Andhra Pradesh - Guntur   

On way to becoming a model in energy matters Spotlight

— Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar

SOLAR ENERGY: Watchman of an apartment complex at Vidya Nagar in Guntur monitors the functioning of a solar-powered heating system on roof-top.

GUNTUR: Luxurious lifestyle of the ever-growing city like Guntur is putting a tremendous pressure on conventional energy needs of the citizens individually and at common facilities maintained by the Guntur Municipal Corporation.

Ironically at a time when the Guntur Municipal Corporation was implementing the statuary norm of having a solar-powered hot-water system in all multi-storied apartment complexes and business complexes, a recent Government Order following some of the builders approaching the court, has let the city off the hook.

This comes as a blow to the programmes of the Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Ltd. (NEDCAP), though it is the nodal agency for implementing non-conventional initiative of the State Government under guidance from Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Sources (MNES).

Having a hot-water system was made mandatory in July 2005 and the NEDCAP had issued 155 No Objection Certificates to help those seeking plan approval from the Guntur Municipal Corporation to meet the norm.

The VGMTUDA on its part had issued another 150 for buildings that came under their purview and there was 100 per cent compliance before relaxation came.

Out of the NOCs given, 65 apartments, complete in all respects, had installed the solar powered hot-water systems in Guntur city alone - best performance in the State. Vijayawada on the contrary had given permission for eight lakh litres of installed capacity, but installed them on 35 apartment complexes. The NEDCAP had given notice two apartments for not meeting the stipulation.

From September 1, 2008, the State Government has announced special subsidy scheme for the domestic apartment complex associations and builders for installing solar-powered water heating systems. As per norms 1000-litre-capacity system needs to be installed for a collector area of 22 square metres. Individuals get bank finance for installing these systems at a subsidised rate of bank interest of 2 per cent with principal repayable in five years, within which time they would have recovered the cost of their installation through saving in power bills, said NEDCAP District Manager G. Harnadh Babu. Guntur Mayor Rayapati Mohansai Krishna told The Hindu on Monday that GMC would implement strictly its resolution taken in 2006 to make it mandatory for all houses on area over 150 square metres to have solar water heating system. The NEDCAP’s initiative had saved 15 lakh units per month so far and similar saving was possible on a larger scale if similar initiatives were taken for common facilities also.

The Mayor wishes to contact companies that provide carbon credit for saving power in street lighting and immediately take up lighting on the Kankaragunta flyover with energy-efficient lamps. "This will help replace 250 watt sodium vapour lamps with 70 watt bulbs having the same illumination.

Municipal Commissioner Siddhartha Jain said that a preamble from the corporation was pending before the Standing Committee to outsource street lighting to reduce power bills.

"Municipal parks like Gandhi Park and NTR Manasarovar will be our first experiment grounds to install solar lamps to lower the power consumption and replace all the bulbs in GMC main office with CFL lamps to reduce total electricity consumption," he observed.

Lux Meters have been purchased by GMC to scientifically illuminate all stretches of roads in the city with the right kind of lamps, Mr. Jain points out. Capacitors had been fixed at several pump houses to reduce power bills.

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