Saving Energy to Save the Planet: National Energy Conservation Day

For over three decades, energy conservation has been a priority in India, with National Energy Conservation Day first being celebrated on the 14th of December 1991.

The developmental and structural strides made in India over the years have resulted in a rapid increase in energy consumption. Our industrial sector alone accounts for the highest share of energy consumption across India, standing at a whopping 41%.

But as our energy consumption increases, the need for a shift toward conscious energy conservation becomes evident.

So how can manufacturing plants alter, amend and adapt their operations to adopt an energy-saving philosophy for the future?

Why does India celebrate National Energy Conservation Day? 

The future of India’s societal development is significantly impacted by how much energy both renewable (sun, water, wind) and non-renewable (fossil fuels, coal, natural gas) are consumed at present.

Which is why, in 2001, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) was founded and the Energy Conservation Act was enacted in light of the seriousness of natural resource depletion. Since then, National Energy Conservation Day has been observed, as a day to raise awareness about the importance of conserving energy on all scales; from an individual scale (by finding ways to conserve electricity) to an industrial scale (by implementing ways to save energy and turn towards green energy instead of fossil fuels).

Strategies to conserve energy at manufacturing plants

• Using energy-efficient lighting

Regular (incandescent) lights emit a lot of heat and thus use up a lot of energy. In comparison LED lights consume around 80% less energy making them significantly more energy efficient. Switching to LED lights can reduce energy consumption, and company costs as well as reduce CO2 emissions and the overall carbon footprint of the company.  

• Regular maintenance of equipment and machinery

Motors when not frequently maintained can begin to overheat and use up more energy than what is required to produce a set amount of units. Regular maintenance of machinery guarantees that the machine is operating in accordance with its specifications and not using up more energy than what is required. 

• Establishing an energy policy

This ensures that energy conservation is at the heart of every energy-saving innovation. These policies provide a baseline for energy use and declare the management's commitment to energy saving. Thus, motivating the workforce to begin implementing measures and taking over initiatives that support those objectives.

• Conducting an energy audit

Energy audits are effective in identifying practices, equipment or machinery that use more energy than required. Identifying these practices enables them to be updated, replaced and undergo adjustments in a way that does not deter the overall production process. The results of audits can also be utilised to compare energy usage levels of the past to create targets and improve future performance.

• Using renewable energy sources

Based on the location of the manufacturing plant, a company can adopt one or more methods of renewable energy sources for their operations. Utilising the clean energy produced through renewable sources offer benefits that do not just cut costs in the long run but also lower carbon emissions, lower pollution levels and reduce the overall impact any manufacturing plant can have on the environment.  

• Integrating the Internet of Things (IoT)

The internet of things (IoT) facilitates the incorporation of physical objects with technological advancements. For instance, sensors can be integrated within the manufacturing plant that alerts the system to turn on the lights or turn off machinery during off times. Data captured by the system can be used to automate specific processes, which if not integrated with IoT would use more resources than what is required. 

The HCCB Way

At HCCB, energy conservation and energy-saving innovations have for long been at the heart of our manufacturing processes. With new goals and targets created each year, we celebrate National Energy Conservation day in more ways than one:

We implement an energy-saving outlook across all our locations, with practices ranging from the use of solar-powered tubular lighting, LED lighting and air compressors to automated upgrades that manage unsafe refrigerants, microturbines in place of Power Recovery System (PRS) turbines, and many more.

By incorporating these practices into our routine manufacturing processes, we have been able to conserve 4.7 MU electricity units which eliminate 2% of our overall carbon emissions. Furthermore, we have cut our reliance on fossil fuels by 4%, resulting in an extra 1% decrease in carbon emissions.

Primarily, our locations function on 52% renewable energy, which incorporates both fuel and electricity-based energy. On electricity, we purchased 30% of green power.

• solar (21%)  
• wind (8%)  
• and rooftop projects (1%) 

With the fuel energy which is used for heating and cooling applications, 70% is green/clean energy (fuel) generated through biomass and natural gas boilers.  

Overall, our power-saving pursuits in 2022 have helped us save an additional 14525 MT of carbon emissions in comparison to last year by procuring 33% more green energy at our manufacturing locations across India.

At HCCB, we highlight the importance of not just decreasing overall energy consumption but also adopting an energy-saving philosophy to implement change by adopting these changes ourselves to spearhead the national energy conservation movement. 

National Energy Conservation Day ultimately serves as a timely reminder to not just conserve electricity and fuel but also adopt an energy-saving outlook that can contribute to creating a cleaner and healthier planet.