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Throwing light on energy management

For a boy affected by polio, life may look like one of despair. But there are inspiring stories of people who have not been deterred by the physical disability caused by the disease. M.A. Johnson has a similar story to tell.

Mr. Johnson had an attack of polio when he was barely six months old. He could move only with the help of others. The boy had an alert mind, but could never get into the portals of a school to have formal schooling.

Special schools were out of reach for the boy belonging to a conventional farmer’s family in Kozhikkode. Books were his friends and he learned many things, right from the alphabet. Now, at 39, he has an aim to live. And the theme dear to his heart is energy. Despite being unable to walk, he can lead many others in this sphere of activity.

Mr. Johnson claims that he has devised a new series of light emitting diode (LED) bulbs which are much more energy efficient than the ones available in the market. He has got them certified by the Energy Management Centre.

The so-called zero Watt incandescent lamp consumes 15 Watt, he says. It could be replaced with the LED lamp which uses 0.1 watt. This means replacement of each incandescent lamp could save more than 14 Watt.

Thousands of ‘zero Watt’ bulbs are in use in the State. If all these could be replaced, the energy savings would be huge.

He has set up a small company to produce LED lamps. He has already written to the authorities concerned including ministers, but there has been no response to the proposals.

An LED lamp that costs as low as Rs. 40 is what he promises. This offer, that too for a lamp with such a low level of energy consumption, is the best in the market, according to him.

The man has a mission to light up the surroundings, increasingly becoming darkened by power shortages.

R. Ramabhadran Pillai

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