IoT to be implemented in all districts of AP

Vijayawada: The state government is going to launch Internet of Things (IoT) pilot project in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) in all districts to study energy efficiency measures with the support of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Government of India.

With the success of initial pilot project in a MSME unit in East Godavari, which was first of its kind in the country, the Union Ministry of Power led BEE has agreed and sanctioned funds to extend the IoT pilot project to all districts in Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh State Energy Conservation Mission(APSECM) in coordination with State industries department will take up the project in 5 MSME units in each district.

This will help MSMEs to improve energy performance, energy savings, competitiveness, productivity and identify the scope for introducing latest energy efficiency technologies in the place of existing obsolete or inefficient technologies.

According to officials, the BEE was impressed by the sustainable efforts of State to improve energy performance in MSME sector and responded to the proposal of APSECM to implement IoT pilot project in selected MSMEs across the State. The BEE has immediately sanctioned the pilot projects for all 13 districts along with funding support within a record period of 24 hours.

When the secretary, energy N Srikanth has informed the chief secretary and chairman of APSECM Nilam Sawhney about the quick response of BEE, the chief secretary said, "Well done BEE. Under the pilot project, IoT enabled power control devices would be installed to examine energy efficiency measures in various kinds of small and medium industries.

The initial pilot project that was taken up in M/sPadma ceramics in East Godavari district yielded excellent results. It was observed that the IoT device would help to avoid energy of around 11000 units per annum in the whole cluster with annual monetary benefit of Rs80,000. The device supports real-time monitoring of various electrical parameters and gives information on voltage fluctuations continuously through mobile phone communication which would help MSME's owner to take immediate steps to save energy and ensure safety of machines.

The State has identified around 19 sectors in MSMEs and founded huge opportunities for energy efficiency in MSMEs. Many energy intensive sectors such as foundry and forgings, glass and ceramics, brick, textile, dairy and food processing etc., are having obsolete technologies that causes more energy consumption.

The AP DISCOMs estimated that the MSME sector has energy saving potential of around 400 MU per annum at the rate of at least 10 per cent energy savings out of total consumption of 5125 million kilo volt ampere hour (KVAH) in MSMEs in the State.