Huge surge in demand for energy auditing subsidy

Coimbatore: The district industries centre (DIC), Coimbatore, has received 43 applications from MSMEs for energy audit subsidies under the Promotion of Energy Audit and Conservation of Energy (Peace) scheme this year.
Of this, 13 applications have been filed and four of them have been given subsidies, officials said.
This was higher than last year, when only nine MSME units had filed and got the subsidy.
The ‘Peace’ scheme offers MSMEs 50% of the cost or Rs 75,000 as subsidy to conduct detailed energy audit. If the unit implements suggestions put forth by the energy auditing committee and shows 15% energy savings, they are eligible for getting 25% of the cost of the components or Rs 2lakh as subsidy.
General manager of DIC, Coimbatore, B Karthigaivasan said their target for the Peace scheme this year was to give subsidies to 60 MSME units and the target subsidy amount was Rs 30lakh. So far this year, Rs 1.7lakh has been given as subsidy for four units and nine subsidy applications were under process, he said. A total of 30 applications would be processed and filed soon, he said. “We eye to cross the target this year,” he said.
The DIC along with Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Micro Enterprises (TACT) had conducted two awareness programmes on the Peace scheme at Velandipalayam and Ondipudur in the past weeks in the district.
District president of TACT J James said around 120 micro enterprise owners participated in each of the sessions. “Micro industrialists have said they would conduct energy audits at their units. A total of 17 people from both places have shown interest to apply for subsidy under the scheme,” he said.
He said based on how these units save energy and subsequently expenses, others too might take up energy auditing.