Dr Seemin Rubab
Dr Seemin Rubab

Decentralized renewable energy systems hold tremendous scope of employment generation and entrepreneurship. A large scale dissemination of renewable energy is critically dependent on public understanding of the various pros and cons of these resources. Media can play a positive role in educating stake holders regarding the benefit of energy conservation, energy ethics and community involvement in decentralized renewable energy projects. 

There is, however, a dearth of scribes in the state specializing on energy, technology and development issues. Several reforms are required in Energy sector of the state as the problem is not of the paucity of energy resources but it is of mismanagement of resources and mismatch of demand and supply. An Energy Audit of power development as well as distribution department may be undertaken by an accredited energy auditor (the list of accredited energy auditor is available on the site of Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power). Officer/employees of both of these departments may be sponsored to appear in National Certification Examination of Bureau of Energy Efficiency to become Accredited Energy Auditor.

This way the services of accredited energy auditor will be available round the clock in the state power department. Apart from power departments, the services of accredited energy auditors may be utilized in auditing cement and dairy units of the state.

Formation of Energy Service Company or ESCO should be encouraged in state. An ESCO is a company that provides integrated energy services (technical and financial) to its customers, mainly large energy users and utilities. ESCOs implement energy–efficiency projects on a turnkey basis. Encouraging ESCOs help in tackling the growing unemployment problem. ESCOs may look to public sector banks including Jammu and Kashmir Banks and Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) for financial support.

A committee should be set up to find the causes of failure of upgraded water mills. Was it a technology failure or was it a management problem. Experts from Alternative Energy Centre, IIT Roorkee may be consulted in case of technology failure. In case of management failure the orientation and capacity building of local community has to be undertaken.

JAKEDA (Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency) may send mobile shops displaying various solar devices such as solar cookers, solar water heaters, solar dryers, solar photovoltaic lantern and domestic lighting system to every village and town to educate stakeholders regarding renewable energy resources and technology.

Several Solar passive houses have been developed in Ladakh. Their monitoring and performance evaluation may be undertaken. Solar passive architecture should be promoted in Kashmir and Jammu division of the state in addition to Ladakh. Solar houses are capable of reducing space heating and cooling loads considerably. Dr. C.L. Gupta of Sri Aubindo International may be asked to train the architects, civil engineers, builders and developers of the state. He regularly monitors solar houses of Ladakh. Energy Conservation Building Codes developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power may be implemented in the state. All Institutional Buildings of the state should be rated by GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) developed by the Energy and Resources Institute and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Resources.

Efficient waste collection and disposal system should be developed in state. One of the basic principles of efficient waste collection is to segregate waste in biodegradable and non biodegradable category at the household level itself. ESCOs may be encouraged to generate power from municipal waste.

IREP (Integrate Rural Energy Planning Programme) division may be directed to conduct an exhaustive survey to assess the end-use and fuel wise demand of energy. Improved electronic (fuel efficient and smokeless) biomass cookstoves designed by Philips and TERI may be promoted on pilot basis to test the suitability with local cooking practices.

For queries mail at: [email protected]

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