Chandigarh Electricity Department to carry out energy audit to assess power losses

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, August 26

The UT Electricity Department has started the process for conducting an energy audit for 2022–23 and 2023–24 to assess the actual technical and commercial losses.

The audit will be carried out in compliance with the directions of the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC). A senior official of the department said a request for a proposal has been issued for the appointment of a consultant to carry out the energy audit.

Earlier, an energy audit had been conducted by the Bureau of Energy Audit, an agency of the Government of India, for years 2020–21 and 2021–22, but the report of that audit has yet to be submitted.

Expressing concern over the non-submission of the energy audit reports for the previous years despite repeated directions, the JERC recently directed the department to complete the annual audit of Chandigarh on priority and submit the quarterly report of the action plan.

The audit would assess the pattern of energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings alike and provide a complete assessment of electricity consumption and energy efficiency, said the official.

Originally issued in the tariff order dated July 16, 2011, the department was directed to get the audit conducted through an accredited agency to assess actual technical and commercial losses. Based on the studies, the department was directed to prepare the proposed evaluation of losses in subsequent years.

The investment required to reduce the losses was to be included in the investment plan for the augmentation of the transmission and distribution (T&D) system to be submitted to the commission. Effective technical and administrative measures were to be taken to cut commercial losses. The action plan for the energy audit and loss reduction measures was to be submitted to the commission by September 30, 2012, it had directed.

In the tariff order on July 11 of last year, the commission had that the energy audit report for 2021–22 had not been submitted by the department. It further noted the department was yet to submit the reports for previous years despite repeated directions.

In response to the directions, the department had stated that under the Smart Grid Project in sub-divisions 5, 24 and 213, smart meters had been installed and commissioned. A Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) centre for online operation and monitoring various activities has been established.

The department further stated that with the privatisation award in process, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had last year shelved the Smart Grid Project to install smart electricity meters in the entire city.

The Central Government had set aside Rs 241 crore in May 2021 for the installation of smart meters in the city under the smart grid project, but the work on the pilot project could not be completed due to the Covid pandemic.

The deadline was extended several times before the UT Administration finally completed the pilot project of installing smart electricity meters in the city in May of last year.

Under the project, more than 24,000 smart meters were installed in Sectors 29, 31, 47 and 48, Faidan, Ram Darbar, Hallo Majra, Raipur Kalan, Makhan Majra and Daria and the Industrial Area.

The administration had planned to replace the electricity meters in the city with smart ones by the 2022–23 fiscal year.

However, with the UT Electricity Department being privatised, the MHA has decided to halt the installation of smart meters in the remaining parts of the city.

The project for installing smart meters in the entire city was to be approved by the MHA, after which work on the project was to start. But the ministry did a volte-face as the UT Electricity Department was being privatised and the firm that would run the department would install the smart meters as per their requirements.

Move follows JERC directive

• The energy audit will assess pattern of consumption in residential/commercial buildings and provide an assessment of energy efficiency
• It comes after Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission directed Power Department to complete annual audit and submit report of action plan
• Power Dept has not submitted audit report for 2021–22 as well as those of previous years despite repeated directions by panel