Industries urged to optimally use power

Additional Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar has asked the industries to make optimum use of power at evening and night hours, as Karnataka's energy grid struggles to manage the excess load.

Speaking at a seminar entitled 'Energy Efficiency for Business Competitiveness' on Tuesday, he said the Energy Department had to turn the power units off and on to maintain a fine balance in the night to manage the excess power of 4,000-5,000 MW on a daily basis.

He said that affected the efficiency of the power system and urged the industries to make optimum use of the power and the lower tariff on offer.

"Industries consume at least 27% to 28% of power on a daily basis," Kumar said during his speech at the seminar organised by the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association and Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE).

Solar power is generated during the day and wind in the night, yet there are no takers for the output. "Industries must maintain shifts for energy efficiency and power saving," he added, pointing out that service sectors like IT make very less difference as the power consumed for air-conditioning is modest compared to the load consumed for production.

He said the department was planning an energy efficiency audit of Vidhana Soudha and Vikasa Soudha before completely switching to solar and wind power.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is also working towards switching to green energy, tenders for which have already been invited. The department has also begun the audit of its thermal and hydro plants that would be retrofitted by 2022.

Some old units like the one in Raichur would be shut down since it is costly to maintain them and generate power.

AEEE Director Koshy Cherali said energy efficiency audits should be done on apartment complexes and private commercial buildings, especially the ones with split rentals.

AEEE Executive Council Member S Padmanabhan asked the government to look at a water- and energy-integrated model audit in apartments and large complexes. Since 40% of Karnataka’s electricity demand is being met by renewable resources, a careful audit of what can be saved and where it is essential is necessary, he added.