The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : How about changing that bulb?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 21, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

How about changing that bulb?

Govind D. Belgaumkar

Incandescent bulbs are a big drain

BANGALORE: Greenpeace activists suggest that the Government should consider replacing 4.5 crore incandescent bulbs to combat the State's power crisis.

Pointing out that Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy had, on March 6, asked for 20 million units of additional power a day from the central grid at a cost up to Rs. 5 a unit, they urged the Government to go for the solution which would cost less than half of purchasing power at such a high rate.

Karnataka has about 90 lakh households. If each were to replace five incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps, approximately 12 million units of electricity could be saved daily, according to Srinivas Krishnaswamy, Greenpeace campaigner.

This could save up to 60 per cent power and take care of peak load shortage, he said.

Mr. Krishnaswamy said: "This is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. A whole host of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions are available which can make Karnataka self-sufficient in electricity requirements and less dependent on the central grid, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

And, if commercial and industrial segments follow suit, the saving can be much more. As for the environment, a total reduction of 25,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a day would go a long way in reducing global warming.

Karnataka will have to spend an estimated Rs. 250 crore a month on additional power.

The one-time total cost of replacing 4.5 crore incandescent bulbs with CFLs will be Rs. 405 crore.

This investment would be recovered in less than two months.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section