Punjab Newsline
PSEB can save crores on implementation of energy conservation plan
VINOD KUMAR GUPTA
Saturday, 24 January 2009
CHANDIGARH: PSEB can save crores of rupees by saving 1400 million units annually and peak load demand can come down by 1500 MW if state government opts for energy conservation plan and reducing line losses feeder wise.

Virender Singh a retired PSEB chief Engineer has written a letter to Parmod Kumar Chairman Social Devolvement and Governance Commission Punjab suggesting ways and means which can result in saving millions of unit every year and reducing the peak load demand. The net result would be that PSEB would be saving of hundreds of crores of rupees.

The annual energy saving in Punjab can be around 1400 million units if Punjab Government bans use of incandescent lamps Punjab Government should issue an ordinance banning the sale of incandescent lamps or taxing them heavily to discourage their usage and make the installation of BEE approved Compact Fluorescent Lamps and energy efficient tubes with electronic chokes mandatory. Investment in replacing all incandescent lamps with CFLs in Punjab is about Rs 300 crore which is recoverable in a period less than six months due to energy saving of about 1400 million units annually. Investment in the energy efficient tube is around Rs 800 crore whose pay back period is about six years. Peak demand is likely to be reduced by 800 MW on implementation of this project.

Virender Singh in his letter further suggests that transmission losses can be reduced significantly if urban, sub-urban and rural supply feeders can be covered under partial HVDS-cum-Low Maintenance project. This pilot project has been tried in Patiala circle of PSEB where the line losses have been brought down appreciably. The line loss reduction is from 33% to 10.5% on 11 KV Rajindra Hospital Feeder, from 52% to 20% on Ablowal UPS Feeder, from 65% to 15% on 11 KV Badungar Feeder and from 87% to 15% on 11 KV Dakala Feeder.The investment in this project across Punjab is likely to be Rs.600 Cr. and the peak power reduction is expected to be reduced by 700 MW.

In case the present agricultural pump sets including motors are replaced with energy efficient ones over next five years at a cost of Rs. 1500 Cr the amount can be recovered in a period of about three years through energy saving potential of 1300 million units every year.