Eco friendly Alternatives to Diesel Generators (DG) in Housing Societies

• 0
• 42

The Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), on the advice of the task force on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), had banned the use of diesel generator sets in the Delhi-NCR with effect from October 15, 2020. The objective behind this move is to encourage people to move from diesel to a more environment friendly alternatives. This decision was welcomed by a section of a society as a positive move, however there were many concerns raised by some state governments stating it to be disastrous for societies which are fully run on diesel operated gen sets due to infrastructural inadequacies. They have no choice but to use the diesel gen sets.But with changing times we need to find cleaner and cost effective alternatives. There are many alternatives which can be thought of as a feasible alternative to diesel gen sets.

Two of such alternatives are:

1.       Natural Gas

2.       Solar Roof Top power systems

Let us look into each option one by one:

1)      Natural Gas:Yes, natural gas is definitely one option worth considering especially because most residential housing societies already have pipelines installed. This makes it easier to transition from diesel generator to the gas one. The same thought was echoed by AmitGarg, Director (Commercial), IGL, he said, “This is not as difficult as it seems. Since most housing societies have gas pipelines network of IGL, the generators in most residential complexes can be connected to them very easily.” He believes, due to online supply, the users would not have to make any arrangement for procurement as well as storage of liquid fuels and the installation area shall remain clean. IGL also plans to offer diesel-run genset users in residential complexes, commercial establishments and industrial units based in Delhi, Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad and parts of Gurugram an appropriate solution to convert their electricity generating units to natural gas.A link has been set up on IGL website where those interested in getting their gensets converted to gas can fill the details along with the capacity required. The interest in the conversion of genset to gas can also be conveyed on 24 hours helpline number of IGL. In 2019 the company also started a pilot project in 5 societies- Stellar Kings Court, Antriksh Greens, Shubhkamna Apartment, and Marvel Homes in Sector 50, and Mahagun Maple in Sector 61. The residents of these housing societies were very happy with the change as this will not only be good for the environment but also reduce the cost by almost 33%. They see this as a win-win situation. This project needs to be scaled up and implemented in phases. Several new housing societies are already making a move towards this alternative and installing gas gen sets right from the beginning.

2)      Solar roof top power systems -Another option for replacing the diesel generators in residential areas would be installation of solar roof top power systems. Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its new studyto check the feasibility of replacing the diesel generator sets with the solar one took into account various factors such as installation cost, availability of rooftop space, architectural features. Its report suggested that solar rooftop power tariff is half the cost of power generated by DG sets. CSE also released a unique online calculator to help consumers design the system themselves based on their electricity requirement. The study finds that the cost of power generation from a DG set, including the capital cost, is Rs 27 to Rs 33 per unit -- compared to rooftop solar tariff of less than Rs 10 per unit. The diesel generators used for power back up in the residential societies are not only polluting the environment but are also expensive as compared to the solar ones. The solar roof top power systems cost only half of what the diesel generators cost and this should motivate the members of the housing societies to consider it as a better option.

Even though members of the housing societies are willing to welcome this change there are several roadblocks they are facing when it comes to implementation of the same. One of the problem is that the plan which is easy to implement in Delhi because of its superior power structure and the compensation the residents will be paid for the number of hours that would be lost in implementing it, cannot be done in NCR as there is no plan at place for compensating residents for the loss of power. Moreover, some housing societies are totally dependent on diesel gen sets and have no infrastructural support to transition.The need of the hour is to look for a way in which it becomes easier for the housing societies to transition from diesel gen sets to more ecofriendly options. This will take efforts from the part of the Government, the private sector as well as the members of the housing societies.

Green Clean India (www.greencleanindia.com) is an initiative to exhibit the collective power of Housing Societies, by providing a common platform across the country to interact and exchange thoughts that best suit community living. For details on how we can help you make lifestyle changes, do contact us at +919717938018 or write to us at wecare@greencleanindia.com