Nepali consumers are somewhat used to occasional high voltages during stormy seasons—most have learned to internalize any damages due to high voltage, as if it is a calamity beyond human control. However, some of the more sensitive consumers are starting to get frustrated with the damages and the continuous hassles associated with them and they have decided to change their consumption patterns.A hotel in Chitwan decided to replace all its LEDs with CFLs because the former kept getting damaged due to their limited tolerance for voltage fluctuations. Apart from the regular financial losses, the need to constantly spend time and resources to replace the damaged bulbs and the increased risks of negative public image due to less-than-perfect hotel ambience led the owners to shift to less energy-efficient solutions.
On the flip side, regular low voltage in many parts of Kathmandu has created its own set of problems. Many residential consumers are now experiencing voltages down to even 160 volts, way below the standard range of 220-240 volts. It is not uncommon for utilities to reduce voltage slightly to compensate for high demand during peak hours. Given the huge supply shortage, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is almost always in a state of "high demand", so their decision to drop the voltage slightly is not illogical.
But the range of voltage in which the sole utility is currently operating can cause significant damage to appliances. Typically, motor-based appliances—such as refrigerators, ACs, dryers, and pumps—are considered among those at high risk due to low voltage. Continuous low voltage can cause overheating, which can then damage the motors and the cables. But the problem of continuous low voltage goes beyond just safety of appliances.
Due to worsening load-shedding conditions, Nepal in the last few years had seen a surge in the use of inverters and UPS. But recently, many consumers are starting to complain about how their appliances continue to supply power from the backup systems even after the grid line is on. As a result, the batteries are empty when the power goes out, thus defeating the entire purpose of owning a backup system. Inverters and UPS have a range that they operate within. If the incoming grid voltage is above or below certain level, they revert to a protective setting—to minimize damage to themselves, as well as to the appliances they power. This suggests that the very "go to" option for consumers wanting backup power supply is now under threat.
What can consumers do in such a case of unreliability? Perhaps what the Biratnagar hotel wanted to do—go off-grid. Diesel is a quick and dirty solution to larger consumers, and it is expensive and cannot be sustained for long. Going fully off-grid is thus not an option for most due to its relatively high cost. Solar power has gained quite a bit of popularity as an alternative to grid power in the past decade. Originally, the norm for regular consumers was to go with a near 50-50 grid/solar hybrid charging option, which means the grid and solar each cover 50 percent of the backup demand. Now, as the grid is less reliable, a solution would be to simply increase the share of solar.
In a country like Nepal where the range of quality of products and people selling them is wide, consumers themselves need to be a little smart with their purchases. Instead of going with the cheapest or what they find first, they should really start zooming into whether their purchases can solve their problems. Or, people can start knocking on NEA's doors and convince them to put in more effort to improving reliability and quality, and not just the amount of supply.
The author is Managing Director of Danphe Energy Pvt Ltd, an energy solutions provider
pragyan@danpheenergy.com
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