SiteMap View

SiteMap Hidden

Main Menu

About Us

Notice

Our Actions

E-gen Events

Our Actions

Energy Efficiency and India

by Natasha Singh | 14-02-2019 02:16


Energy is vital to all the production and consumption activities carried out by human beings. With rise in living standards and increase in the world population, the demand for energy in all its forms has risen substantially. In India, energy is used on a large scale in agriculture, industry construction, transportation etc. It is also important for carrying out domestic activities such as cooking, heating, lighting, and so on. Energy sources can be classified as conventional and non-conventional. The conventional sources of energy include coal, oil, petroleum, and natural gas. Coal is an important source of energy and accounts for nearly 70% of India¡¯s commercial energy consumption. It is easily converted to liquid or gaseous forms. Presently, India¡¯s coal reserves are running low and are only about 300,000 million tonnes. Coal is non-renewable and created large amounts of smoke, ash and burnt residue. Other important sources of energy are petrol and mineral oil, which are of great significance in the vehicular and chemical industries. In India, the crude oil sector is showing promise, and the quantity of crude oil produced and refined in India increased from 300,000 tonnes fifty years ago to 324, 000, 000 tonnes today. However, India is still heavily reliant on external sources to meet its oil demands, which burdens the exchequer. Due to a slew of problems associated with the use of the conventional sources, people are increasingly turning to non-conventional sources of energy. One such source is solar energy, which harnesses the solar radiation to produce electricity. India, being a tropical country, can use this source of energy to meet its daily power requirements. Solar plants are low maintenance, and therefore, solar energy can prove to be a cheap and convenient source of energy in the long run. Another useful source of energy is biogas, which is made by fermentation of organic waste. Many effective technologies for harnessing the power of biogas have been developed and over 1,500,000 plants are in operation in India. Biogas is very efficient and readily available as it is derived from livestock waste. Wind energy, generated by making use of wind-power, is another viable option due to the large wind power potential in India. It is being utilised through the ¡®Wind Energy Program¡¯. Due to such efforts, India is now the world¡¯s fifth largest producer of wind power, and a substantial amount of investments in the wind energy sector are made by entrepreneurs and businesses. Keeping in mind the growing need for conserving energy, and to move towards greater energy efficiency, the Government of India enacted the Energy Conservation Act in 2001. The Acts lays down a foundation for the Central and State Level governments to frame and enforce pro-energy efficiency laws in the country.