pumping station.
Pravin Tupe, joint city engineer of the PCMC, said: "The MSEDCL charges a penalty if the power factor is not maintained above 0.95. The water supply department had on its own maintained the power factor above this limit." The Ravet pumping station was able to maintain a power factor between 0.96 and 0.97.
Explaining the measures taken, executive engineerSandesh Chavan said, "There are 10 transformers of 1,600 KVA each at Ravet. Two of them are kept on standby. Capacitor banks have been installed on the transformers and motors. Power consumption is monitored daily and the capacitors are changed whenever required to ensure that the power factor does not fall below 0.95."
"If the power factor is maintained at 0.96, the MSEDCL gives a power incentive of one per cent of the total bill amount. If the power factor is maintained at 0.97, the incentive is two per cent. Above 0.97, it is seven per cent of the total bill amount," Chavan said.
The PCMC has started getting this incentive for its Ravet station from 2005-06. "The incentive earned every month is adjusted against the electricity bills of the next month by the MSEDCL."
The total electricity bill for the water supply department is Rs 1.84 crore per month, of which Rs 1.35 crore is for the Ravet pumping station. The highest amount of power incentive earned by the PCMC in the last five years was Rs 42.2 lakh in 2007-08.
"The PCMC has also taken measures to earn power incentives at the water treatment plant in Nigdi. It has earned a benefit of Rs 41.82 lakh since January 2008," he added.
The water for the twin towns of Pimpri-Chinchwad is lifted from the Pavana river at the Ravet pumping station.
