The Hindu            12.12.2013 

Corporation bags energy conservation award

Union Ministry of Power has chosen Coimbatore Corporation for the second prize in the general category of the National Energy Conservation Award-2013.

A communiqué from Ministry’s Deputy Secretary says that the Commissioner G. Latha would receive the award from President Pranab Mukherjee on December 16.

According to sources, the Corporation had applied for the award highlighting its achievements that included power conservation in street lights, using energy-efficient motors to pump ground water, replacement of conventional lights with energy-efficient lights among others.

The Corporation saved power in street lights by classifying roads as A1, A2, B1 and B2 and dimming lights late at night. On the A1 and commercially active roads the civic body dims the lights by 11 p.m. On other roads it brings down the brightness by 10 p.m. This means that the civic body dims 140 connections by 11 p.m. and the remaining 2,460 connections by 10 p.m.

Such an energy-conservation measure, implemented with the help of a contractor, has helped the civic body save on power bills by 32 per cent.

In power unit terms it worked to saving 79, 51,512 units and Rs. 2.62 crore a year.

The sources said that the Corporation was the only urban local body implementing the project in Tamil Nadu.

The civic body also informed the Central Government in the newly added areas – 40 wards – that it planned to replace the 19,446 conventional street lights with energy-efficient lights at Rs. 21 crore. This will be in addition to the 712 solar energy-powered lights the Corporation had installed in slums.

The Corporation has also switched to energy-efficient lighting systems at its offices and at the Mettupalayam bus stand.

The sources said that the civic body highlighted to the Government that it had installed solar water heating systems at maternity centres and schools. And such installation had led to reduction in power load during peak hours.

In operating the 700-odd borewells it had across the city, the Corporation learnt through an energy audit that it could save around 30 per cent power if it were to improve the efficiency of the motors and change a few worn out parts. After it took the remedial measures, the civic body had observed that it was not only able to increase the availability of water across the city but also reduce emission at 3.5 tonne a bore well a year. It also conserved power equalling 4,084 kWh.

The civic body also spoke about its gassifier crematorium and other such measures. The sources said that its achievements had helped the Corporation bag the award, which was another feather in its cap.