The Hindu : Karnataka News : Solar heaters mandatory in KREDL staff houses?

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Wednesday, Feb 13, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Solar heaters mandatory in KREDL staff houses?

B.S. Satish Kumar

Proposal to be sent to the Government

The plan is to create a win-win situation for the Government and the employees
Employees may get access to soft and interest-free loans

BANGALORE: Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL) is thinking of sending a proposal to the Government to make solar water heaters mandatory for its employees.

KREDL Managing Director B. Shivalingaiah told The Hindu that the intention of such a proposal was to conserve energy as the State was facing serious power shortage.

The plan was to create a win-win situation for both the Government as well as its employees.

While the Government would get the benefit of energy conservation that would result in better management of power supply, the employees would get access to soft or interest-free loans to buy solar water heaters which would reduce their monthly power bills.

The idea was that the Government could borrow funds (Rs. 100 crore) from lending agencies such as the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency, which offers soft loans for renewable energy sector, for extending loans to the employees.

The loan amount could be recovered in instalments spread over five years.

By this time, the government employees would have recovered the money spent on solar water heaters through the savings in their monthly power bills.

Dr. Shivalingaiah suggested that a low interest rate of 2 per cent should be charged on these loans.

There was also scope for extending interest-free loans by convincing the solar water heater manufacturers to adjust the interest component with the monetary benefits received from carbon trading.

The manufacturers could get carbon trading benefits under clean development mechanism as solar water heaters contributed to the reduction in emission of green house gases by reducing the dependence on conventional energy.

A conservative estimate would indicate the possibility of conserving about 800 MW of power during the morning peak hours even if 50 per cent of the six lakh government employees installed solar water heaters, he said.

Pointing out that the State was facing a peak hour shortage of about 500 MW to 600 MW, he said installation of solar water heaters would help manage the peak hour power supply. KREDL wants the employees to install solar water heaters even if they are residing in rented houses as it is possible to shift these heaters if they move out from there. Meanwhile, KREDL has decided to provide soft loans to about 1,000 government employees this year to buy solar water heaters.

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