Energy conservation measures taken by the Golden Rock Railway Workshop here has resulted in saving of 10 lakh units of electrical energy over the past three-and-half years. The financial saving owing to the sustained measures works out to a little over Rs.52 lakhs.
In addition to carrying out periodic overhaul of diesel locomotives and passenger coaches, the over 80-year-old nodal workshop of the Indian Railway is simultaneously involved in manufacturing container wagons and steam locomotives.
It has exported over 125 metre gauge diesel engines to various developing countries after carrying out necessary modifications in them.
T-5 28 watt lamps
A thrust to energy conservation measures was given from 2008-09 fiscal with the workshop installing energy savers separately for lighting and welding plants and switching over to T-5 28 watt fluorescent lights replacing the incandescent lamps during the past three years.
A senior workshop official here said 89 energy savers for welding plants; 30 energy savers for air-conditioned plants and nine energy savers for lighting had been installed till now besides putting in place as many as 1,325 energy efficient T-5 28 watt lights within the sprawling workshop, which has 30 shops inside.
The workshop has decided to install 65 more energy savers for welding plants and 30 more energy savers for lighting during the current fiscal. Plans were also afoot to install 650 more T-5 28 watt lamps this year, the official said.
Notwithstanding the 16 per cent increase in out turn of cylinder liners – a crucial component in a diesel locomotive- the overall energy saving in the current fiscal up to November was 1.36 lakh unit, the official said adding that the workshop had invested Rs.45 lakhs over the past three years towards energy conservation.
These measures, the official said, would continue to yield positive results for the workshop, which had bagged the Green Shield Award instituted by the Southern Railway for three consecutive years.
Personnel from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and Union Ministry of Power had conducted a technical audit at the workshop a few months ago to ensure that the organisation maintained energy conservation measures.
The Chief Workshop Manager's office was awarded four-star rating by the BEE, a statutory body, in 2010 for achieving energy efficiency. The official said the workshop was working towards achieving five-star rating.
