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Here is an essay on national institutions promoting energy conservation in India.
National Institutions Promoting Energy Conservation in India
Essay Contents:
- Essay on the Bureau of Energy Efficiency
- Essay on Petroleum Conservation Research Association
- Essay on Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency
- Essay on National Productivity Council
- Essay on National Council for Cement and Building Materials
- Essay on Energy Research Institute
- Essay on the Confederation of Indian Industry
- Essay on the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
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Essay # 1. Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE):
After the notification of energy conservation Act in the gazette of India in October 200l, the Ministry of power, Government of India, established the bureau of energy efficiency (BEE) in March 2002 with the mandate to implement the EC Act properly throughout the country.
BEE’s mission is to institutionalize energy efficiency services, enable delivery mechanisms in the country and provide leadership to the key players involved in the energy conservation movement. Its primary goal is to reduce the energy intensity in the economy.
BEE is the first energy efficiency promoting organization, which has been given wide legal powers to enforce the energy conservation related provisions of the Act and also to take punitive actions against the defaulters.
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Penalty for each offence under the Act would be in monetary terms and the same is fixed at Rs. 10,000 for each offence and Rs. 1000 for each day for continued non-compliance. However, during the initial phase of 5 years being promotional and creating infrastructure for implementation of the Act., no penalties would be effective during this phase.
To begin with, BEE came out with an action plan covering 10 thrust areas in August 2002 and since then it has been vigorously working to implement them fully. Initially, it opted for voluntary approach like IIPEC for promoting energy efficiency in industries.
Mean-while, it has also initiated steps for capacity building for energy auditors and energy managers through certification, energy auditing agencies by giving them accreditation, adoption of uniform codes for performing energy audits, development of energy conservation building codes, formulation of standards and labelling for equipment motivating industrial units through a competition for national awards, etc. It has also set an example by initiating implementation grade energy audits in government buildings, starting with Rashtrapati Bhawan.
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Essay #
2. Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA):
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Responding to the oil crisis of early seventies, the government had created petroleum conservation research association (PCRA) in 1978 to identify potential and to promote measures for accelerating conservation of petroleum products in various sectors of economy.
PCRA’s objectives comprise formulation of strategies and promotion of measures to accelerate conservation of petroleum products leading to environment protection, energy security and sustainable development. It also supports and facilitates efforts for substitution of petroleum products with alternate and renewable fuels.
Currently under the Ministry of Petroleum and Gas, PCRA is one of the key organizations working towards energy conservation with a special focus on energy efficiency in industrial units. It sponsors R and D activities for the development of fuel-efficient equipment/devices and organizes multi-media campaigns for creating mass awareness for the conservation of petroleum products.
It has also been promoting energy audits and presenting awards to state road transport corporations, industrial units, energy auditors and ESCOs in recognition of their energy saving achievements. It also organizes a training program on “Energy management and conservation strategies” in association with Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) at Hyderabad.
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3. Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA):
Indian renewable energy development agency (IREDA) is a profit making public sector financing company under the administrative control of ministry of non-conventional energy sources (MNES).
IREDA was promoted by the government in 1987, mainly for promotion of renewable energy sources like wind, hydro, solar, biomass, waste to energy, etc. Later it diversified into energy efficiency and conservation. Today IREDA extends financial assistance for renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation projects with the motto- ‘energy forever’.
IREDA’s financial assistance is available to industries for their energy saving projects upto 70 to 75% of the total project cost at a concessional rate of interest on a long term basis. Till March 2003, IREDA approved an aggregate 1711 projects with financial commitment of about Rs. 6675 crores and disbursed Rs. 3640 crores. The projects financed by it created 2472 MW power generation capacity.
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Presently, IREDA is running a regular media campaign for creating awareness among the industrial units about the benefits of energy efficiency and its financial assistance for the same. Its ad states: “Energy efficiently helps in plugging revenue leakage…”
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4. National Productivity Council (NPC):
Founded in 1958 by the Government of India, the National Productivity Council (NPC) is a national level autonomous, tri-partite, non-profit organization with equal representation from the government, employers and workers organizations, apart from technical and professional institutions.
Besides its headquarters at New Delhi, NPC operates through 12 offices in India with 250 full-time highly qualified and experienced specialists representing various disciplines. Its services include consultancy, training and research in the area of productivity and energy.
NPC has been active in the area of energy conservation and management for over three decades and has undertaken numerous studies at macro, sectoral and unit levels through its team of committed professionals. It promotes ratio use of energy through: optimization of methods improvement, energy efficiency, technology up-gradation and application of alternative energy sources.
NPC has a training wing known as Dr. Ambedkar Institute of Productivity (AIP) at Chennai, which conducts a two years full time PG programs in energy management, environment management, industrial engineering, etc.
Two years ago, bureau of energy efficiency (BEE) had entrusted it with the responsibility of conducting national level certification examinations for energy auditors and energy managers. NPC has already successfully conducted two exams so far, the first in the year of 2004 and the second in 2005.
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5. National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB):
Established in 1962, the national council for cement and building materials (NCB) is the largest industrial support organization of its kind in India. NCB’s main laboratories are located at Ballabgarh, about 35 km south of New Delhi and its units at Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Bhubaneswar. It has a strong team of over 300 highly qualified and experienced engineers, scientist and other professionals.
NCB has been actively engaged in carrying out energy audit studies, monitoring of energy performance of cement plants. R and D on energy conservation and rational utilization of energy, heat and gas balance studies, identification of leakages in kiln-preheater and other gas/air circuits, identification of potentials for energy saving, on-site study of process parameters, target-setting and monitoring, waste heat recovery for cogeneration of power, creating awareness and motivation through national awards for energy efficiency in Indian cement industry, manpower training in energy management and auditing, bringing out publications/newsletter related to energy conservation aspects.
During the past two decades, it has carried out about 145 energy audit studies in cement plants. Jointly with the bureau of industrial costs and prices (BICP), NCB had conducted an energy use survey of Indian industry in 1983-84 and again ten years later.
NCB pioneered the concept of recognizing the units saving energy much before any other institution had thought of it. It has instituted national awards for energy efficiency in Indian cement industry as far back as 1986-87.
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6. The Energy Research Institute (TERI):
The Energy Research Institute (TERI), formerly known as Tata energy research institute, was established in 1974. In the initial period, TERI’s focus was mainly on documentation, information dissemination and research activities in the fields of energy, environment and sustainable development were initiated towards the end of 1982.
TERI has been actively working in close association with the Indian industry for developing solutions for the challenges posed by the growing demand for energy. It has conducted energy audits in more than 200 industrial organizations.
With a staff strength of over 600, today TERI is providing environment- friendly solutions to rural energy problems, helping shape the development of the Indian oil and gas sector, tackling global climate change issues across many continents, enhancing forest conservation efforts among local communities, advancing solutions to growing urban transport and air pollution problems and promoting energy efficiency in the Indian industry. It conducts various training programs and also publishes books.
In the year 2000, it published an exhaustive “Handbook on energy audit and management”. This book enables users to understand the operation of various equipment’s and systems and to identify opportunities for energy saving in industrial units. All the major energy consuming equipment’s have been covered in the book.
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7. Confederation of Indian Industry (CII):
The confederation of Indian industry (CII) works to create and sustain an environment conductive to the growth of industry in India, partnering industry and government alike through advisory and consultative processes. Founded over 110 years ago, it is India’s premier business association with a direct membership of over 5300 companies from the private as well as public sectors. It accords energy sector A + priority area. To provide focus and direction to energy related issues, its energy division undertakes activities in power, hydrocarbons, coal, renewables and energy efficiency.
In the year 1989, CII formed an energy management cell with the objective of promoting energy efficiency in Indian industry. The cell is located at Chennai and it has recently extended offering services from Chandigarh and Ahmedabad.
A 15 member technical team is involved in carrying out various activities to catalyze and facilitate energy efficiency in all industrial sectors. The services include detailed energy audit, in-house and center-wise intensive training programs on energy conservation, organizing encon mission – visit to select energy efficient units, organizes technical seminar, workshops, summits and exhibitions on energy conservation and management.
CII’s energy management cell has already conducted many detailed energy audits in units representing various industrial sectors.
This cell has also prepared unique energy efficiency manuals/publications, such as variable speed drives for energy efficiency, energy efficiency in pumping systems, reference manual on encon at design stage and case study booklets on encon in cement, paper, sugar, textile, fertilizer (urea), glass and ceramic industries.
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8. Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI):
Set up in 1927, on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) is the rallying point for free enterprises in India. It has empowered Indian businesses in the changing times to shore up their competitiveness and enhance their global reach.
With a nationwide membership of over 1500 corporates and over 500 chambers of commerce and business associations, FICCI espouses the shared vision of Indian businesses and speaks directly and indirectly for over 2,50,000 business units.
FICCI is committed to accelerate the process of development movement of energy efficiency/conservation. The enactment of the energy conservation Act, 2001 has radically changed its approach towards energy conservation efforts. It promotes energy efficiency activities by conducting energy audits, energy conservation seminars, training programs and workshops.
It has qualified experts for energy audits and experienced panel of faculties for training. FICCI is also an accredited energy auditor of petroleum conservation research association (PCRA).
In addition to these, almost every state has its own state energy development agency for the promotion of energy efficiency. With the efforts of these state energy development agencies, encouraging results have been achieved in improving energy efficiency.