LED VILLAGE CAMPAIGN

Pagidipalli (V), Nalgonda (Dist),

Andhra Pradesh (State), India

Implemented by

Small Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fund (S3IDF),

Hyderabad Division

CONTEXTIn Rural India the existing street lights use Incandescent bulbs or CFL’s.

Solar based street lights were encouraged with CFL’s of 25 to 30 watts. This programme was not received well the approved design required 75 watt SPV (Solar Photo-voltaic) Panel, 20 to 30 watt luminar with a battery of 80 AH and became costly.

The Ministry of Power Government of India / Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) launched a Nation wide “LED Village Campaign” to showcase the advantages of using LED’s, in one electrified village in each state.

S3IDF Hyderabad applied for the same to take up the project in Andhra Pradesh within a cost Rs. 15 lakhs for implementation.

The project is to replace all streetlights from tube lights to Solar LED Standalone Streetlights and to replace only two light points from GLS bulbs of 60 to 100 watts or tube lights of 50 watts with AC LED lights of 8 watts.

Pagidipalli Village before LVC

Implementation / Methodology• The guidelines and Technical Specifications for LED Home and

Street Lighting were given by BEE to facilitate uniform implementation in different states.

• Accordingly S3IDF prepared a bidding document by advertising in dailies and conducted the bidding. Out of 5 bidders “Thrive Energy Technologies Pvt. Ltd” Hyderabad was selected due to their lower quotation and their experience in working in rural areas.

• BEE/NEDCAP had periodically reviewed and monitored the progress of the project.

• The project as envisaged was completed within 6 months with the given financial support.

• In general all LED lamps supplied met with the specifications; an annual maintenance contract for 3 years was taken from the supplier.

Preliminary Village Survey

Orientation Meeting with Panchayat & Officials

Interaction with Villagers

Arrangements with CPDCL

The proposal was accepted and the Campaign was approved for S3IDF for implementation.

S3IDF in collaboration with the State Designated Agency (SDA), Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of A.P (NEDCAP) and Panchayat Raj Department & Discom selected the village Pagidipalli in Bhongir (Mandal), Nalgonda (District) which is 46 Kms from the State Capital Hyderabad.

The village was studied by doing a household survey and energy audit. Many preliminary meetings with village Panchayat members and villagers were held.

There are 208 houses and 320 families living in the village which is fully electrified. Most of the households have one or two standard size tube lights at least one fan. more than half families have color TV’s and 30 houses have refrigerators, though there are 12 coolers there is no air conditioner in the village.

There are 63 street lights with 40 watt tube light one high mask light. 20 street lights are not in working condition, due to fluctuations in the power supply and 10% of the bulbs in the street lights were always in fused condition and needed changing.

• S3IDF made arrangements with the Power Distribution Company, APCPDCL (Andhra Pradesh Central Power Distribution Corporation Limited) and installed 7 extra meters in various locations in the village to be able to measure separately and accurately the power consumption for street lighting and households.

• The Street lights were to be switched on / off manually and some are observed to be burning even in day time.

Capacity Building• A Village Energy Committee was formed after a series of meeting

with consumers and village leaders.

• The power scenario of the village was discussed and the objectives of the LED Village Campaign was explained.

• The Village Energy Committee has electricity, NEDCAP, S3IDF and Panchayat Raj Officials as members.

• The committee decided installation logistics for hoarding, solar LED street lights arrangements for fixing AC LED bulbs in all households and reviewed it many times.

• The Committee selected one village youth and the regular water man to be trained for maintenance of the LED Installations in the village.

Village Energy Committee

Street Lighting• 60 Solar Standalone LED Street Lights were separately installed where

ever necessary in the village as decided by the committee.

• Initially 10 points were selected for installation for test study.

• As per the specifications 12 watt LED lights with 37.5 watt SPV panel were installed.

• After inspection by the NEDCAP / S3IDF team few suggestions were made to raise the height of the battery box above human level, (so that they are not tampered with and not in the way of the passing traffic in the village) and to slightly change the angle of the luminar for better coverage of the light.

• 53 street lights were installed in all the streets and important locations like temple Panchayat building, school etc. These lights would automatically light up at 6.30 PM and switch off 6.30 AM automatically.

• They need very little maintenance like topping the battery with distilled water and dusting up the solar PV once in a month.

Solar LED Street Lights

Solar LED Street Light near Panchayat Building

Household Lighting• As the consumers of the village are not inclined to give up any

services deriving power to their electric devices like TV & Fans only the lighting systems will be changed according to their willingness with AC LED Lights.

• The village energy committee felt that all household should be supplied with 2 AC LED lights each, though it was proposed to fit them in to the existing lighting sockets, the energy audit showed that the electricity wiring in many households is improperly done, sockets are of different sizes and many needed a light in darker areas of their rooms.

• So it is decided by the Village Energy Committee that the new 8 watt LED bulb will be fitted in separately in all households as needed by the family.

AC LED Home Lights

Hoarding & Other Publicity Material• A hoarding 10 ft X 8 ft displaying the LED Village Campaign and

Advantages was installed on the top of the Village Panchayat building on the roadside. It is also fitted with solar powered focus lighting.

• The salient features of the LED Village Campaign was also explained in big board set up in the village. It is explained that per year 50,000 units of electricity and Rs.1,70,000/- would be saved, 40,000 Kgs or 40 tonnes of Carbon Emission will be reduced because of the usage of Solar LED Technology.

• Pamphlets explaining about the LED Village Campaign in Pagidipally and Advantageous i.e. the long lasting capacity, less maintenance and their capability of working with solar energy were prepared and distributed in the village and to all concerned.

The Hoarding Setup on the top of Panchayat Building

This Board too was set up in the village by road side

• The inaugural function was held on 04-05-2010 at 6.00 PM in the Village. Shri. Deepak Gupta IAS, Secretary MNRE was the Chief Guest who declared the LED Village to be first of its kind in the country.

• Shri. TL Sankar (IAS Retd), Director S3IDF handed over the LED Village Facility through Shri. Deepak Gupta to the Village Sarpanch

• Shri. S.A.M Rizvi IAS, District Collector Nalgonda addressed the gathering,

• Shri. Bangara Raju, MD NEDCAP explained the importance of renewable energy in the present conditions and the LED Village Campaign.

• The Village Energy Committee members and the Sarpanch shared their experiences of the LED installations and how it is useful when there is power cut all over.

• Many officials and un- officials attended the function, and the media gave a good coverage in all the news papers and in important TV channels.

Inauguration of LED Village

Campaign

05-05-2010 The Hindu News Paper Covered the Event Along with Local Dailies in Telugu & TV Channels