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Energy is one of the major inputs for economic development ofany country. In the case of developing countries, the energysector assumes critical importance in view of the ever-increasingenergy needs, widening of supply–demand gaps, and also hugeinvestments required to meet them. In the Indian context, thecurrent peak demand shortage is 14% and the energy deficit is8.4%. In certain areas, this could be as high as 25%. In suchscenarios, efficient use of electricity necessitates persistentenergy conservation efforts. Energy efficiency is achieved whenenergy usage in a specific product is reduced without affectingoutput or user comfort levels. See Appendix I for an interestinghistory of light and the evolution of energy efficiency in thelighting sector.

Very simply, energy efficiency means using less energy toperform the same function. For example, by replacing traditionallight bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps, one uses only 25%of the energy originally needed to illuminate the room. Pollutionlevels are also reduced by the same amount.

Lighting is an essential requirement for any facility and ittouches the day-to-day lives of people in more ways than one. Itaccounts for 15% of the total energy consumed in a developingcountry as against about 7%–10% in developed countries.Energy efficiency has often been viewed as a ‘resource option’,just like coal, oil, or natural gas. For a developing country suchas India, it provides additional economic value by preserving theresource base and reducing pollution. Today, energy efficiencyassumes even greater importance because it is the most cost-effective and reliable means of mitigating global climate change.Recognition of such potential has led to high expectationsregarding control of future carbon dioxide emissions throughmore frequent energy-efficiency improvements as compared tothose in the past. Thus, with new product development takingplace at a much faster pace, the lighting sector as a whole hasimmense potential to pursue energy efficiency options.

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India’s installed capacity of power generation is about112 058 MW (CEA 2004). According to an estimate of theshare of electricity used and the lighting component for majorsectors (Table 1), about 15% of the total electricity generatedis used for lighting purposes in various sectors.

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Efforts are on worldwide to attend to the following interactinglighting variables.� Lighting upgrades yield quick savings on energy bills but

more efficient lights release less heat—an indirect benefitfor the air-conditioning systems.

� The light quality, the lighting quantity, and the type of lightfittings are dependent on the task at hand. Thus, efforts topromote efficient lighting that ignore the users’ needs arelikely to fail.

� For optimal lighting solutions, the total system involvingdaylighting, lamps, fixtures, controls, configuration,materials, and furnishing needs to be consideredholistically.

� Broader impacts of lighting choices, including thepersistence of energy efficiency measures, with implicationsfor the type of technologies, are to be considered.

� It is necessary to upgrade information on energy-efficientlighting technologies, which have been changingcontinuously over the past 60 years (Figure 1).

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��������India’s energy intensity per unit of gross domestic product ishigher when compared to the rest of Asia, Japan, and the USby 1.47, 3.7, and 1.55, respectively. Though this indicatesinefficient use of energy, it also implies substantial scope forenergy savings. However, many barriers are being faced in thedrive towards energy-efficient lighting.

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� Emphasis on minimization of first cost by end-users� Capital availability constraints� Manufacture of inefficient products in parts of the

unorganized sector

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� Aversion to taking risks associated with new technologies� Shortage of skilled staff� Lack of information.

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Often in industrial plants, the use of efficient lighting is notconsidered important, as energy consumption for lightingpurposes generally forms only a small component of the totalenergy consumed. Recognizing the importance and benefits ofenergy efficiency, the Government of India enacted theEnergy Conservation Act, 2001, which came into force on1 March 2002.

One of the major thrust areas recognized under this Actincludes buildings where the lighting component forms amajor part of the total electricity used. The following policymeasures will help overcome the barriers stated earlier.� Prescribing energy conservation building codes for efficient

use of energy and its conservation in commercial buildings� Formulating energy conservation building codes to suit

regional and local climatic conditions

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It is generally observed that in certain areas/seasons/installations, power quality is poor. Both planned andunplanned interruptions happen; line voltage varies up to30%. Besides, spikes and surges are common. All theseproblems contribute to the reduced lamp/ballast life and leadto an increased need for lamp/e-choke replacements andhence higher O&M (operation and maintenance) costs. Inaddition to power quality issues, poor and inefficient designsof lighting systems also pose problems for most facilities.

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� Directing owners/occupants of commercial buildings tocomply with the provisions of the energy conservationbuilding code.

The following additional policy measures can also beinitiated.� Organizing training programmes for personnel and

specialists in the techniques of efficient energy use andconservation

� Creating awareness and disseminating information� Promoting research and development� Promoting the use of energy-efficient products, fittings,

devices, and systems (The cost of energy-efficientequipment in India is higher compared to other developedcountries.)

� Encouraging the use of energy-efficient equipment bygiving preferential treatment.

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There has been continuous development in lightingtechnologies over the past 60 years to produce the bestlighting products and controls for creating higher lightingquality with reduced energy consumption. However, the speedat which these technological developments have taken placehas not been complemented by a corresponding pace ingenerating awareness about them and their availability to theend-users. Also, the emergence of new secondary players hasgenerated a lot of competition in the lighting market. Thesemarket barriers should be addressed through aggressivecustomer-oriented awareness programmes and demonstrationprojects.

�������� �� An energy audit can be considered the first step towardsunderstanding how efficiently lighting energy is being used ina given facility. A detailed energy audit goes much beyondquantitative estimates of costs and savings as systemefficiencies are evaluated and measures identified forimproving end-use energy efficiency. Sometimes, such a studyalso covers specific projects/feasibility reports for majorretrofitting/replacement proposals and provides a cost–benefitanalysis of the recommended measures.

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To implement any energy conservation measure, anexpenditure (investment; marginal or substantial) issometimes incurred for specific energy-saving opportunities.Hence, implementation of the proposal involves taking adecision on whether or not to invest. Usually decisions are

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made, taking into account alternative solutions for utilizationof capital. To help arrive at the best possible solution,decision-makers use certain economic methodologies, aslisted below.� Present value� Average rate of return� Return on investment� Payback period� Break-even parameters of net present value.

����������In general, the Indian industry – especially in commercialbuildings – is poor at managing energy efficiently as comparedto other countries. Designing lighting systems taking intoconsideration task-based illumination, use of quality lights,and better O&M practices would result in significant energysavings and improvements in productivity. Lightingimprovements usually offer the easiest and most visibleefficiency gains, and are cost-effective.

For example, nearly 40% energy savings can be achieved ina normal office building by retrofitting existing fixtures withefficient ballasts, lamps, and reflectors. Even larger savingsmay be gained through comprehensive redesigning of lightingand control systems.

Thus, lighting systems offer a powerful leverage on energycosts, if the measures are pursued in proper sequence.Lighting upgrades also yield quick savings on energy bills andrelease less heat, which means that air-conditioning systemscan be of optimal capacity. (For example, incandescent lampsgenerate heat to the tune of 95% of their input power; this is85% in the case of metal halide lamps and 77% in high-pressure sodium lamps.)

����������CEA (Central Electricity Authority). 2004Operation performance monitoring division data, as on 4 June 2004Available at <www.cea.nic.in/data/opt2_gen_reb.pdf>,last accessed on 1 June 2004