Page 66 - Energy Efficiency Policies in China and India - A Research Paper
P. 66
Energy efficiency policies in
China and India
7.5 Agriculture
Provision of free or subsidized power in many Indian states has prompted unaccounted and
uncontrolled use of electricity, resulting in the agricultural sector consuming one-fourth of the
country’s total electricity supply (Swain & Charnoz, 2012). Cheap or free electricity contributes
to the adoption of inefficient and unreliable pump sets, resulting in massive water wastage and
higher energy consumption. The Agricultural Demand-side Management (AgDSM) programme
aims to reduce peak demand, shift the time during which electricity is consumed to off-peak
hours and to reduce total consumption. It intends to replace inefficient agricultural pump sets
with BEE star rated and high efficiency pump sets to reduce the amount of electricity needed to
pump water in agriculture sector. After some pilot projects, Energy Efficiency Services Limited
(EESL) is moving ahead with the implementation of AgDSM projects all over India (PIB Ministry
of Power, n.d.).
To improve the efficiency of pumps, some states have also undertaken initiatives with an
objective to improve overall efficiency in electricity supply (Swain & Charnoz, 2012). The Gujarat
Electricity Board carried out pilot projects from 1978-88 aimed at the replacement of suction
pumps, pipes and foot-valves. The Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd. sponsored six pump-
set rectification projects in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,
and Haryana during the 1980s. Other states such as Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh have
also taken similar initiatives to improve pump-set and water efficiency leading to overall energy
efficiency (D’Sa, 2010).
EESL has announced a national programme to replace inefficient agricultural pumps with
efficient pumps using a business model that is similar to that used for LED bulbs, i.e. reaching
out to farmers with an extended payment plan, and providing them with high quality, high
efficiency pumps which have been purchased in bulk at competitive prices.
Box 7: Energy efficiency in agriculture: A snapshot
Policies/ Programmes under implementation
• Agricultural Demand-side Management (AgDSM) programme to replace inefficient
agricultural pump sets with BEE star rated, high efficiency pump sets
• State level interventions to improve the energy efficiency of pump-sets
• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture under the NAPCC adopting
sustainable development pathways & adopting energy efficient equipment
Policies/ Programme under consideration
• Creating a regulatory mechanism to mandate the use of BEE star labelled pump-
sets for new connections under the AgDSM programme
Research Paper 51
China and India
7.5 Agriculture
Provision of free or subsidized power in many Indian states has prompted unaccounted and
uncontrolled use of electricity, resulting in the agricultural sector consuming one-fourth of the
country’s total electricity supply (Swain & Charnoz, 2012). Cheap or free electricity contributes
to the adoption of inefficient and unreliable pump sets, resulting in massive water wastage and
higher energy consumption. The Agricultural Demand-side Management (AgDSM) programme
aims to reduce peak demand, shift the time during which electricity is consumed to off-peak
hours and to reduce total consumption. It intends to replace inefficient agricultural pump sets
with BEE star rated and high efficiency pump sets to reduce the amount of electricity needed to
pump water in agriculture sector. After some pilot projects, Energy Efficiency Services Limited
(EESL) is moving ahead with the implementation of AgDSM projects all over India (PIB Ministry
of Power, n.d.).
To improve the efficiency of pumps, some states have also undertaken initiatives with an
objective to improve overall efficiency in electricity supply (Swain & Charnoz, 2012). The Gujarat
Electricity Board carried out pilot projects from 1978-88 aimed at the replacement of suction
pumps, pipes and foot-valves. The Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd. sponsored six pump-
set rectification projects in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,
and Haryana during the 1980s. Other states such as Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh have
also taken similar initiatives to improve pump-set and water efficiency leading to overall energy
efficiency (D’Sa, 2010).
EESL has announced a national programme to replace inefficient agricultural pumps with
efficient pumps using a business model that is similar to that used for LED bulbs, i.e. reaching
out to farmers with an extended payment plan, and providing them with high quality, high
efficiency pumps which have been purchased in bulk at competitive prices.
Box 7: Energy efficiency in agriculture: A snapshot
Policies/ Programmes under implementation
• Agricultural Demand-side Management (AgDSM) programme to replace inefficient
agricultural pump sets with BEE star rated, high efficiency pump sets
• State level interventions to improve the energy efficiency of pump-sets
• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture under the NAPCC adopting
sustainable development pathways & adopting energy efficient equipment
Policies/ Programme under consideration
• Creating a regulatory mechanism to mandate the use of BEE star labelled pump-
sets for new connections under the AgDSM programme
Research Paper 51
