Demand for Energy
ENERGY USAGE IN INDIAN URBAN HOUSEHOLDS: THE ROLE OF RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
Gopala Krishnan K, Malathy Duraisamy, L S Ganesh
Industrial Engineering and Management Division, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai 600 036, INDIA
ABSTRACT
DEMAND FOR ENERGY.................... This study attempts to understand the dynamics of energy use in the urban residential sector. For this purpose, a household survey was conducted in Chennai, a major metropolitan city in South India. The results of the survey reveal that there is tremendous scope for increasing the efficiency of energy usage and conservation in the urban residential sector. In this context, the role of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) in promoting energy efficiency and conservation in urban households is discussed. To demonstrate the scope of RETs, end-use technologies used and energy consumed for water heating purposes in households in Chennai are analyzed and the potential for use of solar water heaters is discussed.
INTRODUCTION The demand for energy (especially electricity) is increasing in the residential sector in India. For instance, the share of the residential sector in the total electricity consumption in India has increased from 8.8% in the year 1970-71 to 19.8% in the year 1996-97 (Economic Survey 1998-99). This is mainly because of increasing urbanization, rising per capita incomes, and changing lifestyles of the consumers. These factors have led to an increase in the usage of electrical appliances for different end-uses in the residential sector. The urban areas, especially the metropolitan cities in India provide evidence to this trend. Moreover, the irrational pricing policies of the utilities have resulted in heavy subsidies to the domestic sector. For instance, in 1997-98, the combined subsidy provided to domestic and agriculture consumers amounted to Rs.24,257 crores and it is projected to
Gopala Krishnan K, Malathy Duraisamy, L S Ganesh
Industrial Engineering and Management Division, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai 600 036, INDIA
ABSTRACT
DEMAND FOR ENERGY.................... This study attempts to understand the dynamics of energy use in the urban residential sector. For this purpose, a household survey was conducted in Chennai, a major metropolitan city in South India. The results of the survey reveal that there is tremendous scope for increasing the efficiency of energy usage and conservation in the urban residential sector. In this context, the role of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) in promoting energy efficiency and conservation in urban households is discussed. To demonstrate the scope of RETs, end-use technologies used and energy consumed for water heating purposes in households in Chennai are analyzed and the potential for use of solar water heaters is discussed.
INTRODUCTION The demand for energy (especially electricity) is increasing in the residential sector in India. For instance, the share of the residential sector in the total electricity consumption in India has increased from 8.8% in the year 1970-71 to 19.8% in the year 1996-97 (Economic Survey 1998-99). This is mainly because of increasing urbanization, rising per capita incomes, and changing lifestyles of the consumers. These factors have led to an increase in the usage of electrical appliances for different end-uses in the residential sector. The urban areas, especially the metropolitan cities in India provide evidence to this trend. Moreover, the irrational pricing policies of the utilities have resulted in heavy subsidies to the domestic sector. For instance, in 1997-98, the combined subsidy provided to domestic and agriculture consumers amounted to Rs.24,257 crores and it is projected to
References: [1] C. Sutter, Evaluation of Solar Community Kitchens in Gujarat, Evaluation on behalf of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, 1996. [2] G. Pils, Installation and Testing of a solar Steam System for Cooking in India, Final Report on behalf of the World Renewal Spiritual Trust and Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, Mt. Abu, 1999. [3] Brahma Kumaris, ”Shantivan” Taleti, Abu Road, India, 1999.