I had written recently on a simple way to fight global warming - reduce consumption. Now governments across the world have been preaching to people in their own states about conserving energy. The same has been happening in Kerala, especially with energy reserves (hydroelectric) hovering close to the empty mark. I was impressed about our system when I saw the public interest advertisements that were being shown related to this, i.e. until I saw the Park Center reception center at Technopark last week.
Zyxware along with GNU/Linux Users Group, Trivandrum is planning on yet another GNU/Linux Install fest in Trivandrum. This time we have targeted Technopark as our venue and we are focusing on IT professionals through this. For scouting and identifying a place to hold the fest in Technopark, I went there with Joju Joshua, Manager Operations, Zyxware.
During this visit we had to visit the Park Office to get information about official procedures on how to get a place inside Technopark campus to conduct our fest. We had to wait for some time at the park center reception as the person we wanted to see was a bit busy and we didn't have an appointment. Whiling away the time we had to wait, we counted the number of light bulbs lit in the reception area. There were 34 'zero watt' bulbs, 24 mini tubes and 2 incandescent bulbs in the reception area of approximately 20ft x 20ft size with two receptionists.
If we assoume the following wattage
'zero watt' bulb ~ 10W
Mini tube - 30W
Incandescent bulbs - 40W
We have 10 x 34 + 30 x 24 + 40 x 2 = 1140 W
That is a whopping 1.14KW for illuminating a room for 2 people. I think with proper design the room could have been lit as well or better with maybe 9 CFLs of 18W each. That is at 1/5th the cost of the current set up. It is a pity that the engineer/architect who designed the room or the officer who approved the plan had no clue about the harm they would be doing to the environment by heavily wasting energy like the way they did with that room.
The example I cited would only be the tip of the iceberg. I am sure that we will be able to find tonnes of similar environmental blunders designed, verified, approved and developed by very capable people who either don't think about the environmental impact of their creations or who have no clue about the environmental issues we are currently facing or which we will face in the future.
U can see the same thing in Jan Shatabdi Express which starts at 5 pm or so from Ekm to Trivandrum..All the bulbs will be ON and 80% of the passengers would be sleeping.They all see clearer and better dreams.....10% of them will be listening to music with the help of mobiles and walkman. 5% of them would be talking and chatting.A 5% of them would be really reading something..
Good post, and that is what happening in all the placed including Technopark, but some of the companies are taking extra care to cut down their electricity bills by swithoff the extra lights or even AC's.
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It is very SAD that in India we still think about stopping such things. See all are thinking about stopping the usage of bulbs etc etc. Is anybody thinking of alternate energy source, renewable energy. Technopark should have its own wind / solar energy source to illuminate all the street and common lighting requirements, switching off is not a solution that too in 2008 where technology is so advanced.
We still think deisel has become costly so we will use less of our cars but who is thinking about sourcing alternate fuel like biodeisel pumps in Kerala. See it is a thought process which has to change....a place like chattisgarh all the Gov vehicls runs on bio deisel, we in Kerala are spending time criticising and doing hartals!!
I learnt from a source sometime back that suzlon had provided windmill energy ti KSEB and because they KSEB is not paying the dues on time to suzlon they are going to shut shop in kerala where as they are doing great business in TN. GOD Save God's own country.
@Spiderman - The strategy of moving towards energy security has to be multi-pronged. Energy conservation is one face of it while promotion of usage of renewable energy sources is another face of it. Thinking that moving towards renewable sources without worrying about decreasing consumption is going to be effective is too simplistic IMHO. Again the use of biofuels is the subject of a massive international debate. Biofuel usage HAS affected food security. Besides they are almost as bad as fossil fuels in terms of emissions.
This is very true. most of the technopark companies are wasting the electricity.
Catering to energy wastage still seem to be 'non-functional' requirements in every scenario, Anoop. Until they become 'functional', get into the 'rule-books', and become part of serious checklists, I guess these extravaganzas are to stay.
As for global warming, the common man out there seem to have more problems to worry about the present, than the impending danger his grandchildren is to face one day, due to nature's retaliation. I guess only intelligent & masked, sugar-coated & incentivized rules can do the trick.
I think you have phrased it absolutely correct. "intelligent & masked, sugar-coated & incentivized" rules are the way to go for taking all these sour pills to the common man :-)
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