For an LED-led rural lighting
Solid state lighting is the future of illumination. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) offer enormous saving in power, last many times as long as conventional lamps and are robust, unlike fragile bulbs and tubes. If the government undertakes to buy enough LED arrays to light up the 83 million homes that still use kerosene for lighting, it would create an LED industry in India with scale economies that would bring down the cost of LEDs for the entire world.
Most of us have seen LEDs. Each individual dot in the newer traffic signals and car brake lights that consist of a cluster of bright dots is an LED. LEDs produce upwards of 100 lumens per watt (lm/W). Some companies have produced LEDs that produce up to 150 lm/W. An ordinary incandescent lamp produces 15-16 lm/W. Compact fluorescent lamps produce around 65 lm/W (some fluorescent tubes also produce up to 100 lm/W).
LEDs can burn for 100,000 hours twice as long as fluorescent tubes and seven times as long as incandescent lamps. Clearly, a lighting source that produces more light per unit of power consumed and lasts at least twice as long as the next best alternative has a lot going for it. But right now, LEDs are very expensive, more expensive than compact fluorescent lamps.
Roughly 7% of the power consumed in the country goes for lighting. Universal adoption of LEDs could cut that power consumption by half. The power that is saved would reduce its widespread shortage. If the 83 million households that still depend on kerosene for lighting start using LEDs, the saving in greenhouse gas emissions would be significant.
The saving in power used for lighting and the avoided GHG emissions would qualify for funding under the Kyoto Protocol's clean-development mechanism for reducing emissions of climate-change-inducing gases. Once Kerosene ceases to be used for lighting, all justification for putting a fuel called subsidised kerosene on the market would disappear and so would massive diversion of subsidised kerosene for adulteration of auto-fuels. The saving in kerosene subsidy and carbon credits earned could be ploughed into the rural electrification scheme to make LEDs affordable through scale economies.
Some companies import LEDs from China to use in their flashlights. A massive scheme to universalise LEDs for lighting could result in India emerging a major exporter of LEDs, instead of remaining an importer. There is a strong case for the budget to announce a scheme that would generate assured demand for billions of LEDs, leading to massive scale economies in their production. The benefits reaped would include low-energy, long-lasting lighting and additional employment in a new segment of Indian industry.
Most of us have seen LEDs. Each individual dot in the newer traffic signals and car brake lights that consist of a cluster of bright dots is an LED. LEDs produce upwards of 100 lumens per watt (lm/W). Some companies have produced LEDs that produce up to 150 lm/W. An ordinary incandescent lamp produces 15-16 lm/W. Compact fluorescent lamps produce around 65 lm/W (some fluorescent tubes also produce up to 100 lm/W).
LEDs can burn for 100,000 hours twice as long as fluorescent tubes and seven times as long as incandescent lamps. Clearly, a lighting source that produces more light per unit of power consumed and lasts at least twice as long as the next best alternative has a lot going for it. But right now, LEDs are very expensive, more expensive than compact fluorescent lamps.
Roughly 7% of the power consumed in the country goes for lighting. Universal adoption of LEDs could cut that power consumption by half. The power that is saved would reduce its widespread shortage. If the 83 million households that still depend on kerosene for lighting start using LEDs, the saving in greenhouse gas emissions would be significant.
The saving in power used for lighting and the avoided GHG emissions would qualify for funding under the Kyoto Protocol's clean-development mechanism for reducing emissions of climate-change-inducing gases. Once Kerosene ceases to be used for lighting, all justification for putting a fuel called subsidised kerosene on the market would disappear and so would massive diversion of subsidised kerosene for adulteration of auto-fuels. The saving in kerosene subsidy and carbon credits earned could be ploughed into the rural electrification scheme to make LEDs affordable through scale economies.
Some companies import LEDs from China to use in their flashlights. A massive scheme to universalise LEDs for lighting could result in India emerging a major exporter of LEDs, instead of remaining an importer. There is a strong case for the budget to announce a scheme that would generate assured demand for billions of LEDs, leading to massive scale economies in their production. The benefits reaped would include low-energy, long-lasting lighting and additional employment in a new segment of Indian industry.
Gopinath S
Chief Executive
nRG Consulting Services
Bangalore, India
Ph: 9180 26698211
Mob: 91 98455 11648
Website: http://business.vsnl.com/gopinath
Weblog: http://nrgcs.blogspot.com
Chief Executive
nRG Consulting Services
Bangalore, India
Ph: 9180 26698211
Mob: 91 98455 11648
Website: http://business.vsnl.com/gopinath
Weblog: http://nrgcs.blogspot.com
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