New Delhi: The first edition of the International Symposium to Promote Innovation & Research in Energy Efficiency (INSPIRE 2017) was kicked off in Jaipur today. The five-day symposium is being organized by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) in partnership with The World Bank, and Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE).
INSPIRE 2017 is an International Conference that brings together various stakeholders such as policy makers, innovators, financiers, influencers to showcase best practices in the sector. It provides a platform for energy efficiency community to discuss energy efficiency policies, market transformation strategies, emerging technologies, delivery and business-model driven transformations. The event is further designed to provide global and national thought-leaders and implementers to expand perspectives on energy efficiency and spur ideas and solutions that will help leverage the full potential of energy efficiency and bring its multiple co-benefits to the fore.
The highlight of the symposium is the high-level deliberations driven by policy makers and experts from Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), The World Bank Group, The Energy Institute (TERI), International Energy Agency (IEA), Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), USA and representatives of the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) – a high-level global forum to promote policies and programmes that advance clean energy technology.
Several global organizations like the Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, International Finance Corporation, The World Bank, International Energy Agency, International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation, Clean Energy Ministerial, Copenhagen Center on Energy Efficiency, GIZ, will also share their perspectives at INSPIRE.
Dr. John Roome, Senior Director, The World Bank Group while expressing concern on mitigating climate change said that India is the third largest energy consumer in the world. In India, the World Bank is proud to be partnering with EESL on a major $300 million programme, which is a long term low cost loan. This builds on our ongoing engagements with EESL and other agencies. The next five years will be critical for if we want a world that we would like our children to live in. And bold action on Energy Efficiency will be a key part of that action.
Shri Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director, EESL said that INSPIRE 2017 intends to create a platform for deliberations and sharing of best practices around energy efficiency policy solutions, high-impact research, innovative financing and implementation that are driving large scale market transformations in India and across the globe. The event has brought together over 350 participants from 13 countries across North America, Asia, Europe and Middle East.
During the inaugural session, a mobile app for EESL’s various programmes was launched. This app will allow consumers to connect with the organisation for its various programmes, lodge complaints and track real time complaint status. Further, citizens can now access the real-time status of Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) dashboard at state, district and Urban Local Body (ULB) levels across the country.
On the occasion, Shri Ashok Jain, Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan said that focused initiatives and commitments in green energy are evident in our times. Energy efficiency will be the key in mitigation of climate challenge. India’s unified action plan for climate change outlines many steps which simultaneously advance India’s development and climate change-related objectives. Rajasthan has large industries in cement and textile sectors. Under the PAT scheme, the designated industrial consumers were given targets, of which 58, in the first cycle, overachieved these targets. This demonstrates the due significance the State of Rajasthan gives to energy efficiency.
Shri Abhay Bakre, Director General, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, said that INSPIRE is very crucial at this juncture. This 5-day conference will cover all the questions in the field of energy efficiency, ideate and discuss on the topic for solutions.
Through an innovative market-led approach towards energy efficiency, India has charted its progress towards being a low-carbon economy, through implementation of large scale zero subsidy initiatives like Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA), Street lighting National Programme, Electric vehicles, Smart Meter programme, Solar Rooftop projects etc.
