Govt plans nationwide switch to energy-efficient DC fans

The federal government is set to launch a nationwide initiative to replace inefficient alternating current (AC) fans with more energy-efficient direct current (DC) fans, according to a news report.  

The initiative, which will be funded by commercial banks, will offer consumers loans to replace their old AC fans, with repayments made through electricity bills.

Dr. Fakhray Alam Irfan, Secretary of Power, announced the initiative during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Power, chaired by Muhammad Idrees. 

He explained that major fan manufacturers have been in talks with the National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NEECA), resulting in a shift from AC to DC fan production by many large manufacturers. 

Dr. Irfan emphasized that the program would be launched within the current financial year, with plans for it to reduce electricity consumption by up to 5,000 MW.

The potential savings from switching to DC fans is significant, given that AC fans currently consume 388 million units of electricity annually, costing $25 million. The government’s efforts to replace these fans with energy-efficient models aim to alleviate pressure on the national grid while cutting down on power generation needs.

The meeting also focused on other energy conservation measures. The Power Minister highlighted efforts to enforce energy-saving building codes across public sector organizations and urged provincial governments to adopt these codes. A target to save $6.4 billion annually by 2030 through the implementation of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) was also discussed.

The committee also addressed issues related to electricity theft and faulty meters in Islamabad, as well as discrepancies in recovery and losses at the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SEPCO).

The committee also discussed the provision of additional electricity supply to K-Electric, which will increase from 900 MW to 1,600 MW in the near future. This increase is expected to reduce the government’s financial burden on subsidies.