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According to Engr. Nurul Aktar, Director of country’s largest power engineering company Energypac, the present electricity demand in our country is approximately 4500MW, 30% of which consists of lighting load. A substantial amount (50%) of this light load can be reduced up to 600MW by replacing the existing incandescent lamp with energy efficient compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) and by using electronic ballast with the fluorescent lamp. The estimated cost of implementing such program is approximately Tk 600 crore, which is 15% of the total cost of generating the equivalent amount of electricity.
Nurul Aktar sat for an interview with the EP Editor Mollah Amzad Hossain to discuss about our country’s staggering power crisis and the possible power solutions from his perspective.
EP: How do you see the practicability of this brilliant idea suggested by you in order to overcome the chronic power shortage?
NA: I see the idea taking the shape of a successful achievement only after the implementation of four basic steps:
1. A comprehensive master plan
2. Lowering of the prices of CFL and ballast by at least 40% by encouraging local manufacturer through value addition
3. Standardization and labeling introduction
4. Awareness development through mass campaign
EP: What do you mean by a master plan?
NA: The master plan indicates at what time span the idea could be materialized. I believe that a 3-year master plan will phase out the implementation process.
Under the master plan, a yearly target needs to be fixed up for replacing incandescent lamps and changing magnetic ballast to electronic ballast. Yearly 33% replacement of incandescent Lamp and Electronic Ballast will be good enough to save 200MW of electricity eventually.
Government should impose ban on import of incandescent lamp immediately and formulate a policy to stop production of incandescent lamp within 3-year span. Australia and some European countries already fixed up a dead line for stopping incandescent lamp production.
A restriction is to be imposed on using high intensity discharged lamp such as Metal Halide, Halogen, Mercury Vapor and High Pressure Sodium, which in reality consume high electricity. In a time frame, this high power lamps need to be replaced by energy efficient lights such as Metal halide can be replaced by ceramic metal halide and High pressure sodium can be replaced by energy efficient induction lamp.
So under a 3-year master plan whole scenario in the lighting sector can be changed drastically and at least 50% of energy in the lighting sector amounting to 600MW can be saved out eventually.
EP: How CFL and Electronic Ballast can be made affordable among users?
NA: The price for CFL is almost 10 times than general incandescent lamp. But of course, when considering saving, CFL is not at all expensive. A 20-watt CFL confirms approximately Tk 1800 in its lifetime. But as the initial purchase cost is high the users are more reluctant to buy the lamps. The problem can be overcome in two ways:
By encouraging local manufacturers to go for more value addition by importing electronic components at zero duty. At present, the difference between the finished goods and CKD is only 10%, which is not enough for the local manufacturers to lower the price. With consideration of zero duty on electronic components (transistors, diode, triad, capacitors, PCB etc.), the local value addition up to 50% is attainable and price could be brought down by at least 40%.
Secondly Government should initiate easy loan scheme through power authorities like PDB, DESA, DESCO, REB to distribute lamps among the user and recover the cost of lamps out of saving on monthly installment. The examples of easy loan exist in many neighboring countries like Sri Lanka, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Encouraging local manufacturers by exempting them from import duty on components and introducing easy loan scheme will make the drive easy and bring out the ultimate result in the shortest possible time.
EP: Standardization and labeling is a very important issue for getting the true benefit from saving devices. In reality the matter has been neglected, what is your opinion?
NA: It is very important an issue to be considered. Energy efficient lamps and Electronic ballast must maintain specific standards, which will confirm the saving aspects of the devices. Unless a proper standard has been determined, the quality of the imported product cannot be assured. As a result, a scope will be created for importing below standard product which in reality may not save energy and thus create confusion among the users resulting to a negative impact on the whole drive. To overcome this problem, BSTI must come up with appropriate standard and introduce labeling. It is to be noted that there is no good laboratory in Bangladesh to conduct the necessary quality control tests required for energy saving lamps. My suggestion to Government is to set up and equip such laboratories so that the comprehensive tests on CFL and electronic ballast can be properly carried out.
EP: How do you think the awareness can be developed?
NA: Awareness can be developed through mass electronic and media campaign under government initiative with target to educate users in respect of energy saving, financial benefits and environmental effects. This awareness will then encourage more and more consumers to use this product. I believe that when government will itself start using the CFL in all government institutions and public places then only will the common people be more aware of its necessity in our daily live.
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