K. Radhakrishnan, former Member (Generation) of the Kerala State Electricity Board said that if all the electricity consumers in Kerala switch off their fridge for three hours during the evening peak hours the State can ward off load shedding for the next three years.
“Switching off the fridge can reduce at least 300 Mega Watts of electric load in the State during the peak load hours thus bridging the supply-demand gap” Mr. Radhakrishnan said while speaking at an energy conservation awareness programme organised by the Manayilkulangara unit of the Nair Service Society here on Monday.
Keeping the fridge switched off during the peak hour will also bring down the purchase load of the KSEB because the peak load energy purchase costs go above Rs. 15 per unit. It has other advantages as well. There will be reduction in energy consumption by the fridge up to 15 per cent thereby cutting down the electricity bill. This fact has been authenticated through a detailed study by the research wing of the KSEB, Mr. Radhakrishnan said.
Also making the fridge operate during the low voltage period reduces the life of the compressor. Thus switching off the fridge during low voltage hours increases the life of the fridge by 50 per cent, studies have proved. This is also applicable to other equipments like water pump, air conditioners, washing machines and blenders.
He said that switching over to high efficiency equipment can further reduce electricity consumption to a large extent. Equipments with energy labels having three stars or above can save much energy. When an old fridge consumes up to 4 units per day a new generation four star fridge consumes less than one unit per day.
Another field in which revolutionary changes have occurred is lighting. The ordinary bulb converts two per cent of energy into light and the rest into heat. Fluorescent lamps and compact fluorescent lamps are much more efficient. Replacing ordinary tube lights with thinner T8 tubes bring about ten percent reductions and with still thinner T5 tubes with electronic chokes can reduce energy consumption by 50 per cent.
Mr. Radhakrishnan said that that the light emitting diode (LED) lamps, the comparatively new addition are claimed to be more efficient but they are yet to be technologically refined for economic use or general purpose lighting. Many other modern lighting types of equipment are reaching the market every day.
“Kerala with extravagance in domestic electricity consumption has tremendous scope for energy conservation and social organisations should come forward to spread the message of energy conservation”, Mr. Radhakrishnan said.
Keywords: Kerala, Power shortage, Load shedding, Expert's advice, Energy saving tips
Humans are different from other living beings is that we can think. But the sad thing no body think in the right way. K Radhankrishnan has suggested something. I don't think he is forcing everybody to do this. If someone don't want to do let them not do. They don't have to pass a negative comment, because there will be some people who will be willing to do, who may gain something from that. So instead of negative comments, people who don't like the suggestion can give some better suggestion like...
1. People can stop going for shopping after 7PM, so the shops can close at 7PM.
2. Reduce the use of light, fans, AC (use 1 AC instead 2-3 AC's in the same house) and other unnecessary electrical and electronic items.
3. Lots of construction works happening in the night. Government can put some norms not to have the works done only at day time.
Above all this the main cause of any problem in this world is the population growth. Everybody should think of something to control this growth.
To Mr K Radhakrishnan,
With all due respect, I don't think you read my comment, or didn't feel the need to respond to it.
So, here's something what I have to say. After reading this article a friend of mine (of foreign nationality) said:
"I want to be in that research team: 'hmmmm...what shall we do chaps to solve this energy crisis?'....'tricky one'.....'I know, let's turn all the fridges off for 3 hours...sorted'....'next item on the agenda?'
Do you now understand the impression such articles have in the eyes of the world?
You said, "I was suggesting an easy solution". I think we've had enough of easy solutions for the last 65 years. For once, let us think of doing the RIGHT thing, rather than the EASY thing.
It maybe a journey of a thousand miles to make India rise and shine, but it begins with a small step taken in the right direction. And I think a person of your caliber should be the leader to make everyone take that step. Thank you for your attention.
Now a days practically every house hold use CFL for lighting. Old
filament type lamps have become a rarity. Switching off fridges between
6pm and 9pm is a good suggestion. But the same cannot be said of other
home appliances like mixie and such. Water pumps can be operated
regularly at some other time than peak hours that one's taps don't go
dry suddenly and it is to be started at peak hour. But having said all
this Mr.Radhakrishnan can rest assured that none of these suggestions
will be followed. We are dead against common sense.
Sir
I am K Radhakrishnan, Former Member (generation) who was mentioned in
the report.
Thank you all for the interest shown on the subject and starting an
active discussion on the subject, facilitating clearing of doubts
also.
First of all let me explain the importance of the issue and the
benefit to the nation.
The country is facing acute power shortage during the evening hours
which lead to load shedding in almost all the areas of the country. It
is creating difficulties to students, housewives and the public at
large. I was suggesting an easy solution.
Moreover the peak power costs much to the individual electric supply
agencies and hence this solution will reduce the financial burden on
them and there by tend to reduce the tariff.
scientific studies and close examination of the technical issues have
shown that the concerns raised by my friends are baseless.For details
pl click https://docs.google.com/document/d/10Fnon2251PqzObrTB3YYVsQFoOy2JC554d
a_AxqWT0s/edit
I have a query for Sekar: How long will the fridge's compressor need to overwork to get the cooling back? If it will need only around 30 minutes, it will still result in net savings, I presume. If the consumer doesn't save and the electricity board increases the load shedding, the consumer will anyway need to shut down for whatever number of hours. With a little bit of planning, can't we power off the fridge for a couple of hours, if not three?
Switch off fridge for the whole day and there would never be any load
shedding! Switch off fans lights to and go back to dark age and you'll
save your electricity bill!
Mr Radhakrishnan please do your job to provide us electricity for which
people do pay. Dont tell them to use less electricity because you are
not able to do your job!
To Sekhar who has commented before me, I want to say that indeed Mr Radhakrishnan IS an electrical engineer. To Mr Radhakrishnan, I have to say that his facts on LED lamps and 4-star refrigerators make sense; but how could he say such a weird sentence in public, as to switch off the fridge for 3 hours? Wouldn't it be more realistic to look into the factors which are creating the so-called demand-supply gap?
I'm sure a big percentage of this gap is created due to corruption at all levels of the board. Instead of forming a "research" team to come up with a solution of switching off the fridge, please form an anti-corruption team in your department to increase power supply. Otherwise, ask the research team to come up with alternate means of power production to reduce this gap.
Help India to grow through innovations, not by manifesting work-arounds. We can only avoid the problem by work-arounds, not resolve it. And a person of his stature should not be avoiding these problems.
It would really make a difference if everyone and all outlets used electricity only
when it is needed. I went to a Club sometime back during the day and all the rooms
were brightly lit with chandeliers and what not and no one was in the rooms
concerned. These clubs should be charged 10times higher electricity rate and only then will they conserve electricity. With the price of bread now at Rs 23 and soon to end up at Rs25, today I baked bread in my solar cooker for the first time and it was the best tasting bread I'd ever eaten. I've also dried fruit in my solar cooker by inserting a spoon under the glass cover to leave a tiny slit open for the steam to escape....so many ways to save electricity by just using the free fuel of our parent Star - The Sun. Instead foolishly we depend on deadly and dangerous nuclear plants that use uranium - a fuel from hell - that has the potential to destroy our land forever.
This will never work. Having worked for the power sector myself, I'd say the only way
forward is to provide an incentive for the customers do so. Offer them a part of the
savings they're helping to create. Let whoever comes forward take part in this. If not
for so many hours, we can reduce the number of hours for which the load is shed.
Obviously he is not an electrical engineer. Now this is what happens if you employ layman to do technical job. I wonder who even hired him! By turning the fridge off for three hours (for that matter even few minutes) the temperature inside the fridge raises and when the power is back the compressor has to work longer and harder to cool the fridge down thus actually using more energy and reducing the compressor life. Turning off the fridge at night is equally a stupid idea for the above reasons. One way of saving energy is by opening and closing quickly and very infrequently. As long as the fridge is closed very little electricity is needed.
In the city of Chennai and other places of Tamilnadu, the Electricity Department itself turns off power for two or more hours every day, whereby no instrument which runs on power, can be put to use. Is it not a big saving for the department?
No one will be ready to switch off the fridge for 3 hours in a stretch
as the primary purpose of having a fridge at home itself is disrupted if
you do that. Instead of making such remarks which wont cut ice with
anyone more practical suggestions could be aired (ex: reduce the cooling
setting at night etc).
By doing so you will ruin your fridge content and spend more money than you would have spend for electricity to repurchase those ruined items.
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