Energetica India Magazine January-February 2021

Specifically, here are three steps to generate demand for electricity among potential rural customers: 1. Awareness generation among po- tential and existing users Raising awareness through an effec- tive mode of communication, with a tailor-made strategy for individuals, households, and the community will be a key step to generating demand. They can be made aware of the complete cycle of bill generation, the reason for fluctuation in the bills. They should also be made aware of the tariff pattern, and user-friendly grievance redressal mech- anism. Today, communicationhas evolved from sporadic awareness-raising in- formation, education, and commu- nication (IEC) activities to strategic, evidence-based behaviour change communication (BCC) strategies. The change has come about with the real- ization that socio-cultural and gender norms influence individual behaviour and the need to mobilize communities in support of recommended behaviours is imperative to achieve this objective. For mini-grid projects, the ESCOs need to design a communication strategy that targets individuals, households, and the community separately so that behaviour changes can be stimulated. 2. Target underserved but high de - mand regions/communities Targeting a high demand area is critical for generating adequate demand. A ro- bust site selection framework should be able to estimate the potential demand of the village as well as provide inputs to the demand generation strategy. The critical factor for the success of any so- lar mini-grid is its reliability in meeting consumer demand cost-effectively. At the core of the framework is the genera- tion of electricity demand to ensure that the mini-grid is sustainable, scalable, and attractive for an ESCO. 3. Demand enhancement through en - ergy efficient appliances The targeting basic lighting and con- version and expansion of commercial motors helps ESCO achieve 30%-35% of the targeted load to make the solar mini-grid sustainable. An additional 5%-10% increase in utilization can be achieved through energy-efficient ap - pliances. Meeting the energy needs of such appliances can contribute up to 40 to 45% of the total demand for elec- tricity of the mini-grid and hence is quite essential. The introduction of energy-ef- ficient appliances (EEAs) creates nu - merous additional benefits for both the consumers as well the ESCO, and this is detailed in subsequent sections. After 100 percent electrification, India needs to simultaneously work on the demand generation in the underserved areas and economic social develop- ment of our rural villages, as both will depend on each other. Mini-grids can play a significant role in creating de - mand as power reliability is guaran- teed, and help India achieve the goal of becoming a USD 5 trillion economy by 2025. 39 energetica INDIA- Jan-Feb_2021 SOLAR POWER