Eco-friendly LED lights for Mysore Palace
Mysore: In an attempt to reduce energy consumption in Mysore Palace, the authorities concerned have decided to replace high-energy consuming light fittings (not those which illuminate the palace, but those on its premises and surroundings) with energy-saving light-emitting diode (LED) lights.
The Mysore Palace Board came under pressure when Greenpeace launched a ‘Ban the Bulb’ campaign in many countries, including India. There was an argument that compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) would help save a lot of electricity and also reduce the electricity bill by Rs. 41 lakh a year.
Though the investment on LED bulbs is much higher than that on CFLs, the board was not averse for an “one-time investment”.
At a later stage, the 15-watt incandescent bulbs that illuminate the palace may be replaced with LED bulbs to reduce energy consumption and electricity bills, although the Palace Board has not taken any decision in this regard and has not made any commitment on this as yet.
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The board spends Rs. 80 lakh to Rs. 90 lakh every year towards the maintenance of the palace illumination. It approximately pays Rs. 80,000 to the electricity supply company for illuminating the palace for an hour.
The board is expected to save nearly 20,000 units and Rs. 1.5 lakh on the monthly electricity bills by switching over to LED lights. Besides bringing down the annual maintenance, LED lights are eco-friendly and will not contribute to climate change. The work of installing LED lights in the palace surroundings began on Thursday and is expected to be completed before Dasara. As many as 635 light fittings, including ornamental lights and floodlights, on the palace premises will be replaced with LED lights at a cost of Rs. 77 lakh.
Trishul Green Lights, a Bangalore-based manufacturer of LED-based lighting systems, has bagged the contract and its engineers are replacing the energy-consuming lights with LED lights as suggested by the board.
Managing director of Trishul Green Lights S. Nagaraj told The Hindu that about 25 to 30 LED lights, specially manufactured for the palace, would be installed on a given day.
“Each LED light, if used on an average for four hours every day, can last for 50,000 working hours,” Mr. Nagaraj said.
The palace, built in Indo-Sarcenic style, comes alive when it is illuminated with over one lakh specially manufactured incandescent bulbs. The bulbs fixed in a synchronised pattern are switched on at one go, making it a breathtaking sight.
Golden hue
“We need the colour and shade that matches the existing golden hue from incandescent bulbs. No decision has been taken on replacing the 15-watt bulbs with LED lights. If the manufacturers come forward with LED bulbs giving the existing golden effect, the matter will be brought to the notice of the board, the decision-making authority,” said a senior official of the board.
The palace is illuminated for an hour in the evenings on all Sundays, and for half-an-hour on all Saturdays and public holidays.
