The Hindu 12.12.2013
Corporation bags energy conservation award
Replacement of conventional street lights with energy-efficient ones has
helped Coimbatore Corporation bag the energy efficiency award from the
Central Government. —file photo: S. Siva Saravanan
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.
