Introduction:
Of all the energies we require in our day to day life, electricity is easiest to get and most useful. This does not discount all other forms of energies we need for our body and mind like vitamins and minerals. Electricity is the most instant and promptly and in no way inferior to any other form of energy since its invention and application. We see profuse use of electricity everywhere beginning from home, office, factory to shops and establishment. Every nation needs a comprehensive and uninterrupted supply of electricity as strength to its backbone. A few minutes of load-shedding or one or two hours of power failures become unbearable for us, because we are so much used to it. We realize in what difficulty people were leading their lives when electricity was not invented. In other words, electricity is a convenient invention, extremely opportune for human civilization to make the required headway to step into the next generation of development and strength.
Dependence on electricity:
Students need it for their study, we for our comfort and a house-maker for her popular television episode and cooking for her husband and children. We are surely going to miss a cracking cover drive of Virat Kohli to the square leg fence without electricity. It has become a part and parcel of our lives since its introduction. Dependence on electricity is more deep and dense than any extra energy we are accustomed with.
With mushroom growth of industries in our country and with the relative decline in production of electricity during spring and summer seasons coupled with lack of per capita growth in electricity production and distribution, this energy is going to be rare and scarce in coming days. During 2012-13, electricity production was 8.7% less than the requirement. Finding no way out or considering any other alternative energy as costly and less energizing, industries and companies have resorted to austerity measures to fill up the gap.
Conservation of electricity:
The private electricity companies are compelled to suspend electricity supply to make good for the deficit hampering production in the process. Numerous governmental measures, such as, establishment by big industries of their own power plants are just drops in the ocean. Launching of big and medium-sized power projects have been far from solving the problem. According to an estimate by the Central Electricity Board, the deficit during 2013-14 is going to be in the region of 6.7% of our requirements. It is much higher in states like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka where the deficit will touch 27% and 23% respectively.
What we have to do in this critical shortage area is conservation of energy. We may not solve the problem of shortage altogether, but we can at least, ensure a perfect balance between production and supply. Conservation of electricity does not necessarily mean refraining from using it. Nevertheless, we can control its use, cutting down wastages and unnecessary use. We have often been seen in rooms being lit up without anybody staying there or any work being done there. We can save no mean quantities of energy by plugging our misuse. Misuse is more seen in government offices, lights, fans and coolers found running without anybody inside or any work going on in the room.
Austerity measures:
By judicious use of electricity in offices, homes, shops and establishments, we can save about 5% of energy for our requirement. Thereby reducing the deficit by a similar quantity. Of all energies used in the country, 15% is consumed on our domestic requirements, such as fans, lights, geysers, air conditioners, washing machines, etc. We cannot cut down the use of these items as, once comfort items, now all the items are in basic necessity category. Nonetheless, where what can be controlled and contained can be thought of and only absolute requirements should be thrown light upon. Light should be switched on if a room is well-lit by sunlight.
No fan should run with no one in the room. Such savings of energy will add to stocks immeasurably. After all, drops of water make an ocean. Energy-saving fluorescent or CFL lights can be used in place of 60 Watt, 100 watt and 200 watt valves with the same or more results. A bit more investment in these lamps will create a buffer stock of electricity rationally. According to a study and as we ordinarily find, such lamps are five times more efficient than older and traditional lamps. T5 tube-lights are 100% more energy-efficient than conventional tube-lights and must be used to conserve energy.
Energy saved as energy created:
Economically, we gain from the initial investment on CFL and T5 lamps as the extra amount spent on these lights are recovered through less billing and less usage in four to five months and the rest of the period of these lamps, we get huge discount on electricity bills. Similarly, the older fans in offices and homes can be substituted for energy-efficient fans with positive and profitable results, working wonders on federal conservation of energy. Solar plants and cow-dung gas plants give us the benefit of getting energy at no cost and conserving electricity.
Solar panels can be set-up at roof-tops at subsidized costs through governmental help. The cost of these two types of energies is nominal and they are more liable than any other measure. Keeping the television or the computer in standby mode is energy-consuming. So, these items should be switched off when not in use. Conservation of energy is as good as the production of energy as energy saved is energy created. Besides, our austerity measures will give a bonus of 10% of electricity over and above our saving of it because 100% of energy supposed by the electrical companies become 90% as it reaches our homes, destroying 10% in the process of energy-transmission and sharing.
Conclusion:
Petroleum products, coal and natural gas, being other forms of energy, will find less stress on them as we shall turn to them less and less and even not at all. These items are costlier and rarer. Thermal power plants will shed stress on the production of electricity and will save our ‘black gold’. In Odisha, more than 66% of electricity are produced at Talcher thermal and this will increase by 10% or with less production or coal property will be consumed less.
We have also, to bear in mind that production of electricity from coal is a health hazard as the carbon-dioxide emanating from the coal-burn pollutes the atmosphere and should be stopped as soon as possible. And this possibility will be a reality, if we become conscious enough to conserve energy.