Promotion of Electric Cooking in Chandigarh: MECS Workshop 2024
Despite lacking its own generation capacity, the Union Territory (UT) of Chandigarh meets its power needs primarily through allocations from central generating stations. The management of energy and peak demand in Chandigarh has been effective, with no observed shortages in recent years. The UT administration receives 220 MW of power from various sources, with 47% from Mohali (PSPCL), 5% from Dhulkote (BBMB), and the remaining 48% from Nalagarh. This power is initially routed through the 220kV substation at Kishangarh and Mohali, then distributed through 66kV and 11kV substations, transformers, and finally to households. Currently, Chandigarh receives 345 MW to serve approx. 2.35 lakh consumers. In a recent power consumption study, the peak demand reaching 280 MW around 10 am during summer months and a load increase from 390 MW to 410 MW between 2 pm and 5 pm. As the Electricity Department of the UT Administration of Chandigarh exclusively manages power supply responsibilities, no separate financial accounts are prepared for the electricity business.
The Superintending Engineer Electrical Circle, Chandigarh notified as the state designated agency (SDA) to coordinate, regulate and enforce provisions of the EC Act within the State of Chandigarh. Chandigarh area spread across 114-sq km with around 2.3 lakh consumers is estimated to have about 1,600 MW in annual electricity sales. Chandigarh, a union territory, has one of the country’s highest per capita incomes. Further, more than 87 per cent of the total consumers are domestic consumers; the remaining are commercial, small power, medium supply, large supply consumers, among others.
The Chandigarh administration has bagged the prestigious first prize in Group 4 category of State Energy Efficiency Index 2023, developed by BEE for the second year in a row for its strong commitment to eco- friendly practices for a more energy conscious future. As per India’s commitment made during COP26, India has successfully attained the goal of having renewable energy account for 40% of its installed electricity capacity and is positioned as the fourth-largest country globally in terms of solar installed capacity. In India, the adoption of solar energy is driving the expansion of energy solutions for households and agriculture. Having already ensured access to clean cooking energy through LPG for over 90 million households in both phases, the focus has now shifted towards promoting solar cooktops as a modern, environmentally-friendly solution for cooking. During the recent India Energy Week 2023, the esteemed Prime Minister announced an ambitious target of providing 30 million households with access to solar cooktops within the next 2-3 years. This initiative is set to revolutionize Indian kitchens and contribute to a greener future.
Affordability is a key factor responsible for the slow adoption of clean cooking solutions (both for CAPEX and OPEX), and there needs to be a focus on reducing both initial and recurring costs. Subsidy, Innovative Business model coupled with carbon financing can play a significant role in promoting and adopting clean cooking solutions due to its health, environmental, and social benefits. The recent surge in carbon prices also makes carbon financing an attractive source of financing for cookstove projects. The convergence of Carbon, Digitalization, and Energy (C-DEC) is taking place in the modern energy-based cooking sector. Gold Standard has developed a new ‘metered methodology’ to ensure sound methodologies, realistic parameters, and conservative assumptions while using digital measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) data. By improving the parameters for clean cooking carbon projects, credits with higher integrity can drive better technologies and incentives for sustained use.
Further, moving to solar and electricity as energy options for cooking could offer a workable option as India is endowed with vast solar energy potential. This will, however, be a longer-term transition as India further improves its electricity penetration, especially in rural areas, and the share of renewable in the grid. The Green Shift report notes that to transition at a rapid pace, Electric cooking needs to be promoted through campaigns. Wherever possible at least 50% of the cooking should be done through electricity. To further the net-zero ambitions, equipment like Solar stoves (Surya Nutan) and Concentrated Solar- Thermal Power (CSP) Cookers need to be adopted on a commercial stage.
To enable the shift towards Modern Energy for Cooking, awareness creation, user sensitization, and technology demonstration is central. For enabling a behavioral shift, both being aware and being able to experience the technology firsthand is important. These consumer awareness initiatives would help the end consumers and the institutional segments to get exposure to an array of green cooking solutions available and understand their benefits on health, environment, cost savings, ease of use etc. This would help the consumers make an informed choice in the wake of rising prices of the current LPGbased cooking energy. Further, this would also open up multiple new livelihood opportunities through engaging local and grassroots organizations.
To promote awareness and a practical understanding of electric cooking, MECS in India, along with Superintending Engineer Electrical Circle, Chandigarh in association with Bureau of energy Efficiency organized a day long in-person Workshop on Promotion of Electric Cooking in Chandigarh on 5th March 2024.
The workshop saw 120 participants+ including Aaganwadi employees, Midday meals employees, representatives from RWA societies, college students, teachers. Notably the workshop saw huge no. of women participation. The session was inaugurated by Dr Nick Rousseau, International Liaison Manager, MECS Programme & Shri Ranjit Singh, Superintendent Engineer, Head of Chandigarh SDA. Other notable dignitaries of SDA Chandigarh Electrical circle & Bureau of Energy Efficiency (ऊर्जा दक्षता ब्यूरो) also joined in the Inaugural panel.
The first technical session in workshop on ‘Scale up of E-Cooking in Chandigarh’ was graced by esteemed speakers from Research, Finance & Banking sector. The session was moderated by Prof. Debajit Palit, PhD, NTPC School of Business & panelists; Dr Parveen Dhamija, Adviser, Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ) , Shri Girja Shankar Charan, GM, Energy Efficiency Services Limited, Shri Krishna Kumar Sinha, Advisor, Finovista, Dr Kunwar Pal Scientist, Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Bio-Energy, Manoj Lakhanpal, CM, UCO Bank Chandigarh; expressed their views on scaling up of eCooking in Chandigarh.
Shri Vimal Kumar, Cofounder, Finovista & In-country Lead, MECS programme presented a descriptive presentation on eCooking scenario in India & Globally.
The second technical session on ‘E-Cooking Opportunity for the Chandigarh UT’ saw speakers from Hotel Association, Chef Federation, & Equipment’s Manufacturing sectors. The session was moderated by Dr Suman Mor Professor, Panjab University, Chandigarh & speakers; Shri Soumitra Chakraborty, CGM, Marketing Strategy Indian Oil Corp Limited, Shri Manmohan Singh, President, Hotel Association of Chandigarh, Chef Vikas Chawla, Chef and Ambassador of Millets, Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA), Chef Sanjeev Verma, Chef cum Partner, Pashtun Restaurant, Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA), Shri Umesh Vishwa, Smith Innovative Appliances Pvt Ltd; gave their valuable opinions on opportunities relating to eCooking in Chandigarh.
In the sidelines of workshop, eCooking technology showcase was also organized there. Original Equipment’s Manufactures of eCooking devices like Indian Oil Corp Limited, TTK Prestige Ltd, Clearline Appliances Limited, Smith Innovative Appliances Private Limited, & HQ Lamps Manufacturing Co. Private Limited showcased their eCooking solutions & interacted with participants, dignitaries.