Bachat Lamp Yojna

Introduction

Incandescent bulbs are energy inefficient. They convert 95% of the electrical energy in heat and only 5 % in the Light energy. Lighting accounts for about 20% of electricity consumption and has a significant potential for reduction of the load without compromising on the lumen output by use of energy efficient lighting in place of incandescent bulbs.  Contrary to this , Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) provide that energy-efficient alternative to the incandescent lamp by using one-fifth as much electricity as an incandescent lamp to provide the same level of illumination. CFLs use less power, have a longer rated life, but have a higher purchase price. Government of India’s efforts for promotion of CFLs are having the desired impact on the market with the sales of CFLs in India having grown from about 20 million in 2003 to around 200 million in 2008. However, the penetration of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) in household sector remains low at about 5% -10% largely due to the high price of the CFLs, which is 8-10 times the cost of incandescent bulbs.

What is Bachat Lamp Yojna?

CFL Lighting Scheme or Bachat Lamp Yojana (BLY) promotes replacement of inefficient bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) by leveraging the sale of Certified Emission Rights (CERs) under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol. Bachat Lamp Yojana has entered validation for the UNFCCC CDM Programme of Activity.  Bachat Lamp Yojana” seeks to utilize the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol to bring-down the price of CFLs.  This public-private partnership between the Government of India, Private sector CFL Manufactures /Traders (Project Developers) and State level Electricity Distribution Companies would provide the framework to distribute high quality CFLs at about Rs.15 per piece to the households of the country.  Under the scheme only 60 Watt and 100 Watt incandescent Lamps have to be replaced with 11to15 Watt and 20 -25 Watt CFLs respectively.

Approach

  • The Government would develop a programmatic approach (PoA) within which individual CFL supplier would develop CDM projects.
  • The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), being the statutory body set up under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 by the Government of India, will coordinate the Small-Scale Programme of Activities (SSC-PoA) and will facilitate implementation of the programme in various States through their respective Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOMs) with the assistance of the CFL suppliers. =
  • The development of the SSC-PoA is a voluntary action on the part of BEE and it would not seek any commercial revenues from the SSC-PoA. On the other hand, it will on behalf of the Government of India take the responsibility of monitoring of all project areas after the DISCOMs and the CFL suppliers have entered into a tripartite agreement (TPA) with BEE.
  • BEE will undertake monitoring of each project area as required under an approved methodology of CDM.
  • For this purpose, BEE has developed smart meters based on GSM technology that are fitted between the socket and the CFL in sample households (around 200 in each project area).
  • The GSM based meter collects the data on hours of use and energy consumed by sending SMS to the central server.
  • The development of the PoA is a voluntary action on the part of BEE and it would not seek any commercial revenues from the PoA. On the other hand, it will on behalf of the Government of India take the responsibility of monitoring of all project areas after the DISCOMs and the CFL suppliers have entered into a tripartite agreement (TPA) with BEE.
  • This will be the largest PoA to be submitted to the CDM Executive Board by anyone in the world.
  • Alongwith the PoA, BEE has also prepared model project documentation in accordance with requirements of the CDM to enable states and other private investors to take them up.

Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)

  • Ministry of Power, Government of India  is promoting a company named Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) for implementation of energy efficiency in India.
  • This company will promote energy efficiency projects like Bachat Lamp Yojana, Agricultural Demand Side Management and Municipal Demand Side Management.
  • The company will also act as a Resource center for capacity building of State Development Agencies, Utilities, financial institutions, etc.peaking on the Economic Editors Conference.
  • The overall size of energy investment market under Energy Service Companies (ESCO) in India is 74,000 crores and till now, only five per cent of the market has been tapped.

USE of LED Lamps in India

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has recently initiated the study on “Facilitating Market Transformation of LED Lamps in India”.  The objective of the study is to facilitate market transformation of LED lighting in India by covering the latest trends and technologies, case studies and suppliers of LED lighting. Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a new technology that provides very long life lamps consuming about 2/3rd energy as compared to CFLs at present. However, the cost of LED in the market is about 8 to 10 times more than that of CFLs.

  • BEE has initiated demonstration projects in 23 States for providing LEDs in villages.
  • Besides projects for use of LEDs in street lighting applications have been approved in 32 States.
  • The objective of BEE is to enhance the demand for LED based lights so that their cost are reduced.

Bachat Lamp Yojna as a PoA

Bachat Lamp Yojana is the largest PoA (Programme of Activities) being implemented in India and was the largest PoA registered with CDM executive Board, when it was registered in May 2010.  The scheme was developed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the aegis of the Ministry of Power and was launched in February 2009. In May 2010, the scheme was registered under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol.  Developed to promote energy efficient lighting in India, BLY promotes replacement of inefficient bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) by leveraging the sale of Certified Emission Rights (CERs) under the CDM.

How does BLY work?

Under the BLY scheme, qualities CFLs are distributed to grid-connected residential households in exchange of an incandescent lamp (ICL) and INR 15. This means that any house hold can give a Bulb + Rupees 15 /- to get a CFL. CFL cost is around 8-10 times of the Bulb so this Yojna basically removes the first cost barrier.

To handle the problem of High Transaction Costs of preparation and registration of CDM projects and for wider reach and faster implementation, BEE developed a Programme of Activities (PoA) which would serve as an umbrella CDM project.

A tripartite agreement works in the background between the BEE, Distribution Companies (DISCOMs) and CFL suppliers.
The implementation of this project turns out to be the largest PoA in terms of carbon dioxide emission reductions, to be ever registered by the CDM Executive Board.

All other individual projects are designed to be in conformance of with the umbrella project and they are added to the umbrella project as and when they are prepared.

The replacement of all the 400m incandescent lamps (ICLs) by CFLs would lead to a potential reduction of over 6,000 MW in electricity demand.
The current penetration of CFL in the household sector remains low at about 5-10 per cent largely due to the high price of the CFLs, which is 8-10 times the cost of incandescent bulbs. The Bachat Lamp Yojana focuses on this first cost barrier to reduce the cost of CFLs to that of incandescent bulbs for consumers. At Rs.  15 a piece for CFLs, the BLY is a win-win situation for all.


4 Comments

  1. Halogenica

    December 3, 2009 at 7:08 am

    But there is nothing "clean" about CFLs. They contain mercury which first has to be mined out of the ground, causing massive environmental destruction.

    Then it has to be administered into the CFLs. Sometimes this is done in large automated factories, sometimes by hand in smaller factories, where the workers get mercury poisoned (as mercury vapourises at room temperature).

    Then it poses a risk in homes in case you drop them, or if there is a natural disaster. This will cause anything from a small to a large contamination zone, very difficult to clean up.

    Then it has to be recycled properly. First it has to be returned to a recycling station and from there sent to a mercury processing facility. And from there either stored safely or shipped to be reused by industry.

    Will this organisation take personal responsibility for making sure every single CFL is collected after they burn out, and not thrown away where it will break and contaminate ground water and enter the food chain?

    Will this organisation warn pregnant mothers to be extra careful, that they risk brain damaged babies if a CFL breaks and they breathe the mercury vapour?

    Will this organisation inform people of what to do when one breaks at home, and issue sealable glass containers to collect everything in in the room that has been contaminated? (As a U.S. authority in Maine found when testing, plastic jars and bags is not enough to contain Hg vapour.) Will it replace all the contaminated clothes and carpets that needed to be discarded?
    http://greenerlights.blogspot.com/2009/09/mercury-problem-even-worse-than.html

    Use LEDs instead, or Halogen Energy Savers. Neither contain mercury.

  2. Anonymous

    December 4, 2009 at 7:36 am

    dear halogenica,

    use of cfl will lead to lessr burning of coal,which which lead to lesser pollution,thus acting as a CDM.

  3. Halogenica

    December 6, 2009 at 7:28 am

    That lighting industry PR argument is from 1991 and is only half-valid in countries where the use of coal for electricity production is still high.

    I say half-valid because CFL Life Cycle Assessment calculations a) usually assume CFLs to be more efficient and durable than they really are and b) do not include the messy and energy-demanding mining process, transportation or recycling, only assembly and use.

    Furthermore, mercury from coal emissions can be cleaned at the source, whereas the mercury in CFLs is a threat to health and environment all through its life cycle, and beyond. And once the mercury is out there, it will stay forever. It only takes a teaspoon to poison a medium sized lake.

    If you worry about mercury from coal, find alternative energy sources and stop using coal!!

    Switching lightbulbs will only have the most marginal effect (in USA and EU, just a fraction of a per cent of total energy use). Meanwhile everyone is encouraged to continue consuming other electrical products at a constantly increasing rate without ever worrying or being informed about how much pollution is emitted by use of THOSE products.

    Get some perspective, PLEASE, and do not buy the decades-old PR arguments that have been specifically designed to mislead, without checking the facts for yourself first.

  4. saif

    October 9, 2011 at 8:54 pm

    its good

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