India needs to make its mega facilities like hospitals, airports, hotels, stadiums and offices more energy efficient, an expert said today.
"Giving LED bulbs to households is a good way to have energy efficiency. We call it as low hanging fruits, when you change the bulbs to LED lamps," Shrinivas Chebbi, Vice President (India and SAARC), Schneider Electric India Private Limited, told PTI.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a three-day conference on energy conservation, 'EcoXpert Live India 2016', which began in South Goa yesterday.
"If you look at energy deficiency we still have in India, that (providing bulbs) is one good way but it may not be everything. Our issues are lot more to do with making hospitals, hotels, stadiums, office spaces and homes energy efficient," Chebbi said.
He said the country needs to look at technological solutions to save electricity in bigger spaces.
"Air-conditioner is a big power guzzler. There are technologies available which can make air-conditioning energy efficient. Lighting is one aspect but if you want to reduce the energy consumption, all the services that consume energy has to be efficient. Lights, air-conditioning, lifts, water consumption have to save electricity," he said.
Chebbi said use of technology to reduce consumption is easier compared to behavioural change required in people.
He said Schneider Electric India Private Limited has taken the energy to people who do not have have access to it.
"There are many villages which don't have power line. We have created a business model to help them with this problem. We have also created solar technology-based lighting station," he said.
"The unemployed youths from the village run the charging station. During the day time they charge the batteries and in the evening they give it to homes, shops and businesses. We have done this in Bangladesh in around a million villages and also in many villages in India," Chebbi said.
He said India is facingsevere challenges of energy efficiency and sustainability.
"By saying energy efficiency what we mean is that on one hand we want to modernise and develop our industry and still in India 50 million people do not have access to electricity," he said.
"This development does not have to mean that we are irresponsible as far as natural resources or consumption of energy is concerned. India today needs rapid deployment of all these infrastructure fitted with state-of-the art technology which is available today to the western world," Chebbi added.
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