The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Saving for a better tomorrow

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Sunday, Feb 10, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Saving for a better tomorrow

— Photo: K. Ananthan

Hema Hattangady

Today, one factor that can improve operations and revenue, and win markets for companies is energy efficiency. Be it households, industries, or farms, energy efficiency is emerging significant. In such a scenario, Hema Hattangady, Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Conzerv Systems Private Limited, a Bangalore-based company that is into energy audits and energy equipment, talks to M. Soundariya Preetha on the rising awareness on energy conservation.

Energy is critical for companies to be competitive and industries need to focus on it. Units are going forward with various programmes on energy efficiency and conservation and it has become a “commercial mandate”. This is not just to be competitive in the market but also due to the increasing input costs. Awareness on these subjects is way ahead and people are investing in energy efficiency now, she says.

Efforts start at the leadership level in any organisation. “The prioritisation should come from the leadership. The drive should come from the top,” she says. Companies take up energy efficiency projects for several reasons. Internally, it provides encouraging results, it motivates the staff, in several cases it is a passion for the top management or customers want these efforts. Several awards are also now given away to organisations who take up energy-related programmes.

The Government too supports these initiatives. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency is bringing out efficiency standards for several appliances and gadgets. So, apart from the efforts of the end consumer, the manufacturers also produce energy efficiency products. Consumers, experts and equipment manufacturers should join hands in these measures.

Ms. Hattangady points out that minimum 15 per cent of energy consumed can be conserved by just monitoring the use and with zero investments.

Conzerv has started a programme for school children in Bangalore on energy efficiency. Children in turn educate their parents and neighbours too. Interestingly, a number of them are already aware of global warming, Kyoto protocol, etc., she says.

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