Ongoing and future LED lighting projects hold immense business potential

These projects are good ways to showcase new technologies, increase awareness, educate customers and test the technology in the field

By EB Bureau

Tuesday, March 18, 2014:LED lighting has been experiencing robust growth over the past few years. However, a large share of the market is still untapped. LEDs are now replacing conventional lighting in some key applications like street lighting, indoor and outdoor lighting, etc. But with increased awareness and fast changing trends, these are also being used in residential projects, hospitals, in the retail sector and for industrial applications.

Projects promoting LED lighting

A number of projects to promote the LED industry in India have been spearheaded by the government, bodies like the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and NGOs. LED manufacturers, distributors and dealers can take advantage of these projects as they hold immense business potential. The good sources for information about these projects are BEE, and NGOs that are working in the field of energy efficiency like Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) and the LED products Manufacturers’ Association (LEDMA).

With support from the British High Commission, The Climate Group (a non-profit UK-based organisation working with governments and corporations to promote greener technologies) has undertaken four LED streetlight projects in Haldia, Thane, Burdwan and Cuttack, where it works with the local authorities towards achieving significant energy savings.

Haldia and Burdwan, West Bengal: The ongoing project in Haldia city has been spearheaded by the Haldia Development Authority. The authority has already installed 1020 LED fixtures with the help of The Climate Group. The result is a 70,000 kWh monthly reduction in energy usage that equals a saving of Rs 500,000. The project cost is Rs 40 million, and the Haldia Development Authority hopes to recoup its investment in six years.

Meanwhile, a project with the Burdwan Development Authority in West Bengal is in the planning stage. The initial tender calls for the setting up of 354 LED streetlights.

Cuttack, Orissa: Likewise, a project in Cuttack is also in the early stages. The Climate Group has identified 1285 streetlights for replacement. Through the course of this project, Cuttack will be able to save Rs 3 million in energy costs and an additional Rs 1.3 million in maintenance costs, annually.

Thane, Maharashtra: In Thane, The Climate Group worked with the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), BEE, and the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency and installed 310 LED streetlights. The project cost was Rs 8 million and is delivering a 47 per cent reduction in energy usage. Apart from this, around 300 lights were also installed across the city and, as a result, the power consumption has been slashed by 50 per cent.

In another project in Thane, TMC has planned to install around 1100 LED lights in wards populated by the lower income group and members of the backward class. TMC would use the funds allotted for the backward class, and a budget of nearly Rs 50 million has been estimated for the project.

In yet another project, TMC plans to install more than 5000 LED lights across the city, which will consume 50 per cent less power. About 1000 lights have already been installed.

Gandhinagar and Rajkot, Gujarat: Recently, in Gandhinagar, bids were invited for the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of LED street lighting (536 LED luminaires) for sub-arterial roads and internal roads in Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT). Gujarat Urban Development Company Ltd (GUDC) and Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS) have incorporated a 50:50 joint venture company called Gujarat International Finance Tec-City Company Ltd (GIFTCL) for the development and implementation of the GIFT project.

Rajkot Urban Development Authority (RUDA) recently made its Rs 23 million LED streetlighting project operational in 2013, under which it has installed more than 400 LEDs to light up a 6 km stretch of a four-lane road connecting Rajkot with Metoda GIDC (Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation) on the western outskirts of the city.

Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh: The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has finalised a plan to take up at least 10 proposed (civic) projects in the city at a cost of Rs 5000 million by the end of 2015. These 10 projects will be taken up under the public private partnership (PPP) mode, which will include installation of LED streetlights in 72 wards spread across 534 sq km, covering foot overbridges, footpaths, multi-level parking complexes, desalination projects, commercial complexes, housing projects for the poor and needy, among others.

Also on the cards is the replacement of around 80,000 fluorescent streetlights in the city with LED streetlights, at a cost of Rs 1100 million. GVMC, which spends Rs 128.9 million per annum on street lighting, is expected to save Rs 50 million per annum with LED street lighting.

Uttar Pradesh: Similarly, in a bid to cater to the ever growing demand for electricity, Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) has also forwarded a proposal to the Central government to ask all urban local bodies of the state to replace existing ordinary streetlights with LED lights, which will reduce electricity consumption by nearly 50 per cent.

UPPCL, on further recommendations by BEE, has also asked the state government to consider options that can help save energy, like LED streetlights.

BEE’s support

BEE has been playing a crucial role in reducing energy consumption of streetlights that currently use highly-energy, inefficient lamps. BEE has been providing grants to municipalities in India to undertake these pilot LED streetlighting projects. Till date, more than 30 LED-based streetlighting projects have been identified in 23 states, for which BEE has already disbursed approximately Rs 90 million. Some of the LED projects that have already been completed are in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra and Nagaland. While the results of these projects have been encouraging, many of them are currently under execution or in the planning stages in various cities.

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