184
5 Fourth Industrial Revolution and India
iv. Total energy required for 4 persons (an average Indian family size) = 1.1 × 4
= 4.5 kilowatt-hour.
v. Total energy required by a family for four months = 4.5 × 120 = 540 kilowatthour.
vi. Total carbon dioxide released by a family = 540 × 0.19 = 102.6 kilogram.
102.6 kilogram carbon di oxide is a conservative estimate as more than 60%
population of India resides in rural areas and uses biomass-based fuel that will escalate CO 2 release exponentially. Instead of using electricity or wood, if majority of
us decide to use solar water heaters then the emission level can be brought down
considerably. This is just one instance of lowering emission level. Adopting energysaving technologies and products and changing consumption behavior and lifestyle
will go a long way in not only reducing emission but reducing cost of energy as well.
One of India’s remarkable energy-saving accomplishment has been shift from
incandescent to solar lights. Incandescent bulbs, originated in early nineteenth
century, were lifeline of every household almost till the end last century. Though
inefficient (in current context) and a source of heat radiation, they are cheap and still
popular in rural India. Sometimes during middle of the twentieth century fluorescent tube lights, which used mercury, were introduced that continue to be popular
even today. During the decade of 1990s, halogen bulbs were introduced, which were
more expensive, lasted longer, and gave slightly more illumination per unit of electricity consumed than the conventional incandescent bulb. But these bulbs generated
more heat all of which was wasted. Not highly successful commercially, the halogen
and incandescent bulbs were replaced by compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). Though
more expensive than their contemporaries, the CFL lasted at least ten times longer and
generated four to five times more illumination per unit of electricity. Currently light
emitting diode (LED) bulbs are most popular in India, both rural and urban and one
of the reasons is that the cost of low watt LED has been kept exceptionally low. These
bulbs can last up to 100,000 hours and consume 80% less electricity than conventional incandescent bulbs. In fact, LED bulbs and strip lights have brought down
electricity consumption substantially. A comparison of different lighting devices is
given in Fig. 5.31.
In the same way, emission from transport sector particularly cars and two wheelers
are worse than home emission and varies with the number, average distance traveled per day, type of engine, and quality of fuel used. Public transport and electric
vehicles are the best options under the circumstances (Fig. 5.32) but that may not be
acceptable as vehicle manufacturing and ancillary units employ millions of Indians.
Nonetheless, several Indian cities have introduced mass transit system with great
success. In the short term, three steps are required to curtail emission—limit the
number of personal automobiles to the carrying capacity of each city, incentivize
commuters using electric vehicles and bicycles, and reduce air travel by introducing
high-speed trains in such a manner that total time taken (origin to destination) in
commuting is almost equal.
Some other steps taken by India to overcome energy challenges (Chengappa 2015)
are as follows:
5 Fourth Industrial Revolution and India
iv. Total energy required for 4 persons (an average Indian family size) = 1.1 × 4
= 4.5 kilowatt-hour.
v. Total energy required by a family for four months = 4.5 × 120 = 540 kilowatthour.
vi. Total carbon dioxide released by a family = 540 × 0.19 = 102.6 kilogram.
102.6 kilogram carbon di oxide is a conservative estimate as more than 60%
population of India resides in rural areas and uses biomass-based fuel that will escalate CO 2 release exponentially. Instead of using electricity or wood, if majority of
us decide to use solar water heaters then the emission level can be brought down
considerably. This is just one instance of lowering emission level. Adopting energysaving technologies and products and changing consumption behavior and lifestyle
will go a long way in not only reducing emission but reducing cost of energy as well.
One of India’s remarkable energy-saving accomplishment has been shift from
incandescent to solar lights. Incandescent bulbs, originated in early nineteenth
century, were lifeline of every household almost till the end last century. Though
inefficient (in current context) and a source of heat radiation, they are cheap and still
popular in rural India. Sometimes during middle of the twentieth century fluorescent tube lights, which used mercury, were introduced that continue to be popular
even today. During the decade of 1990s, halogen bulbs were introduced, which were
more expensive, lasted longer, and gave slightly more illumination per unit of electricity consumed than the conventional incandescent bulb. But these bulbs generated
more heat all of which was wasted. Not highly successful commercially, the halogen
and incandescent bulbs were replaced by compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). Though
more expensive than their contemporaries, the CFL lasted at least ten times longer and
generated four to five times more illumination per unit of electricity. Currently light
emitting diode (LED) bulbs are most popular in India, both rural and urban and one
of the reasons is that the cost of low watt LED has been kept exceptionally low. These
bulbs can last up to 100,000 hours and consume 80% less electricity than conventional incandescent bulbs. In fact, LED bulbs and strip lights have brought down
electricity consumption substantially. A comparison of different lighting devices is
given in Fig. 5.31.
In the same way, emission from transport sector particularly cars and two wheelers
are worse than home emission and varies with the number, average distance traveled per day, type of engine, and quality of fuel used. Public transport and electric
vehicles are the best options under the circumstances (Fig. 5.32) but that may not be
acceptable as vehicle manufacturing and ancillary units employ millions of Indians.
Nonetheless, several Indian cities have introduced mass transit system with great
success. In the short term, three steps are required to curtail emission—limit the
number of personal automobiles to the carrying capacity of each city, incentivize
commuters using electric vehicles and bicycles, and reduce air travel by introducing
high-speed trains in such a manner that total time taken (origin to destination) in
commuting is almost equal.
Some other steps taken by India to overcome energy challenges (Chengappa 2015)
are as follows: