The increased penetration of electric vehicles (EVs) in cities of Karnataka by 2031 can potentially result in energy savings of about 2.23 million tons of oil equivalent (MTOE) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6.99 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2) in the moderate scenario and about 3.30 MTOE and 10.34 MtCO2 in the ambitious scenario, revealed the draft “Karnataka State Energy Efficiency Action Plan” report prepared by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency in association with Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL).
The report aims to provide technical assistance for the identification of focus sectors in the State to ensure that the allocation of resources is as per the requirement of the State and estimate the potential of energy conservation in these sectors. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has been appointed as the technical consultant for the preparation of the action plan which offers a short-term plan for five years and a long-term plan for high-impact energy efficiency by 2031.
More EVs
The study has considered increasing the share of EVs on the road, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, cars, buses and heavy vehicles, across the State to 24 lakh by 2031, (from 1,54,347 EVs as of September 2022) under the moderate scenario. Under the ambitious scenario, the study has set the target of EV penetration to 41 lakh vehicles by 2031.
Further, for potential energy savings, the study has said that 70,000 additional charging stations and battery swapping infrastructure are necessary in the moderate scenario and 1.15 lakh under the ambitious scenario with Level-1, Level-2 and Level-3 (DC) chargers across all cities.
The study has identified the top five energy-consuming sectors in the State based on their total final energy consumption (TFEC) as of 2020 – industry (49%), transport (26%), building (13%), agriculture (7%) and municipal (around 5%).
It has also been reported that the final energy consumption increased by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6% in the State between 2015-2020. The overall installed capacity of the State also grew by a CAGR of 14.67% between the five years.
Based on its previous findings and future projections, the report has suggested strategies and action plans for each sector to result in potential energy savings. In the buildings sector, it has been found that 19% of total energy consumption is by residential customers.
The report says that the deepening of the Standard and Labelling programme of the BEE, under which, new electrical appliances which are on par with the minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) would replace the inefficient appliances, could have numerous benefits.
Replacement of appliances
Replacing inefficient appliances like fans, AC, washing machines, refrigerators, televisions, and geysers with new ones while cutting down on the power bills of consumers would also mitigate GHG emissions and promote sustainable development.
If 30% of appliances are replaced with energy-efficient appliances between 2022 – 2031, 0.17 MTOE energy can be saved (moderate scenario) and if 50% of appliances are replaced, then 0.29 MTOE is indicated as potential energy savings by the report. It has also been suggested that this strategy can also be used for commercial buildings for similar results.
The study, while giving insights into each sector, has also shed light on various financing models for energy efficiency. While the stakeholders from each sector were consulted before preparing the reports, KREDL has now invited comments and suggestions on the draft report until August 31.
