Need to conserve energy
WITH summer round the corner and few options available for additional power generation on short notice, it is time to return to basics and give the common-sense approach a chance. A desperate situation is becoming more dire by the day and the key at this stage may well lie in conservation. While there can be no denying the need to increase generation capacity, a job which the planners in Islamabad have neglected over the last eight years, other avenues have to be explored to compensate for the centreââ¬â¢s indifference or lack of foresight.
By the governmentââ¬â¢s own estimates, total installed generation capacity in 2005-06 stood at 19,439MW, a mere 10 per cent higher than the figure for 1999. For an administration whose rallying cry from day one has been economic growth ââ¬â a task in which it succeeded to no small extent ââ¬â it is baffling that no one in authority could forecast that increased economic activity would result in higher power consumption. Indeed, if it had not been for the energy policy of 1994, the situation today would be even bleaker. Wapda now fears that the electricity shortage could exceed 2,000MW in coming months, a truly crippling scenario for industry and a nightmare for domestic consumers who could face up to four hours of load-shedding a day. Though belatedly, the water and power authority is now stressing the need for conservation in the light of the looming crisis facing the country.
There is no shortage of guilty parties when it comes to wantonly wasting electricity. The problem begins at home, where lights, fans, televisions ââ¬â even air conditioners ââ¬â remain on when no one is in the room to benefit from these comforts. The solution is simple: flick a few switches and save energy. Moreover, appliances that are left in perpetual standby mode ought to be turned off at the mains. Imagine the massive collective difference it would make in a large city if every home consumed 200 watts, just two or three light bulbs, less than what is currently used. While this may not be possible in the homes of the poor, the middle and affluent classes can certainly play their part. The town and city authorities can make an even bigger impact. As things stand, street lights can be seen blazing away in daytime and there is a growing number of parks that remain bathed in floodlights into the early hours. Restrictions must also be imposed on illuminated billboards and neon signs. Companies which have paid in advance for such rights could turn the situation to their advantage by highlighting how, as good corporate citizens, they are contributing to the larger public good. In government offices, it is customary for lights, fans and air conditioners to be turned on well before the officers and other staff members show up for work.
Such wasteful practices must end forthwith if the authorities are serious about energy conservation. It is also critical that the countryââ¬â¢s power utilities tackle the problem of transmission and distribution (T&D) losses. Wapdaââ¬â¢s T&D losses stood at 21 per cent in 2005-06, while the KESC fared even worse losing 34.4 per cent of total available electricity. To check these staggering losses, distribution networks must be upgraded and strict action taken against power theft by both industry and domestic users as well as state organisations.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/03/19/ed.htm#1
WITH summer round the corner and few options available for additional power generation on short notice, it is time to return to basics and give the common-sense approach a chance. A desperate situation is becoming more dire by the day and the key at this stage may well lie in conservation. While there can be no denying the need to increase generation capacity, a job which the planners in Islamabad have neglected over the last eight years, other avenues have to be explored to compensate for the centreââ¬â¢s indifference or lack of foresight.
By the governmentââ¬â¢s own estimates, total installed generation capacity in 2005-06 stood at 19,439MW, a mere 10 per cent higher than the figure for 1999. For an administration whose rallying cry from day one has been economic growth ââ¬â a task in which it succeeded to no small extent ââ¬â it is baffling that no one in authority could forecast that increased economic activity would result in higher power consumption. Indeed, if it had not been for the energy policy of 1994, the situation today would be even bleaker. Wapda now fears that the electricity shortage could exceed 2,000MW in coming months, a truly crippling scenario for industry and a nightmare for domestic consumers who could face up to four hours of load-shedding a day. Though belatedly, the water and power authority is now stressing the need for conservation in the light of the looming crisis facing the country.
There is no shortage of guilty parties when it comes to wantonly wasting electricity. The problem begins at home, where lights, fans, televisions ââ¬â even air conditioners ââ¬â remain on when no one is in the room to benefit from these comforts. The solution is simple: flick a few switches and save energy. Moreover, appliances that are left in perpetual standby mode ought to be turned off at the mains. Imagine the massive collective difference it would make in a large city if every home consumed 200 watts, just two or three light bulbs, less than what is currently used. While this may not be possible in the homes of the poor, the middle and affluent classes can certainly play their part. The town and city authorities can make an even bigger impact. As things stand, street lights can be seen blazing away in daytime and there is a growing number of parks that remain bathed in floodlights into the early hours. Restrictions must also be imposed on illuminated billboards and neon signs. Companies which have paid in advance for such rights could turn the situation to their advantage by highlighting how, as good corporate citizens, they are contributing to the larger public good. In government offices, it is customary for lights, fans and air conditioners to be turned on well before the officers and other staff members show up for work.
Such wasteful practices must end forthwith if the authorities are serious about energy conservation. It is also critical that the countryââ¬â¢s power utilities tackle the problem of transmission and distribution (T&D) losses. Wapdaââ¬â¢s T&D losses stood at 21 per cent in 2005-06, while the KESC fared even worse losing 34.4 per cent of total available electricity. To check these staggering losses, distribution networks must be upgraded and strict action taken against power theft by both industry and domestic users as well as state organisations.
http://www.dawn.com/2007/03/19/ed.htm#1
