The Palakkad Division of Southern Railway observed “Energy Conservation Week” from December 8 to December 14 and adopted various measures to create awareness on benefits of saving power throughout the division.
A prominent consumer of electric power for lighting, general applications and traction, the division adopted several measures to minimise consumption, a release here stated. The measures included replacing conventional lightings with LED lights; replacing ordinary fans with energy-efficient Brushless DC Motor fans; replacing 400 Watts MH fittings with 250 Watts fittings in high-mast lights at Shoranur; timers for water coolers at railway stations; replacing Neon sign station name boards at Kozhikode and Shoranur stations with LED name boards saving 12,899 units of power a year; stand alone solar lightings at selected railway stations and colonies and distribution of 7 Watts LED bulps among Railway Staff at subsidised rates. The division had consumed 69,95,934 units of power between April and November 2015 and during the same period this year, the consumption was 66,96,013 units, a saving of 2,99,921 units. At the same time, the division had consumed about 6 crore units of power for operating trains on electric traction between December 2015 and November 2016. The division expects a considerable saving in this area with the introduction of more Locos with regenerative braking system. Under regenerating braking system, the current in the electric motors is reversed, slowing down the train. At the same time, the electro motors generate electricity to be returned to the power distribution system. In contrast, conventional braking system results in waste of energy and generation of heat.
Published - December 15, 2016 12:43 am IST
