CHENNAI, MARCH 22: The ‘Perform, Achieve, Trade (PAT)’ scheme, run by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, has brought in savings of ₹37,685 crore, according to a press release issued by BEE. The first cycle of the scheme, or PAT-I, saw investments of ₹24,517 crore in energy efficiency measures, says BEE, which is a part of the Ministry of Power. The scheme resulted in saving of energy equivalent to 8.67 million tonnes of oil, exceeding the target of 6.86 million tonnes by 30 per cent. The scheme Under the PAT scheme, ‘designated consumers’, (typically, factories), are given a baseline energy consumption. Then the DCs invest in energy efficiency measures. If their actual consumption at the end of the ‘cycle’ is lower than the baseline, BEE awards them ‘energy savings certificates’, or, ESCerts. The DCs are primarily benefited by saving energy costs, but the additional money they make selling the certificates sweetens their investments in energy efficiency. The first cy...