New Delhi, January 9, 2015: International Copper Association India (ICA India), in an attempt to proliferate sustainable development in India, conducted a workshop on "Standardisation, Certification & Quality Control of Distribution Transformers". The workshop was conducted in association with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Indian Transformer Manufacturers Association (ITMA) and Indian Electrical & Electronics Manufacturers Association (IEEMA).

The event was inaugurated by Chief Guest M J Joseph; Shri J C Arora, Dy Director General (Standardization), (AG) BIS; Shri K Anbarasu, Dy Director General (Certification), BIS; Shri Vikrant Joshi, Chairman IEEMA Transformer Division; Shri Anil Aggarwal, President, ITMA; and Shri Prakash Bachani, Scientist E (ETD), BIS, were also present as the guests of honour for the workshop along with representatives from ITMA, BIS and IEEMA. The event was well received by consultants, transformer manufacturers, and general industries utilising the distribution transformers.

Transformers plays a crucial role in the power distribution network and any failure creates disruption of power supply to consumers and its extent of effect depends upon the quality. High efficiency transformers create economic benefits for society in addition to the reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved reliability and potentially longer service life if lower temperature rises are experienced through the energy-efficiency improvements. With these benefits in mind, many countries have taken policy initiatives to establish mandatory and voluntary programmes to conserve energy and to help the domestic markets by adopting energy-efficient transformers. The focus of the workshop was on maximizing energy conservation and emission reductions through use of energy efficient transformers and to discuss manufacturing practices of power distribution transformers and maintenance for reduction of failure rate.

The life cycle cost has to be calculated considering financial point of view, taking into account the cost of energy losses, failure risk and maintenance into account, as well as the investment cost and the residual value of the transformer at the moment of retirement. The replacement issue mainly comes down to the question whether the energy efficiency can be improved sufficiently to reduce the life-cycle cost of the transformer. As the cost of the energy losses mount up to a multiple of the investment cost of the transformer, a minor energy efficiency gain can already be enough to justify replacement.

The overarching objective of the seminar is to create awareness on the STANDARD -IS1180 (part-1), Certification & Quality Control Of Distribution Transformers and enhance the Operational Efficiency, Incorporate Global Practices, Testing, Failure Analysis, and Improvement in Design and Performance of Distribution Transformers.

M J Joseph, Director General, BIS said "Industry facilitators like ITMA, ICA India and IEEMA all are working towards a common goal of providing continuous power supply to the consumers. Through such seminars we aim at helping industry experts to create awareness and upgrade their knowledge in adopting resourceful ways of preserving energy. It is very critical that manufacturers are updated with latest developments in standards and certification process and quality control, and Transformer Technology & Quality Assurance. It is essential to adopt energy efficient standards for distribution transformers as it will save total cost to consumers -- ultimately saving money while also reducing energy consumption."

Mr Anil Aggarwal, President, ITMA said "We appreciate the efforts by ITMA, ICA India, IEEMA and BIS to create awareness on the standards of Distribution Transformers. The demand for transformers has been increasing at a rapid pace due to rising population and migration of people from rural areas to urban cities. This has further led to increased demand for reliable power supply systems within the country. Tackling the transmission losses and providing uninterrupted power supply is one of the key issues on the government's agenda.

Sanjeev Ranjan, Managing Director, ICA India said "Today every unit of electricity consumed in the country is delivered through distribution transformers. Hence it is essential that we deliver every unit of electricity in a reliable and efficient way for achieving a sustained economic growth. As a sustainable energy advocator we at ICA India are committed to optimise the effective use of copper to enhance the electricity system. The implementation of higher efficiency transformers in addition to enabling environmental benefits will also facilitate advancements in manufacturers' energy saving technology while enhancing their productivity and thus lead to sustained economic growth."

High efficiency transformers are a mature technology with their economic and environmental benefits clearly demonstrated. While their higher initial cost can be more than recovered by reduced running costs, many distribution transformers are still chosen on the basis of the purchasing price. Hence, implementing regulatory framework to assess long term benefits is helpful in the promotion of rational energy use.

Bureau of Indian standards has launched the revised standard IS 1180:2014, "Outdoor type oil immersed distribution transformers up to and including 2500 kVA, 33 kV - Specification Part 1 Mineral Oil Immersed". And this standard extends the scope of coverage beyond 200 kVA and up to and including 2500 kVA and 33 kV. This extension of the scope would bring India's coverage more in line with other major economies such as Australia, China and the United States.