‘Pillar boxes’ help curtail power distribution losses

Yogindra Mohan
Patiala

In Punjab where overall distribution losses which were hovering at around 25 per cent five years ago, now have been brought down to less than 18 per cent with shifting of domestic meters to pillar boxes under a pilot project called as ‘ Punjab Model’ . The system reliability index has been improved by 99.75 per cent. The damage rate of distribution transformers, which was between 10 to 15 per cent, has also been reduced significantly.

Sources in the power sector told Daily Post that power engineers of Punjab took the initiative in 2007-08 to reduce losses in selected 11 kilovolts (KV) feeders by introduction of low cost strategies with payback period of one to two years through departmental efforts. Complete and independent feeders were selected for accurate and authentic energy audit in Patiala.

This project has incurred an expenditure of Rs 34 crore and 233 lakh units of energy has been saved. After the success of the project, power utility management adopted it for implementation in throughout Punjab with funding by Rural Electrification Corporation in non-RAPDRP areas. This has been possible only with the full administrative support of power utility and Punjab government.

In urban areas the consumer meters were shifted outside their premises and fixed on the poles. In rural areas meters of the consumers inside the ‘phirni’ of the village were installed in pillar boxes. Low tension distribution system has been completely re-laid. Decades old worn out conductors have been replaced.

In a pillar box about 15 to 16 meters were installed. Bakelite fire proof separators were provided between the meters to avoid fire accident. The proper earthling of pillar box up to water level was done. Around 20 lakh consumer meters have been shifted in pillar boxes from 2009 till date on turnkey basis.

The financial implication of project is very low .It is Rs 3,500 per consumer in rural areas whereas less than Rs1,000 per consumer in urban areas. The best thing about this model is that investment made on improving the system can be recovered with in a period of one and a half year of implementation.