EESL partners MSME ministry, UNIDO, GEF to deploy 35 energy-efficient tech

New Delhi: State-run Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has partnered with the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Global Environmental Facility (GEF) to deploy 35 energy-efficient technologies in MSMEs.

“The project aims to deploy 35 energy efficient technologies which have maximum possibility of replication and potential to improve the energy productivity of fellow MSMEs units. The project also aims to adopt various business models of ESCO (Energy Servicing Company) where the MSME unit is expected to pay-back to the investor from the monetized energy savings in a period of time,” EESL said in a statement.

Demand side management holds the key to India's ambitious climate change commitments. EESL, an energy service company (ESCO) is among the earliest entrants in India’s energy efficiency market estimated at around Rs74,000 crore and is presently running the world’s largest domestic lighting programme. With India rolling out the world’s largest electricity smart metering programme, EESL and IntelliSmart – its joint venture with India’ quasi-sovereign wealth fund National Investments and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) – has been present in India’ smart meter programme space.

“Under the project, twelve MSME clusters across India have been identified including Howrah mixed cluster, wherein the identified technologies will be demonstrated. EESL has till date identified 4 technologies applicable for the steel re-rolling and foundry industries located in the clusters. 3 out of the 4 technologies have been successfully demonstrated in the cluster while 1 technology is under implementation.,” the statement added.

India's energy efficiency measures have been best reflected in its programme to expand the use of LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs. The government’s UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All) scheme cut LED bulb prices. CESL is also running the Gram Ujala scheme that offers the world’s cheapest LED bulbs in rural areas at ₹10. While a total of 350 million compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs have been replaced with LED bulbs, the target is to reach 770 million bulbs.