ENERGY ALTERNATIVES: RENEWABLE
ENERGY AND ENERGY CONSERVATION
TECHNOLOGIES
Generation of Energy Databases
The elaborate structure of the local government, which goes
down to the village panchayath and its electoral wards can be
effectively used for the generation of useful data. A simple
methodology for obtaining information at both village
panchayath and household levels has been demonstrated in this
study. It may be pointed out that, besides collection of
basic facts and figures, this kind of micro-level survey can
also be used to assess problems and solutions perceived by
local groups. This was particularly true of fuel wood for
which the rapid rate of forest depletion, and not the limited
area under forest, was conceived as a major problem or stress.
This reckoning obviously is a positive factor and needs to be
used effectively by involving representatives of such groups
in the energy planning and development processes at the
grassroots level. The household survey generated extensive
data on energy which provided insights into energy
consumption patterns (communitywise and landholding category-
wise) use of cooking devices, possession of energy appliances,
and the changing trends in energy use in the domestic sector.
These surveys also indicated that the existing system of
local government can be easily mobilised to build an
effective energy information system for planning and
development at the district and local levels without
incurring any significant additional financial burden.