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Gram Ujala Scheme

Posted on March 22, 2021 by admin1  31

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Recently, the Government has launched the Gram Ujala scheme from Arrah, Bihar.

About the Scheme

  • Under it, high-quality and energy-efficient LED bulbs will be given for Rs. 10 per piece.
    • The government’s previous Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All (UJALA) scheme had cut LED bulb prices to Rs. 70 apiece from around Rs. 310 in 2014.
  • The bulbs are offered by Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL).
  • Under the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the scheme will claim carbon credits.
    • It will be financed entirely through carbon credits and will be the first such programme in India.
  • Carbon credit buyers will also be sought through an open process based on initial discussions with the market.
  • The balance cost and margin on the LED cost will be recouped through the carbon credits earned.

Significance

  • It will have a significant impact on India’s climate change action energy savings of 2025 million kWh/year and CO2 reductions of 1.65 million tonnes CO2/year.
  • It will also enable better illumination, at an affordable price, leading to a better standard of life, financial savings, more economic activity, and better safety for rural citizens.
  • It removes the price barrier for rural consumers. In addition, the energy savings garnered will reduce a household’s energy outlay, enabling higher disposable income and savings.

Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All (UJALA) Scheme

  • It is a zero-subsidy scheme launched in 2015.
  • It is also known as the LED-based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP) and is the world’s largest domestic lighting project.
  • Aim: To promote the efficient usage of energy for all i.e., its consumption, savings and lighting.
  • Eligibility: Every domestic household having a metered connection can get the LED bulbs.
  • Achievements so far:
    • EESL has distributed over 36.69 crore LED bulbs across India, which has resulted in
      • Estimated energy savings of 47.65 billion kWh per year.
      • Avoided peak demand of 9,540 MW.
      • Estimated GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emission reduction of 38.59 million tonnes CO2 per year.
    • It has helped in the growth of domestic LED markets.
    • It has helped to bring down the average household electricity bills by 15%.

Clean Development Mechanism

  • It is defined in Article 12 of the Kyoto Protocol, which allows a country with an emission-reduction or emission-limitation commitment to implement an emission-reduction project in developing countries.
  • Such projects can earn saleable Certified Emission Reduction (CER) credits, which can be counted towards meeting Kyoto targets.
  • It is the first global, environmental investment and credit scheme of its kind, providing a standardized emissions offset instrument, CERs.

Carbon Credits

  • A carbon credit is a permit that allows the company that holds it to emit a certain amount of CO2 or other greenhouse gases.
  • One credit permits the emission of a mass equal to one tonne of carbon dioxide.
  • These were devised as a market-oriented mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Companies get a set number of credits, which decline over time. They can sell any excess to another company.

Source: LM

 
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