DEVELOPING AN AWARENESS PROGRAM ON
ENERGY CONSERVATION & RENEWABLE ENERGY USE

Author: Dr. Ritu Bhatia, SPND Women’s College, S.N.D.T Women’s University Mumbai

The Blue Planet-A Magazine on Sustainability
ISSN: 2652-7987 (Online) ISSN: 2652-7995 (Print)
Article: 3 Issue: 4 Volume: 1 2022
www.acsdri.com

Photography by

Anirban Dasgupta

Introduction:

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Energy conservation and energy efficiency are the two utmost needs of our time. While our commitment to conserve energy will lead to lesser consumption of energy, on the other hand, commitment to achieving energy efficiency involves adopting technologies that will require less energy to perform the same functions.
Energy conservation and energy efficiency are the two utmost needs of our time. While our commitment to conserve energy will lead to lesser consumption of energy, on the other hand, commitment to achieving
energy efficiency involves adopting technologies that will require less energy to perform the same functions.
However, sometimes the goal to conserve energy can be accomplished without involving gadgets or expensive technologies. For example, turning off the light when you are leaving the room, unplugging appliances when they are not in use and walking or cycling instead of driving while one is going to a neighbourhood market. In order to move towards energy conservation and energy efficiency practices, we need to change our behaviors and habits and have to adopt cost effective innovative technologies.
In this regard, education and training can play a vital role in creating a culture of energy conservation and energy efficiency behaviours and habits.
We need to teach people the importance of energy conservation, how to gain more control over their energy bills and how to make sustainable use of Earth’s natural resources.

centigrade. Because of this incredibly stable Earth’s temperature and climatic conditions, human civilisations were able to blossom.The Sustainable Development Goal-7 advocates for investment in energy efficiency and to increase the share of renewable energy by 2030.

Keeping this global target in mind, we have conceptualized an action-based research project to raise awareness of energy conservation among undergraduate college students living in the central suburbs of Mumbai city. The project also focused on how to change their energy consumption behaviors and habits.

About the Action Research Project

The broad objective of the project was to encourage young people to be energy efficient, and to introducing them with
renewable energy source, alongside bringing awareness of the need to adopt new practices for energy conservation. The community-based action research project was carried out in 3 phases with 155 college students from the middleincome socio-economic neighbourhood
of the central Mumbai. The project ran for three months from October 2019 till December 2019 in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mumbai and Tata Power.

The experts from the IIT Mumbai were responsible for providing training to selected students on how to make solarlamps and the experts from Tata Power were invited to educate students about energy conservation and how we can save electricity consumption by changing our habits.
A community-based action project was undertaken to evoke awareness in young students belonging to middle class homes regarding energy conservation. The broad aim of the project was to educate students to be energy efficient and a specific objective was to bring about change in their daily living habits and to become smarter users of energy.

Execution of Project

The protect commenced with a pre-training survey to check the students’ level of knowledge and awareness of energy conservation and to understand their current energy consumption habits and behaviours.
The findings of the survey show that a majority of the students have poor energy consumption behaviours, such as keeping mobile phone on charge for the whole night, or not switching off water heaters, or keeping laptops on when not in use. Hence, an overall insight gained from the survey showed that the majority of the students were not aware of energy conservation measures, and few used renewable sources of energy.
Furthermore, the survey data showed that the majority of the students’ families are paying around INR 1500 to 2000 in monthly power bills. The survey also showed that since most of these students are from modest economic backgrounds, some families also find it difficult to pay these electricity bills.

Phase 1: Orientation for Energy Conservation.

Presentation by Energy Expert

Experts from Tata Powers, India’s leading Integrated power company, were invited as resource persons to inform students about the significance of energy conservation, energy generation processes, world energy use and India’s position in terms of its carbon footprint.

Phase 2: Workshop on Solar Energy Lamps.

1. Making of Solar Lamps

The Solar lamp making project was executed by the experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mumbai. They trained  tudents in how to make solar lamps to harness renewable solar energy. The students were provided with solar lamp kits for a nominal price and the engineers from the IIT Mumbai trained the students to assemble the kits. The experts explained to the students how to recharge lamps everyday with solar energy. It was advised to use these solar lamps for study purpose at night and there by will help their families both ways:

2. Visits to manufacturers and outlets of Solar Products

The students were also taken to factories and outlet of solar products so that they get direct experience of the available solar products in the market.

Phase-3 Informative learning materials on Energy Conservation Ideas

Phase-3 Informative learning
materials on Energy Conservation
Ideas

In the last phase, students were given informative learning materials in English and Hindi on various energy conservation ideas and rationales for energy conservation. The booklet highlights how some simple steps can make a huge difference and demonstrates how to save energy in everyday live without incurring on additional smart gadgets or at very little marginal cost.

The learning materials covered tips on lighting systems, room air conditioners, and refrigerators:

Lighting Systems

Awareness program on
Energy Conversation Renewable Enrgy
Use
Renewable Energy – the fuel for
Future Economic Development

Room Air Conditioners

Refrigerators

Water Heaters

Microwave Ovens & Electric Kettles

Computers

Conclusion:

The post project survey response showed that exposure to the idea of energy conservation and energy efficient gave the majority of the students a better understanding of the issues. Most of the students also responded that they are using the solar lamp at night. The project has taught students to harness renewable energy in cost effective way for their households. Hence this action-based project and training method can be adopted as a working model:
Renewable energy for ALL by 2030 – Our Commitment To PARIS AGREEMENT
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Mark Freed
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Photography by

Dr. Kuntal Goswami