New power plan: Airconditioners at 24°C; timers, sensors to curb wastage

Gandhinagar: From fixing airconditioners at 24°C to switching off water coolers after office hours and installing lights with motion sensors in corridors, Gujarat govt has rolled out an extensive energy-saving plan across its offices in a bid to check wasteful electricity consumption.The statewide campaign, covering all govt and semi-govt offices, boards, corporations, and public institutions, seeks to eliminate routine power wastage through a combination of behavioural changes, technology-driven monitoring, and mandatory energy audits.It will be jointly implemented by the energy and petrochemicals department and the roads and buildings department. Officials said these administrative buildings account for a substantial share of institutional electricity consumption and there is scope for significant power saving without affecting day-to-day functioning.Under the new directives, all lights, fans, airconditioners, and computer systems must be switched off after office hours, on weekends, and during public holidays. Heads of offices have been tasked with ensuring that electrical equipment in vacant cabins, including those of officers on leave or away on field duty, remains switched off. All departments have been asked to appoint nodal officers to monitor compliance.

“To reduce wastage caused by human oversight, the state will install automated occupancy sensors and timer-based control systems in meeting rooms, parking areas, and washrooms,” govt said on Friday.Stricter controls have also been ordered on water coolers, directing employees to switch them off after 6pm and restart them only after 9am the following day.As part of a broader energy-efficiency overhaul, conventional lighting systems in these buildings will be replaced with LED fixtures, while all future procurement of electrical equipment will be ‘5-star rated’ ensuring lower usage of power.“The initiative extends to urban local bodies as well. In municipal corporations and municipalities, streetlights will be integrated with the centralised control monitoring system (CCMS) and synchronised with sunrise and sunset timings,” an official said. This move alone could save nearly an hour of electricity consumption every day. An official statement added that a pilot project is also being considered under which alternate streetlight poles may remain switched off between midnight and 4 am in low-traffic areas.All departments have been directed to prepare and submit an ‘office energy efficiency action plan’ to the Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) within 45 days. They will also have to furnish quarterly reports on electricity consumption and conduct annual energy audits by third-party agencies. Offices that demonstrate exemplary performance in reducing energy consumption will be formally recognised and felicitated by state govt.