KSEB plans to make use of unused CFLs

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is planning to replace incandescent bulbs in its own offices and installations and other government offices with energy-efficient Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs). Some 15 lakh CFLs are lying unused in the KSEB godowns after the Bachat Lamp Yojana (BLY) scheme across the state closed by September 2010. These lamps will be made use of for the new scheme. The remaining CFLs will be used to replace faulty CFLs distributed to the KSEB’s consumers by February 15. Faulty lamps will be collected at electrical circle stores and Philips, the supplier of the lamps, has agreed to replace them, according to the KSEB. Next, CFLs will be provided to government offices free of cost. The lamps that still remain will be used to replace incandescent bulbs in KSEB offices, power generating stations, sub-stations, quarters and inspection bungalows. ‘’Philips has agreed to replace up to three lakh faulty CFLs,’’ said K M Dhareshan Unnithan, director of the Energy Management Centre (EMC), the nodal agency for energy conservation schemes in Kerala. EMC had spearheaded the BLY scheme in the state.  Under central BLY scheme, the KSEB had replaced incandescent bulbs in households with 1.2 crore CFLs, making Kerala the first state to do so. The orders issued towards January end pertains to the balance CFLs. According to the then LDF Government, the KSEB was able to save 250 MW thanks to this scheme.  Electrical circles in the southern region had closed the scheme on July 15, 2010; those in the central region by July 2010, and in north Kerala by September 2010.