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This proposal was moved to: Shifting Attitudes & Behavior 2015

Pitch

Reduce your electrical energy consumption, carbon footprint and also your expenditure through the minimize calculator tool/application.


Description

Summary

The minimize calculator provides tools and resources that help identify and implement behavioral changes, technology solutions, and re-thought consumption habits to decrease the electricity consumption as much as possible, thus reducing one’s carbon footprint. The tools help in taking individual responsibility and leading by example.

The procedure used to calculate your Carbon Footprint complies with the Guidelines (2006) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes (IPCC), for National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Inventories.  As of now, India-specific GHG emissions coefficients are used in the calculations. In instances where India-specific coefficients are not established by the Indian research community, default global values provided in the IPCC Guidelines have been used.


What actions do you propose?

cBalance Solutions has already created an India specific tool and has the expertise to create a sustainability alternative tool catering specifically to the electrical appliances manufactured/produced in any city in the world.

The tool will be created by identifying solutions, programs, projects, technologies, and implementation partners and evaluating these resources for their availability, applicability and demonstrated efficacy. The tool consists of three broad categories;

  • Realise - Measure, analyse & monitor your carbon footprint
  • Minimise - Adopt measures to reduce your carbon footprint
  • Neutralise - offset your carbon footprint by helping others minimise.

The minimize tool & app will help the residents use their electrical appliances such as; air conditioners, refrigerators, fans, bulbs, water heaters, television etc. more efficiently in terms of energy consumed and hence save on electricity and costs.

Once the residents have measured their carbon footprint w.r.t the daily usage of electrical appliances it will set a bench mark for further reduction of electricity usage and GHG emissions. Through the minimize feature of the tool they can take measures to reduce their footprint.

This can be achieved by upgrading to more energy efficient appliances by realizing the annual cost savings involved in replacing their faulty electricity guzzling appliances. They can measure their before and after (using the tool) and, annual savings and GHG emissions mitigated will be calculated by the tool displayed accordingly.

Cost savings would give them an incentive to further reduce their electricity usage by using the minimize tool and taking an informed choice by adopting energy efficient appliances of higher star ratings which have a higher capital cost but have a higher cost saving potential in the long run. Accurate cost savings per annum will be tabulated by the minimize calculator, hence providing a solution for the region’s electricity problems and aligning residents towards the goals of the National Energy Policy.

3 residential societies will be selected for the project from 3 different strata of society i.e.  upper middle class, middle class and lower income group  interested in experimenting with the minimize tool.  Hence, the project will develop a model only for these closed set of households. These residents will have access to the sustainability alternatives tool for one year either by accessing the no2CO2 website or by downloading the minimize application on their google phones.

Accurate electricity savings per annum can be tabulated from each category and integrated to calculating national level savings along with future predictions of energy usage.

How does the tool work?

The tool will be developed in two variant which are:

  1. Web based Tool – People can use the web based tool through web portal. In that tool the input information would be required as baseline scenario and then after we can choose various interventions/technologies which are best in class to compare with baseline scenario. As result, the tool will provide the potential savings of electrical energy, carbon footprint and operational cost savings. Internet connection will be required to access the web based tool.
  2. Mobile Application for Android, iOS, and Window based operating systems – The tool can be used as an application through mobile. There will be three type of version of minimize application according to compatibility of operating system of mobile. People can install the minimize application in their mobile and they can use it. There will be no requirement of internet connection to use the minimize application through mobile. In the minimize application the input information would be required as baseline scenario and then after we can choose various interventions/technologies which are best in class to compare with baseline scenario. As result, the minimize application will provide the potential savings of electrical energy, carbon footprint and operational cost savings.


Who will take these actions?

  • cBalance Solutions Pvt. Ltd. along with its local partners
  • Residents of residential societies chosen for the pilot


Where will these actions be taken?

3 residential societies will be selected for the project from 3 different strata of society i.e.  upper middle class, middle class and lower income group from any developing country interested in experimenting with the minimize tool.


How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?

The minimize calculator app is designed to display the amount of emissions reduced by shifting to energy efficient appliances, significantly reduce GHG emissions.


What are other key benefits?

  • Create knowledge on energy consumption of different electrical appliances.
  • Reduce power shortages by using lesser amount of power from the grid
  • Reduce CO2 emissions by cost saving incentives to reduce consumption and to shift to energy efficient appliances
  • Induce behavioral shifts to more energy awareness and energy efficiency.


What are the proposal’s costs?

Sustainability Tool Development Steps            Cost in Dollar ($)

Research Support                                                         45,000

Backend Development                                                  30,000

Graphics  Designing                                                      10,000

IT Framework Development                                          40,000

Testing & Publication                                                     20,000

IT Equipments                                                               7,813

Maintenance cost (for 2 years)                                     7,813

Admin and Finance Officer                                           70,000

Total Cost ($)                                                              230,626

Note: Office infrastructure, travelling and other admin operations costs are not included in the above estimated cost.


Time line

Sustainability Tool Development Steps                    No. of Months

Research Support & Data Collection                                      3

Backend Development                                                            3

Graphics  Design                                                                    2

IT Framework Development                                                   4

Testing & Publication                                                              2

Total Duration (no. of months)                                          14


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References