The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the Union Ministry of Power, recently made headlines for launching a Certification Course on Home Energy Audit during National Energy Conservation Week which took place from 8th-14th December 2021. The BEE is a statutory body that partners with various organizations and institutions to optimize India’s national energy consumption.
About the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
Established through the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s primary goal is the reduction of the energy intensity of the Indian economy. Acting as an intermediary, the BEE collaborates with designated consumers, agencies, and other organisations to fully utilize existing resources and infrastructure.
Key Aspects of Home Energy Audit (HEA)
The HEA initiative focuses on several key aspects. It allows for precise quantification, verification, monitoring, and analysis of energy use across various appliances. This program also facilitates technical report submission with feasible solutions for energy efficiency improvement, backed by a cost-benefit analysis and an action plan to reduce energy usage.
The Purpose of the HEA Certification Program
This program is designed to promote awareness about the significance and advantages of energy audit and energy efficiency among students from engineering/diploma colleges. It aims to establish a pool of professionals capable of conducting home energy audits based on consumer needs and preferences.
Significance of the HEA Initiative
Implementation of the HEA will result in reduced energy bills and a decrease in consumers’ carbon footprints. The carbon footprint measurement encompasses the total amount of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, produced by our actions. This initiative will also create job opportunities for youth in the fields of energy efficiency, climate change mitigation, and sustainability.
India’s Standing in Energy Conservation
At the COP-26 summit in Glasgow, India announced its commitment to increasing non-fossil fuel power generation capacity to 500 GW by 2030. The country is currently running what will soon become the world’s largest clean energy programme, aiming for 175GW of clean energy capacity by 2022.
Other Energy Conservation Initiatives
In addition to the BEE and HEA, there are multiple ongoing initiatives related to energy conservation in India. These include the Perform Achieve and Trade Scheme, National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), Standards and Labeling, Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC), Demand Side Management, ECO Niwas Samhita 2018, Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) to Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) upgrade, UJALA scheme, International Solar Alliance, and The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
All these initiatives underline India’s significant strides towards energy efficiency and conservation, making it a leader in the global fight against climate change. Through these actions, India has already achieved an emission reduction of 28%, and its installed power capacity from non-fossil fuels is set to rise to 66% by 2030.