Power Ministry in asso with BEE organises 30th National Energy Conservation Awards

New Delhi: The Ministry of Power, in association with Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), organised the 30th National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) function. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the function was organised as a Hybrid event transmitted from Vigyan Bhawan. Stakeholders from across the country and the Awardees participated through the virtual platform. The event included a virtual exhibition on achievements on Energy Efficiency. The awards were presented to the winners from different industries and sector establishments. MoS (I/c) Power and New & Renewable Energy RK Singh was the chief guest on this occasion.

During the event, the standards and labelling programme for air compressors and ultra-high definition (UHD) TV on a voluntary basis was initiated; SAATHEE (State-wise Actions on Annual Targets and Headways on Energy Efficiency) – A portal for State Designated Agency for state-level activities was also launched.

Singh congratulated the winners and stated that together we have bravely handled the tough times during the pandemic. The power sector continued to function through-out the lockdown period. Energy Efficiency is not only good for the world but also for companies and industries themselves. Our country has one of the lowest per capita emission and per capita energy consumption. Despite this, the country has made ambitious commitments to meet the global challenge posed by climate change. Our country has a target to reduce the emission intensity to 33-35 percent by 2030 compared to 2005 level, as part of commitments made during COP 21. Prime Minister's vision aims at climate mitigation goal, with the target for renewable energy capacity to be increased to 450 GW by 2030. While emphasising the importance of energy efficiency he highlighted the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme being implemented by BEE, as a 'flag-bearer', as the scheme has not only demonstrated its promise in the country but also has found interest among many other countries. He specifically mentioned the impact of PAT Cycle II achieved emission reduction of 61 million ton of CO₂.

ALSO READ: Single window clearance portal launched; Joshi says next tranche of commercial coal mine auction this month

We should be alert and prepared for such pandemics in future. The situation brought a huge challenge for our economy. The Minister desired that a system of ranking of states can be developed on the basis of Energy Efficiency and resource conservation. He also added that the states can prepare broad commitments to meet climate goals in-line with the NDCs. In conclusion, he called upon to strive for being energy efficient on the individual and corporate level without expecting from others.

Ministry of Power's Secretary Sanjiv Nandan Sahai (IAS) congratulated the winners at the occasion and thanked all the industry players and colleagues for putting their efforts towards energy conservation. The NECA event witnessed award presentations to 57 units from various sectors. This year, it is reported that 409 units have participated in NECA 2020 and collectively achieved a saving of 3,007 Million units and substantial thermal energy savings resulting in Rs 1,503 crores. The Power Ministry has undertaken a lot of pilot projects for energy-intensive MSME sectors to enhance their performance and drawing sectoral policy roadmap for MSMEs. Agriculture is the next important sector to focus on energy efficiency. The energy efficiency is a national cause and hence we all should join our hands to make India an energy-efficient country.

The virtual event was organised with an aim to promote energy conservation among all the sectors of the economy, followed by an award distribution ceremony for the industrial units& other establishments to encourage more actions in achieving efficient utilization of energy sources. The dignitaries and delegates could also visit a virtual exhibition on various initiatives for energy efficiency and their current progress highlighting major contribution to the country's energy security.

The star labelling programme for the air compressor and UHD TV is launched on a voluntary basis and the energy consumption standards is effective from January 1, 2021. This initiative is expected to save around 8.41 billion units of electricity for air compressors and 9.75 billion units for UHD TV till 2030.
BEE has developed a management information system (MIS) portal namely state-wise actions on annual targets and headways on energy efficiency (SAATHEE) which will facilitate real-time monitoring of the progress of implementation of various energy conservation endeavours at the state level.

(PSU Watch– India's Business News centre that places the spotlight on PSUs, Bureaucracy, Defence and Public Policy is now on Telegram. Join PSU Watch Channel in your Telegram and stay updated)