State Level Energy Conservation Awards, 2024

• 16 Oct 2024

Why in News?

The Haryana government continues to emphasize energy conservation, aligning with national efforts under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.

• The awards aim to recognize contributions across sectors in promoting energy efficiency, particularly in light of increasing environmental concerns.

Key Points

• Purpose of the Awards:
  • Objective: To promote energy conservation by recognizing industries, commercial buildings, government institutions, educational institutions, hospitals, and individuals excelling in energy efficiency practices.
  • Regulatory Framework: Based on the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, which came into effect in March 2002, setting guidelines for the efficient use of energy resources.
• Administering Body:
  • The Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) acts as the State Designated Agency (SDA) responsible for coordinating, regulating, and enforcing the Act’s provisions within Haryana. It is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Renewable Energy, Haryana.
• Award Categories:
  • Eligible Sectors: Industries, commercial buildings, government institutions, educational institutions, hospitals, municipal bodies, and individuals.
  • Criteria: Recognition is based on innovative measures to conserve energy, use of new technologies, and efficiency improvements in energy use. Specific fields include:
    • Innovations in energy conservation.
    • Adoption of energy-efficient practices.
    • R&D projects in energy.
• Award Details:
  • Prizes include monetary rewards up to Rs. 2 lakhs, depending on the specific category of the award. The awards aim to both encourage and financially support further energy-saving efforts by winners.
  • The awards are part of the state's broader efforts to reduce power consumption and support sustainable development.
• Recent Developments:
  • The 2024 edition continues these initiatives, encouraging institutions and individuals to submit applications demonstrating their commitment to energy conservation. Deadlines for submissions and guidelines are made available on the HAREDA official website

The Energy Conservation Act, 2001

• Regulatory framework
  • The EC Act establishes standards and policies for energy efficiency, and empowers the central and state governments to regulate energy use.
• Energy audits
  • Authorities can direct energy audits of buildings where energy-intensive industries operate.
• Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
  • The BEE was created to oversee the EC Act's programs and promote energy efficiency. The BEE's work includes certification, public awareness campaigns, and pilot projects.
• Carbon credit trading
  • The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022 allows the government to introduce a carbon credit trading scheme to encourage reducing carbon emissions.
• Energy savings certificates
  • The government can issue energy savings certificates to industries that consume less than their allotted energy. These certificates can be sold to customers who consume more than their allotted energy.