10 hours ago
BEE urges States to sustain momentum on energy efficiency
Vijayawada: The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the Ministry of Power, expressed satisfaction over the active participation of all State Designated Agencies (SDAs) particularly the proactive Southern SDAs in the recent World Environment Day celebrations.
BEE urged the SDAs to sustain this momentum by intensifying efforts to promote Behavior-Based Energy Saving Practices (2BESP), which are crucial in combating climate change and reducing electricity consumption. According to recent estimates, 2 BESP initiatives can potentially save up to 22.5 billion kWh of energy annually. BEE emphasized the need for targeted awareness and implementation campaigns at the State-level.
During an interactive session on the impact of 5-Star Rated Appliances, senior BEE officials including Deputy Director General Dr Asok Kumar, Secretary Milind Deore and Directors Abhishek Sharma and Karman Sheik highlighted the importance of adopting high-efficiency appliances such as air-conditioners, refrigerators and ceiling fans to significantly reduce both electricity usage and consumer bills.
The officials also encouraged SDAs to collaborate with Residential Welfare Associations (RWAs) and Group Housing Societies to spread awareness about maintaining air-conditioner temperatures at 24°C or higher, in line with the Government of India's national energy efficiency campaign for both commercial and residential buildings.
India's building sector currently accounts for 35–40 per cent of the country's total energy consumption.
Against this backdrop, BEE reiterated that urgent adoption of energy efficiency measures by SDAs is critical to reducing energy demand, lowering costs and safeguarding the environment.
The benefits of adopting energy-efficient appliances: A conventional 75W ceiling fan, used for 16 hours daily, consumes 1.2 kWh per day, resulting in an annual electricity bill of Rs 2,857 (at Rs 6.50/kWh).
In contrast, a 32W Brushless DC (BLDC) fan, under similar usage, consumes only 0.51 kWh per day, lowering the annual bill to Rs 1,208—less than half the cost.
Several states in the country - Andhra Pradesh (APSECM), Kerala (EMC), Karnataka (KREDL), Telangana (TSREDCO), and Tamil Nadu (TANGEDCO - in South have emerged as frontrunners in advancing BEE's mission. Their robust participation in the Standards & Labelling Programme helped achieve notable outcomes in 2022–23, including: Saving of 81.64 billion Units of electricity and in terms of money Rs 54,323 crore in energy cost savings. The BEE reaffirmed its commitment to fostering a culture of energy efficiency across India and urged all SDAs to continue driving this transformative shift toward a more sustainable energy future.
