As an energy conservation method, Periyar Maniammai UniverIsity (PMU) here has embarked on converting its total lighting load into Light Emitting Diode (LED) systems, said N. Ramachandran, Vice Chancellor, PMU, here on Wednesday.
He told presspersons that the technology block two, a new building, has been fitted with LED lighting system. The university has chosen monochromatic lighting system by employing millivolt LEDs. The university has assessed that one-fifth of the existing lighting load is sufficient to get the same effect. The university is mulling installation of at least 15kwh of LED lighting for the financial year 2011-12.
Plans are also afoot to take up assembling of these lights to provide cheaper lighting to the poor under its Technology Business Incubator Activity.
Mr. Ramachandran said the university, a decade ago, had taken up green energy options for various applications. In fact, the campus was on green power at 60 per cent of the demand till recent past. Having upgraded to the status of the university, the demand for energy has gone up concurrently due to intake of students, staff and expansion of departmental activities. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has given the status to the university as a nodal agency of the Ministry. More than 21 projects are under construction by the university to produce 6000 cubic meters of biogas a day, the Vice Chancellor said. This is equal to 270 million thermal units of electrical power a day or 8 mega watt of electric power.
He said the university has installed Solar Water Heating Systems (14,000 litres a day) on the campus and 1.25 lakh of (thermal) kilo calories of energy is tapped from solar radiation. "These systems are saving 40,000 (40 mega watt) units of electrical power a year. They are avoiding 60 metric tonnes of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere a year", Mr. Ramachandran said.
Radhakrishnan, Dean, Projects, Ayyavoo, Registrar of the University, and Mani and Sri Vidya, professors, were present.
