Energy efficiency steps help save 7k MUs of power in 2015-16

The power ministry today said the country saved 7,378 million units of electricity worth Rs 4,866 crore through various energy efficiency measures taken during 2015-16.
In a bid to promote energy efficiency, Power Minister Piyush Goyal will present National Energy Conservation Awards 2016 tomorrow after inaugurating the National Energy Conservation Day, read a ministry statement. Goyal will also felicitate winners of National Energy Conservation Painting Competition 2016.
According to the statement, the participating entities for the 2016 awards have collectively invested Rs 5,111 crore in energy conservation and achieved monetary savings of Rs 4,866 crore in a short period.
The investment will continue to pay off in coming years as well. These entities have saved 7,378 million units of electricity, which is equivalent to the energy generated from a 1,352 MW thermal power plant, it added.

Driven by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), the awards recognise industrial and other establishments that have taken effective measures to conserve energy, and students from across the country who paint ideas for energy conservation.
A number of entities including industrial units, offices and BPO buildings, hotels, hospitals, zonal railways, railway stations including metro, state designated agencies and municipalities and electricity distribution companies (discoms) have sent in their entries for the awards aimed at recognising effective energy efficient technologies and practices.

Goyal will interact, through video conferencing, with school students across the country and view their paintings depicting exciting ideas on power conservation.

Talking about the grid (or price) parity of solar power
with conventional sources like coal-based thermal power, he said, "We have achieved grid parity. We don't get power at Rs 3 per unit. We have withdrawn subsidy on large scale solar plants. Now, solar power industry can stand on their own."
Last week, solar power tariff dropped to all time low of Rs 2.97 per unit at an auction concluded for 750 MW capacities at Rewa Solar Power Park in Madhya Pradesh.
During the 9 months of April-December 2016-17, the country's largest power producer NTPC had an average power tariff of Rs 3.28 per unit.

Goyal also indicated enabling NTPC to sell scheduled power (output) in the open market even if the contracted state does not refuse to buy that electricity well in time.
He opined that this will help both NTPC as well as states to reduce the fixed cost due to them. The contracting states are required to pay fixed cost even if they do not consumer power, as per the power purchase agreements.
"This results in fixed cost payment by the states. If that surplus power is sold by NTPC at lower rates to other states then the earnings can be be equally shared by Centre and state," the minister said.

Explaining further, he said, "This policy is already there. But state has to give its approval for that. Unfortunately, they don't come on board for the purpose. But if they don't say no to the power supply 24 hours in advance, it can be sold by NTPC.