National Energy Conservation Day is annually observed across India on 14th December to create awareness about the importance of energy conservation and the benefits of replacing non-renewable resources with renewable energy.
- The day is annually organised by the Ministry of Power.
- The first ever National Energy Conservation Day was celebrated on 14th December 1991.
National energy conservation week – 8th to 14th December 2021
The Ministry of Power has celebrated the National Energy Conservation Week 2021 from 8th to 14th December 2021 as Iconic Week under “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav”.
The Energy Conservation(EC) Act, 2001:
i.The Energy Conservation(EC) Act, 2001 was enacted by Parliament in the Fifty-second Year of the Republic of India and came into force on 28th June 2012.
ii.The act also resulted in the establishment and incorporation of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency(BEE) that came into effect in 2002.
Aim: To decrease the usage of power and energy intensity in the economy.
iii.The Act provides a legal framework, institutional arrangement and a regulatory mechanism at the Central and State level to embark upon an energy efficiency drive in India.
Efforts to promote energy conservation:
i.The MSME Sector, BEE, and MoMSME have promoted a collaborative platform – “SAMEEEKSHA” (Small and Medium Enterprises Energy Efficiency Knowledge Sharing).
Aim: To pool the knowledge and synergise the efforts of various organisations for the promotion and adoption of clean, energy technologies and practices.
ii.India has targeted to reduce 45% of its emission intensity, raising its standards to combat climate change.
NECA 2021 and NEEIA 2021
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the guidance of the Ministry of Power, has organised the 31st National Energy Conservation Awards 2021 and 1st National Energy Efficiency Innovations Awards 2021 function.
31st National Energy Conservation Awards 2021:
In 1991, The Ministry of Power, Government of India launched a scheme to give national recognition to industries and establishments that have taken special efforts to reduce energy consumption while maintaining their production.
- The National Energy Conservation Awards were given for the 1st time on 14th December 1991, “National Energy Conservation Day”.
- The National Energy Conservation Award(NECA) 2021 marks the 31st year of the award.
NECA 2021 categories:
Industries, Transport, Buildings, Institutions, Appliances
1st National Energy Efficiency Innovations Awards 2021:
In 2021, the BEE has instituted a new award – National Energy Efficiency Innovations Awards(NEEIA) to recognize “Innovative Energy Efficiency Technologies” and instill a sense of competition to motivate industries & sectors to develop innovative energy efficiency efforts in their units.
- 2021 marks the 1st ever National Energy Efficiency Innovations Awards.
NEEIA 2021 categories:
Category A: Buildings, Transport, Industries
Category B: Students & Research Scholars
Click here for the list of awardees NECA 2021 and NEEIA 2021
AP to distribute 10 lakh LED bulbs under Gram Ujala scheme:
As a part of the National Energy Conservation Scheme, the government of Andhra Pradesh(AP) is set to distribute 10 lakh LED bulbs to households in rural areas under the Gram Ujala scheme.
- The bulbs will be distributed at an affordable rate of Rs 10 per unit and the expense will be borne by the Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).
Note: CESL will offer 7-Watt and 12-Watt energy-efficient LED bulbs with a guarantee for 3 years, against submission of working incandescent bulbs.
About Gram Ujala scheme:
i.The Gram Ujala Scheme was launched by Raj Kumar Singh, Union Minister of Power in March 2021 with an aim to raise awareness against climate change and to save electricity.
ii.Under this scheme the LED bulbs will be distributed at a price of Rs 10 across 2,579 villages in 5 states (Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka).
iii.This will save around 2025 million units (kWh) of electricity annually and reduce the carbon emission by 16.5 lakh tons per annum.
iv.The Scheme is implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited(EESL), a Joint Venture of four Public-Sector Undertakings(PSUs) – NTPC Limited, Power Finance Corporation Limited, REC Limited and POWERGRID Corporation of India Limited.
About Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE):
BEE was established on 1st March 2002 under the provisions of the EC Act, 2001.
Director General– Abhay Bakre
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
