Explainer / UJALA completes 7 years

Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) scheme has completed seven years since its launch in 2015. The ministry of power launched the scheme on January 5, 2015.

What is UJALA scheme?

• Energy efficiency assumes significance for the nation in the current environment of shortages and concerns over climate change. Lighting itself accounts for about 20 per cent of the total electricity consumption in India. 

• Most of the lighting needs in domestic and public sector are met by conventional lights, including highly inefficient incandescent bulbs in the domestic sector. LEDs provide better light output than conventional lights and are 88 per cent energy efficient as compared to incandescent bulbs. LED lights are 50 per cent energy efficient as compared to CFLs.

• Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) was launched on January 5, 2015. 

• It is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the ministry of power.

• In a short span, the programme has evolved to be the world’s largest zero subsidy domestic lighting programme that addresses concerns like high electrification cost and high emissions that result from inefficient lighting.

• Under UJALA, EESL has distributed over 36.78 crore LED bulbs across India.

• According to the ministry, 47,778 million kWh per annum energy has been saved. 9,565 MW of peak demand has been avoided, along with 3.86 crore tonnes of reduction in CO2 emissions.

• UJALA has brought a market transformation in the energy efficiency sector. The switch from inefficient incandescent bulbs to LEDs is helping families reduce their electricity bills while also enabling them to access better brightness in homes. 

• With UJALA, the cost of LED bulb has come by down by 85 per cent. This, in turn has led to a much larger pool of bidders, enhanced quality of the product and availability of better specifications for the consumers.

• It provides an impetus to the domestic lighting industry. The domestic manufacturing of LED bulbs has increased from 1 lakh per month to 40 million per month.

Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)

• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is a Super Energy Service Company (ESCO), which enables consumers, industries and governments to effectively manage their energy needs through energy efficient technologies. 

• EESL is implementing the world’s largest energy efficiency portfolio across sectors like lighting, buildings, electric mobility, smart metering, agriculture, etc at a scale which no organisation has been able to achieve.

• Founded in 2009, EESL is promoted by the ministry of power as a Joint Venture of four reputed public- sector undertakings NTPC Limited, Power Finance Corporation Limited, REC Limited and POWERGRID Corporation of India Limited.

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