Kerala CM lays stone for Energy Management Institute

The State capital is also set to become a major hub of energy conservation activities in the future with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy laying the foundation stone for the State’s first Energy Management Institute at Sreekariyam on Monday.

 A project of the Energy Management Centre (EMC), a government agency that coordinates energy conservation activities in Kerala, the institute will serve as a centre for academics, training, research and development, testing, and as information centre for all activities related to energy conservation.

 The institute is coming up on the EMC campus at Chavadimukku, Sreekariyam. Phase I, which involves the construction of a 33,000 square feet building that complies with the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC), will be completed in a year. The design for the building is being prepared by PRN Associates, Chennai, EMC director K M Dhareshan Unnithan said.

 ‘’In Phase II, we plan to increase the infrastructure to 66,000 square feet. The total project cost is ` 9.5 crore. For phase I, the Centre is putting in ` 2 crore and the State Government, ` 4.5 crore,’’ he said.

 According to him, such an institute will gain in significance with ‘Energy Managers’ set to become a permanent feature in the industrial sector.  ‘’Already, industries that come under the purview of the Energy Conservation Act have energy managers. In future, HT/EHT industries in the states will have such officers. The institute can train them and help industries adopt the latest conservation technologies,’’ he said.

The institute will offer certificate and PG courses in energy-related subjects and will have a dedicated R&D wing in place. Another salient feature will be a certification and testing lab for energy-efficient appliances. Virtual classrooms for schools are also in the pipeline.

 For children, the institute will have a number of facilities, including a theatre where film shows on how various types of power projects work will be screened.

 Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed, Mayor K Chandrika and EMC officials were present on the occasion.