more-in Pillalamarri village would be the first gram panchayat in the State to shift to all LED street lights thanks to the initiative of the Renewable Energy Development Corporation Limited. As part of implementing new and renewable energy initiatives in the rural areas, TS-REDCO, the designated agency under the Ministry of Power, has installed 470 energy efficient street lamps to replace the conventional ones in this village that takes its name from the eminent Telugu poet Pillalamarri Pina Virabhadrudu. Facilities promoting energy efficiency were taken up earlier in several villages, but a full village programme like this is the first one, say officials. The total cost of the project, taken up on a pilot-basis in the village is ?20.94 lakh. Speaking to the The Hindu, REDCO General Manager G.S.V. Prasad says savings from energy consumption and bill payments were seen to be 55 % more than the existing conventional 50W lamps. “The 20W and 40W LED lamps at the same operation of 11 hours per day for 365 days consumes 38,544 kWh and costs ?2,35,118, whereas consumption by conventional ones is 86,323 kWh and costs about ?5.25 lakh, more than twice,” he explains. The installed lamps come with an added advantage of five year warranty and free maintenance. Unlike in some municipalities, where LED street lamps glow even in the day for lack of monitoring, the Pillalamarri installation is with a dedicated 3rd wire for remote switching of the lights. The village that is some 130 kms from Hyderabad, has religio-cultural significance, it was adopted by Minister for Energy and SC Development G. Jagadish Reddy for its development.

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