The Hindu Business Line : Kerala energy centre, US body sign contract

IT-based energy management systems developed by Energy Management Centre (EMC), an autonomous body under the Government of Kerala, has won recognition from the US-based Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development.

Winrock International is a non-profit organisation working in the field of global energy and other developmental issues. EMC initiatives had earlier come in for appreciation by Unido in Vienna.

EMC and Winrock have signed a contract for a project as part of the South Asia Regional Initiative for Energy (SARI/Energy) Small Grants Programme.

This is supported by a grant from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Winrock International works in tandem with Winrock International India (WII) and the Institute of International Education (IIE)) in managing the SARI/Energy Small Grants Programme.

The SARI/Energy grants are awarded on a competitive basis to local not-for-profit organisations for implementing initiatives that foster co-operative energy research and outreach in South Asia.

These should be able to address regional trade issues and barriers and/or common critical problems and challenges facing the energy sector in the region. Eligible countries include India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Nepal.

Under this programme, Winrock International had issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for projects that encourage regional cooperation on issues of mutual regional concern in the energy sector. A project proposal from EMC was one of those selected.

Mr R. Harikumar, Energy Technologist, Energy Efficiency Division, EMC, told Business Line that the main objective of the project was to demonstrate that appropriately designed, retrofitted and upgraded technology systems could have a significant impact on the social and economic development of the small and medium enterprises.

It aims to develop and create model installations of IT-based energy management systems in the traditional rice milling industries in India and Sri Lanka.

Its objective is to reduce energy-related operating costs of these mills and improve productivity through reduced rejections and better quality output. This would ultimately help enhance profitability and viability of traditional small and medium industry sectors in India and Sri Lanka. The EMS approach was also notable for the minimal and affordable intervention costs.

To be completed and delivered by March next year, the project would place a premium on achieving the avowed aim of reducing energy consumption, which would directly contribute to reduction in green house gas emissions.

Experts from the Thiruvananthapuram-based research and development division of CMS Computers would act as consultants to the project. According to Mr Harikumar, EMC would seek to draw on its previous experience of developing and successfully commissioning IT-based energy management systems like the Temperature Monitoring & Alerting System (TMAS) in the traditional glass industry cluster in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh.

This had enjoyed the patronage of Unido. The same technology was implemented in the brick and tile sector in Kerala through a programme supported by the State Government with equity participation from the target industry sector.