2015
project start-up
45,000
low-energy light bulbs installed in Jodhpur
16,000
the annual reduction in tons of equivalent CO2 in Jodhpur
In Jodhpur, the strategy to reduce energy consumption adopted by India has led to a complete overhaul of urban lighting, making it more efficient and economical. There are also benefits for residents.

India’s primary energy consumption has more than doubled since 1990. The country now ranks as the third largest consumer in the world, after China and the USA, and the energy mix is still largely based on coal.

In 2010, the Government adopted a national strategy to develop clean energies and make energy savings, with the aim of reducing environmental impacts and the cost of development. AFD is supporting this transition by assisting EESL, a public energy service company which finances efficiency projects in municipalities. The City of Jodhpur, in the State of Rajasthan, has consequently been able to optimize its lighting and replace its conventional light bulbs with bulbs that are both brighter and more energy-efficient. 

This new lighting has many benefits, firstly for the environment and climate, by significantly reducing the city’s consumption, but also for the living conditions of the residents of Jodhpur: road safety, safety of women in public spaces, new opportunities for street vendors, etc.

Inde, Jodhpur, lights, Chandra
Inde, Jodhpur, Basanti, Chandra
With the lighting, Basanti and her children feel safe
The improvement in lighting makes women and children feel safe. Basanti has been living in Adarsh Colony for years and she points out that life has been different there since the street lighting changed.

“We can now go and sit outside every evening and stay there to talk and drink tea. The children love to play outside and we can now leave them to play because we know they are safe. The lights used to constantly go off. We don’t have this problem any more”.
Inde, Jodhpur, Jai, Chandra
Nothing but benefits for Jai’s trade
“We’ve always been very popular with our clients in this neighborhood, but the installation of new streetlights has made us more visible and so has allowed us, as well as the other shops in the neighborhood, to develop our sales”, Jai Singh, the owner of a tea stand on Pal Balaji Road, is pleased to say.
Inde, Jodhpur, Mohammed, Chandra
Mohammad’s stall sees light
“I’ve become more visible thanks to the new street lighting. I have a permanent place to sell my peanuts and it’s easy for passers-by to see me now. Young children and women come to my stall in the evening, which wasn’t the case before”, says Mohammed, a vendor in the Kheme ka Kua neighborhood.
 Inde, Jodhpur, Kapil, Chandra
Kapil’s maintenance in the spotlight

Kapil is an electrical engineer. He has been working for EESL for 2 years, where he manages a team of 20 people who, day and night, handle the maintenance of the new public lighting facilities. “The maintenance is essential so that people can feel the immediate benefits of the project. We respond quickly to requests and ensure that the residents of Jodhpur benefit from better lighting.”

An innovative model to promote energy efficiency 
Inde, Jodhpur, rue, Chandra
© Yashas Chandra/AFD

In India, despite huge energy-saving potential, most industries, companies and cities had not managed to implement large-scale energy efficiency projects. The reason? They did not have the necessary technical capacities or a sufficient structure to borrow the money required for this type of investment. 
 
With the model of Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) such as EESL, the structure bears the investment costs and handles the maintenance of low-consumption systems for its clients. It is subsequently reimbursed by the client thanks to the energy saved. This innovative model consequently eliminates the financial and technological risk for the client, which facilitates the decision to switch to a lower energy consumption system. 

AFD’s support to EESL also aims to demonstrate the relevance of the ESCO model in the rest of India and support growth in this market.

Sharing expertise, exchanging knowledge
Inde, Jodhpur, vue, Chandra
© Yashas Chandra/AFD

Building on France’s recognized expertise in the field of street lighting, the support provided to EESL by AFD is combined with experience sharing. For example, this gave rise to a study visit to France in September 2015 for EESL employees and Indian senior civil servants. Meetings were organized with the main French public companies working on energy efficiency, local urban entities (Paris and Lyon) and the main international institutions.