Currently Nepal is facing up to 14 hours of power cuts every day. Actual electricity demand of Nepal is over 2000MW, but due to supply deficit, the demand is suppressed to 1200MW. Of this demand, our supply is only 750MW in the rainy season. What is worse is that is produced during winter. As a result, the country is facing a shortage of over 450 MW to fulfill even the suppressed demand.
In the short run, raising production level is next to impossible in terms of time and investment. The only way out to fight this condition is to improve demand side management – utilizing available technological solutions for energy efficiency so that we can make optimum use of the power that is currently available.
Policy makers often think that raising production is the only solution. Recent technological innovations globally demonstrate that it is possible to minimize demand by 20-25%. These innovations help reduce demand by generating optimum output from the given amount of energy input. For example, an energy efficient LED bulb saves 90% energy compared to a conventional incandescent bulb. Likewise, up to 50% electricity can be saved if we add intelligent energy saving devices to high electricity consuming equipment such as motors, AC, and chiller units. Technologies as these helps in achieving efficiencies without compromising the requirements. With the nationwide implementation of such energy efficiency solutions, almost 150MW can be saved. This saving is sufficient to reduce minimum of 6 hours of load shedding each day.
Studies show that almost 50% of world’s total energy is used by induction motors. In Nepal as well, almost half of the total energy produced is used by the industrial and corporate sector. In this case, a step toward making the motors fully efficient contributes to a large amount of energy saving.
Demand of electric power in Nepal is growing by 20% every year. In this context of high demand and low supply, energy efficiency should be a national concern. However, the Government of Nepal is yet to realize the importance of demand side, management and the role of energy saving solutions. In the developed countries where there is no electricity crisis, energy policy makers have invested a lot in managing the demand through the use of innovative technologies.
Given the current energy crisis, it is important that both the government and the corporate sectors pay immediate attention to demand side management. Government step toward energy efficiency and go green initiatives can drive whole nation toward this which will be a big movement in the process to overcome current energy crisis. To begin with, every government institution should be an energy efficient place to set an example and encourage the private and industrial sector.
In this context, our company Innovative Energy has started promoting some intelligent energy efficiency solutions. Innovative Energy is working in the field of energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy. Its products includes real time energy management system, intelligent motor energy controller, air conditioner energy saver, chiller unit energy saver and high efficiency LED lights and solar street lights. Application of these range of products directly contribute up to 50 percent of energy saving.
Ramesh Bhandari is the Managing Director of Innovative Energy Pvt Ltd
Source : The Corporate Weekly
