Energy efficiency is the keyword in most industries now, mainly because the State faces severe power shortage and has scheduled and unannounced power cuts for nearly six hours a day. However, awareness on energy efficiency rating in agricultural pumpsets is yet to increase.
Though Coimbatore supplies nearly 40 per cent of agricultural pumpsets in the country, just a handful of manufacturers have gone in for energy efficiency rating.
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) introduced energy efficiency rating for agricultural pumpsets two years ago.
Actual benefit
Though most of the leading pumpset manufacturers here have gone in for the BEE rating, the response from the market is low, according to a leading manufacturer here.
The actual benefit of the BEE rating is yet to reach the manufacturer.
The star-rated energy efficient pumpsets do not attract additional price in the market or demand from consumers.
No enforcement
There is no mandatory enforcement by the State Governments too. A manufacturer will have to spend an additional Rs. 100 to Rs. 150 for each star-rated pumpset to display the details.
But, the customer pays the same price for a BEE-rated and the regular pumpset.
There are not many farmers who come to an outlet and ask specifically for energy efficiency-rated pumpset.
Very few States insist on the BEE rating in agricultural pumpsets.
Thus, there is no cost incentive or encouraging demand from the market, the manufacturer says.
Just about 10 per cent of pumpsets sold by the major companies here have the BEE rating.
This is the option of the manufacturer and is not mandatory now.
K. Maniraj, president of Kovai Power Driven Pumps and Spares Manufacturers' Association, says the association members are micro or small-scale units employing just two to 50 workers each. Only 10 members have the BEE rating.
Many of them follow Bureau of Indian Standards norms and are energy efficient. They do not have the financial resources to spend more to get the BEE rating, he says.
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