Property Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Kochi
Thiruvananthapuram
EARTH & ENERGY
Power is the key
|
Proactive policies and upgraded networks and technologies are the only ways to keep the lights on, says MYTHILI G. NIRVAN
|
— PHOTO: MOHAMMED YOUSUF
GET THEM straight: Illegal connections need to be snapped for bringing in an order in electric supply.
Bangalore, India’s Silicon Valley, is fast reaching out for a place on the world business map. A dependable and efficient energy management system is a basic necessity to power the digital economy. Power is the key to any successful city. And for a digital nerve centre like Bangalore to arrive on the world business map, self-sufficiency in power is an absolute must. The world-over, while looking for a base, multinational organisations first eval
uate the civic infrastructure on offer before going into other parameters. And among these, power comes high in the pecking order. One of Bangalore’s major problems has been distribution systems, be it power or water. And the stakeholders can hardly be blamed considering the unnatural explosion in population and geography. This city was just not ready to take the sort of influx it saw post the beginning of the IT era. There is no way any civic authority can plan, budget or cater to a population that increases in geometric proportions. At the same time, not gearing up the systems will lead to potential business moving away to another city in the region.
So what’s the solution?
In simple terms, it means another look at the technology and logistics of distribution. In India, the loss in distribution is almost double the power supplied in some parts. Addressing this problem is in itself a solution. Power saved is equal to power generated.
“India has a huge appetite for energy already and this is only going to increase with the rapid growth we are witnessing. Bangalore is no different. What the States here, and particularly Bangalore, need is a comprehensive energy management policy and upgraded distribution system. We need to significantly enhance capabilities in load forecasting and management, close monitoring of consumptions and in reducing the imbalance exposures and cost.
We also need to adopt a more proactive approach to electricity procurement and risk management,” says Satheesh Kumar K.R., Chairman and CEO, Enzen Global Solutions.
Reliability and quality of the power system holds the key to the growth of a city. The transmission and distribution system, switching systems, sub-stations and transformers can be managed to deliver higher levels of efficiency using state-of-the-art technology that makes it possible to harness power effectively. This apart, a more efficient billing and collection system makes it possible to optimise revenues for the electricity boards that can in turn be used to garner more power for the city.
Improve distribution
Thermal, coal or nuclear are all long term solutions. They take time to commission and are investment hungry. Therefore, the district administration should encourage corporates to undertake in-house generation of clean energy.
Leveraging technology to promote energy-efficiency measures is a need of the hour.
Bangalore’s demand for power will only increase with more corporates moving in every month. Also, with the planned special economic zones and integrated townships around the city, it will take all the avenues available to source the power to meet the emerging demand.
Proactive policies and priority to transform and upgrade networks and technologies, in the end, are the only ways to keep the lights on.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Property Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
Kochi
Thiruvananthapuram
|
