IoT pilot project in five MSMEs each in 13 Andhra districts.

The Andhra Pradesh government, with support from Union Ministry of Power-led Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), is going to extend the pilot project on Internet of Things (IoT) in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) units to all the 13 districts to study the scope for adopting energy efficiency measures. 

The Andhra Pradesh State Energy Conservation Mission (APSECM) in coordination with industries department will select five MSME units from each state for the implementation of the project. 

The government has decided to extend the programme to all the districts after the initial pilot project taken up in MSME units in East Godavari district yielded significant energy and monetary savings. 

“With the success of the pilot project in East Godavari, which was first of its kind in the country, the Union Ministry of Power has agreed and sanctioned funds to extend the IoT pilot project to all districts,” said APSECM CEO A Chandrasekhara Reddy, in a statement recently.

According to officials, the BEE was impressed by the efforts of Andhra Pradesh government to improve energy performance in MSME sector and responded to the proposal of APSECM to implement IoT pilot project in selected MSMEs across the State. 

“The BEE has immediately sanctioned the pilot projects for all 13 districts along with funding support within a record 24 hours,” they added.

Appreciating BEE’s swift response, Chief secretary and chairperson of APSECM Nilam Sawhney said, “The response of Union Ministry of Power and BEE towards promoting energy efficiency in Andhra Pradesh is highly commendable. The state will continue its efforts to make Andhra Pradesh one of the best State in the energy efficiency sector,” the chief secretary said.

The officials identified around 19 sectors in MSMEs and founded huge opportunities for energy efficiency in MSMEs. Many energy intensive sectors such as foundry and forgings, glass and ceramics, brick, textile, dairy and food processing etc., have been identified to have obsolete or inefficient technologies that cause higher energy consumption. 

The AP power distribution companies (Discoms) estimated that the MSME sector has an energy saving potential of around 400 MU per annum out of total consumption of 5,125 million kilo volt ampere hour (KVAH). 

Under the pilot project, IoT enabled power control devices would be installed to examine the consumption pattern. In the initial pilot project in East Godavari, it was observed that the IoT device would help bring down energy consumption by 11,000 units per annum in the whole cluster with an annual monetary benefit of Rs. 80,000. 

Special chief secretary (industries) Karikal Valaven and Director of Industries JVN Subramanyam welcomed the initiative of the BEE. Energy Secretary Srikant Nagulapalli thanked director general of BEE Abhay Bhakre for the support to AP in the area of energy efficiency

THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS