Does Xera Tech provide energy audit services for municipalities?

Yes. Xera Tech's technical team conducts street light energy audits for gram panchayats and small municipalities in Maharashtra. The service includes field data collection, lux measurement, baseline calculation, savings analysis, and a technical specification document suitable for use as a municipal project DPR. This service is provided at no charge for projects of 100+ lights where Xera Tech is being considered as the upgrade supplier.

How long does a street light energy audit take for a town of 5,000 households?

For a town with approximately 500–800 street lights: 2 days of field work (day for inventory, night for operational status check) + 1 day for lux measurements on sample roads + 2 days for data analysis and report preparation. A team of 2 field technicians and 1 engineer. Total: 5 working days for a professional audit.

Can energy savings be certified for ESCert generation under the PAT scheme?

For municipalities covered under PAT (Perform, Achieve and Trade) - typically those with energy consumption above 45,000 TOE/year - LED street light upgrade energy savings can be quantified and certified for ESCert generation. The audit methodology must follow BEE's M&V (Measurement and Verification) protocol. Engage a BEE-empanelled energy auditor for PAT-eligible projects.

LED Street Light Energy Audit - How to Audit and Upgrade Your City

What an Energy Audit Measures

A street light energy audit collects: inventory - total number of lights, lamp type, wattage, burning hours per day, and age of each fitting. Electricity consumption - actual units consumed per month from electricity bills versus calculated consumption. Operating conditions - are all lights actually working? What percentage are dark at any given time? Physical condition - fixture housings, poles, cables - what needs replacement regardless of lamp type? Lux levels - are current lights actually meeting IS 1944 standards for their road category? This data tells you: current baseline energy cost, the gap between current and target lux, and the savings potential from LED upgrade.

Field Data Collection Procedure

Step 1: Create a spreadsheet with columns: pole ID, GPS location, road name, lamp type, rated wattage, hours of operation per night, operational status (working/dark/damaged). Step 2: Night audit - walk or drive the road at 11pm and record which lights are working, which are dark, and which are visibly damaged. A 10% dark rate is typical for older systems. Step 3: Lux measurement - use a lux meter at the road midpoint between poles at 0.85m height. Record measured lux and compare to IS 1944 category target. Step 4: Electricity bill analysis - calculate actual units/month from MSEDCL bill, compare with calculated consumption (total watts × burning hours × days). Discrepancy indicates theft, metering error, or incorrect billing.

Calculating Baseline and Savings Potential

Baseline calculation: total annual consumption (kWh) = Σ (wattage × burning hours/day × 365) for all lights. Annualise from electricity bills for comparison. Savings potential from LED upgrade: replacement ratio (watts saved per point) × number of points × burning hours × 365 × electricity rate. Example: 500 × 250W sodium lights, 10h/night, ₹7/unit. Baseline: 500 × 250W × 10 × 365 = 456,250 kWh/year = ₹31.9 lakh/year. After upgrade to 100W LED: 182,500 kWh/year = ₹12.8 lakh/year. Annual saving: ₹19.1 lakh. Investment: 500 × ₹8,000 = ₹40 lakh. Payback: 2.1 years.

Audit Report Format for Municipal Officials

A professional energy audit report for a municipality should include: Executive Summary (1 page): current baseline, savings potential, investment required, payback period. Inventory Table: all poles, lamp types, and wattages. Energy Baseline: calculated and billed consumption comparison. Lux Compliance: percentage of roads meeting IS 1944 requirements. Upgrade Roadmap: priority order for replacing (highest savings first). Financial Analysis: NPV, IRR, and payback at various electricity rate assumptions. Technical Specification: the recommended LED specification for each road category. This report forms the DPR (Detailed Project Report) for obtaining municipal council approval and funding.