Launched on January 5, 2015, the Government of India’s zero-subsidy Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) and Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) marked their sixth anniversary on January 5, 2021.
Both the programmes are being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) since their inception.
Under the two programmes, 36.69 crore LED bulbs have been distributed and 1.14 crore LED streetlights installed, resulting in cumulative energy savings of 55.32 billion kwh per year.
Under UJALA, EESL has distributed over 36.69 crore LED bulbs across India. This has resulted in estimated energy savings of 47.65 billion kwh per year with avoided peak demand of 9,540 mw and estimated greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction of 38.59 million tonnes of CO2 per year. Additionally, over 72 lakh LED tube lights and over 23 lakh energy efficient fans have also been distributed at affordable price under this programme.
With SLNP, EESL has installed about 1.14 crore LED streetlights across India. This has resulted in an estimated energy savings of 7.67 billion kwh per year with avoided peak demand of 1,280 MW and estimated GHG emission reduction of 5.29 million tonnes CO2 per year. Moreover, there have been an estimated annual monetary savings of INR 5,210 crore in electricity bills of municipalities.
Commenting on the milestone, R K Singh, Hon’ble Power Minister, Government of India said “Both UJALA and Street Lighting National Programme have been at the heart of large scale socio-economic transformation. They have not only reduced emissions and enabled sustainable development, but have revamped household and public lighting systems, across the country. I congratulate EESL for successfully anchoring these programmes and completing six years of transforming the Indian power sector.”
The domestic LED market has grown significantly beyond the UJALA programme, with the industry selling over 1.15 billion LEDs, far exceeding the UJALA programme’s target of 700 million LED units.
Rajat Sud, Managing Director, EESL, said, “In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of climate change is more real than ever before. At EESL, we understand that energy efficiency is a powerful tool to mitigate environmental challenges of the future, while at the same time makes a positive impact on the economy.”
Going forward, EESL has an ambitious plan in the SLNP portfolio for next 4-5 years where it intends to bring investment to the tune of Rs.8,000 crore by 2024 by covering entire rural India. It is expected that more than 30 million LED streetlights would be retrofitted/installed by EESL.
UJALA brought a market transformation in energy efficiency sector. The switch from inefficient incandescent bulbs to LEDs is helping families reduce their electricity bills while also enabling them to access better brightness in homes. The money saved adds to a household’s disposable income and lifetime savings, thus improving their quality of life, generating prosperity in local communities, and in expanding energy access to all. With the average household electricity bills down by 15 per cent, the annual energy saving is equivalent to a week’s average earning.
(Featured photograph shows screenshot of UJALA dashboard (http://www.ujala.gov.in) taken on January 6, 2020 at 11:18 am)
