The Delhi government will install LED bulbs, which it sees as the “future”, in all streetlights and replace the existing non-LED ones as part of its efforts to significantly reduce energy consumption, power minister Satyender Jain said on Thursday.
Mr. Jain said that around 60,000 MW of electricity is being used in the Capital for street-lighting alone and pressed for efforts to reduce it by half. Stressing on sustainable living, the Minister said there was a need to focus on renewable sources of energy, such as solar power. “A proper financing model should be developed, which will bring down costs of such clean energy sources,” Mr. Jain said.
“We will make LED street-lighting mandatory in Delhi. Will change those which have already been installed. I have told PWD to implement it. If the government creates a market then demand shall automatically go up and prices will come down,” the Minister said.
Mr. Jain was speaking at an exhibition of LED lighting products and technologies at Pragati Maidan.
Cost of solar energy per unit was Rs. 7 when the AAP government assumed office in February, which Mr. Jain said has now come down to Rs. 4.53 per unit. “Proper financing will bring it down more,” Mr. Jain added. “Quality will have to be assured as well. And LED is the future. India is an assembling hub now, so it should be a manufacturing hub as well,” the minister said.
