Karnataka - Bangalore

‘Bachat Lamp Yojana’ launch in two months

BANGALORE: The Centre’s ‘Bachat Lamp Yojana,’ which envisages to conserve 6,000 MW of power by replacing incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), will be launched in two months.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s Technical Specialist for Clean Development Mechanism Manu Maudgal disclosed this at a seminar on “Clean development mechanism and its benefits,” jointly organised by the Karnataka Energy Department and the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited in Bangalore on Friday.

He noted that the project had been taken up on a pilot basis in Visakhapatnam. The Centre had a few days ago given permission for extending it to the entire country.

Under the project, nearly 400 million incandescent bulbs, which consume high energy, would be replaced with CFLs. To begin with, an agency would be selected through tenders for replacing the incandescent bulbs in every house. The agency will replace four bulbs from each house. Consumers who get the benefit of replacement have to pay Rs. 15 per CFL as against its market price of about Rs. 100. The agency will make up the difference in cost by showcasing this project under the Clean Development Mechanism in international market to get carbon credits.

The Government will not make any capital investments under the scheme. However, it will get the benefit of reduction in peak hour demand while the consumers will get the benefit of reduction in their power bills. The implementing agency would earn profits under the CDM scheme.

Bescom has already taken up a scheme on a pilot basis in Bangalore Rural district to replace the incandescent bulbs. However, the scheme is yet to reach the implementation stage due to the lukewarm response from implementing agencies to the tender floated by the Bescom in this regard.

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