Published Paper Details:

Academic hostel facilities consume significant amounts of electricity, contributing to rising operational costs and environmental impacts. This study presents an energy audit conducted at the hostel blocks of Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Kakinada (JNTUK), with the objective of reducing consumption through demand-side management and retrofitting. The baseline survey revealed that lighting and ceiling fans accounted for the majority of the hostel load, resulting in an annual electricity bill of approximately INR35.2 lakhs. Retrofitting conventional appliances with 20 W LED lights and 28 W BLDC fans led to an annual energy saving of 207,216 kWh, representing a 35.25% reduction in electricity demand. The intervention achieved cost savings of INR14.5 lakhs per year, with a simple payback period of 1.85 years. In addition, the audit-driven measures reduced carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 169,917 kg annually. The results demonstrate that a systematic energy audit combined with targeted retrofitting can yield substantial financial and environmental benefits, highlighting the importance of conservation measures in academic institutions.