- EESL says that these ACs are 50 per cent more efficient than BEE 3-star ACs
- The company has also forayed into the e-commerce space in India
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of four public sector enterprises under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, today announced the commencement of sale of the first-of-its-kind, air conditioners, for consumers in Delhi. Manufactured by Voltas, these 1.5 TR inverter split super-efficient ACs are available at a price of Rs 41,300 including GST. EESL said that these prices are 30 per cent lesser than the retail prices of BEE 5-Star ACs, and comparable to the BEE 3-star ACs, available in the market.
Saurabh Kumar, MD, EESL said, “India needs cooling that is much more sustainable and affordable than the options currently available in the market. The super-efficient air conditioners are the way forward and provide a viable avenue for combating the rising threat of global warming. These super-efficient ACs are a highly effective way to address India’s ambitious climate goals and will be a key driver for the National Cooling Action Plan. We envisage a pan-India expansion of this programme, in a bid to extend the benefits of energy efficiency to every household in the country.”
50,000 ACs in first phase
In the first phase, 50,000 ACs will be available for consumers of BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (Tata Power-DDL), on a first come, first served basis, through EESL’s dedicated online portal – EESLmart website. Interestingly, this is also the first time that EESL has stepped into the e-commerce game in the country.
EESL’s official statement read “These ACs will be sold through the portal, EESLmart.in, which marks EESL’s foray into e-commerce, in order to enhance the entire consumer experience and enable access to state-of-the-art technology with just a click on the mouse or a tap on their smartphones. Along with significant savings, EESL is also offering a hassle-free service experience, comprising complaint redressal support during the life of the programme, attractive EMI options through selective banks, and a buyback option for customers looking to upgrade their AC.”
S. P. Garnaik, chief general manager (Technical), EESL said, “Besides promoting energy efficiency, this programme will also help in reducing the peak power demand in Delhi, enabling EESL and the partner DISCOMs to harness synergies and promote energy security and sustainability. This programme will not only be the first of its kind in India, but also create a roadmap for other municipalities and electrical utilities to emulate in bringing substantial benefit to the nation. Through this programme, EESL not only intends to leapfrog the current energy efficiency levels in the Indian air conditioner market but also promote the use of low GWP refrigerants as envisaged in the Indian Cooling Action Plan (ICAP).”
Saving electricity PAN India
EESL expects that deploying 50,000 ACs would save 145.5 million kWh (i.e. about Rs 120 crore per annum) of electricity per year mitigating around 1,20,000 t CO2 annually. The approximate investment for this project would be around Rs 190 crore and will be partially supported by a grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Additionally, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing necessary grant support and loan, with United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) providing technical assistance.
Venkatesh Dwivedi, director (Projects), EESL said, “These Super-Efficient ACs, along with being gamechangers in achieving India’s climate goals, will also add significant value to the lives of the consumers, by ushering in considerable savings in their electricity bills. Furthermore, through this programme, we will deliver superior customer experience, through our agile complaint redressal support, buyback options and attractive payment schemes.”
Once this pilot programme (of 50,000 SEAC) is successfully completed, EESL plans to launch this as a National Programme from the next season. We aim to deploy about 2,00,000 SEACs in the next one year through innovative business models targeting focus cities and institutional consumers on PAN India basis. EESL will explore opportunities to engage utilities, institutions, commercial / industrial establishments etc. for demand aggregation and scaling-up of this programme.
