Kerala State Electricity Board has deployed the ‘Kakatiya Nature Switch’ to help manage the switch-on and switch-off of street lights in Palakkad municipality.
This is part of the demand-side management initiative of the power utility, an official spokesman said here. Demand-side management aims to improve energy savings through an incentivised scheme in order to ensure public participation.
MANPOWER SAVING
The switch is expected to help squarely deal with the issues of energy wastage; mounting bills; and the carbon footprint that represents the total sets of greenhouse gas emissions caused by the streetlights.
Swaminathan K.B., executive engineer of the power board, said that manpower otherwise needed to run maintenance vehicles from one place to another to switch lights on and off will now be saved.
The municipality has also reduced hefty maintenance costs due to the built-in protection mechanism provided by the switch, a product of Kakatiya Energy Systems. “Now we can deploy the same manpower for more productive work,” Swaminathan added.
COST SAVINGS
The Nature Switch automates streetlight controls in the Sultanpet and Big Bazaar areas of the city based on lux levels. It is not affected by artificial lights such as automobile headlamps and other ambient light sources.
The system has reduced the city’s power requirement, resulting in major cost savings and reducing its carbon footprint, Swaminathan said.
At least 160 streetlight points are controlled by the switch, which consists of high-pressure sodium vapour lamps of 150W and 250W; direction turning film; compact fluorescent lamp and incandescent lamps.
METER READING
The municipality has since been was able to cut down the monthly electricity bill as billing is based on meter reading. It is planning to install more units in uncovered areas in the near future.
Lakshman Rao, managing director of Kakatiya Energy Systems, said that the switch which will support Kerala’s efforts to providing timely lighting on the road; reducing energy wastage and minimising human supervision.
vinson.kurian@thehindu.co.in