India to implement code for energy saving, green buildings construction by 2017

It will be mandatory for all state governments to implement by 2017 the minimum requirements for energy efficient design and construction set by the central government to meet the challenges of depleting resources, increased urbanisation and rapid construction, according to a top official. 

Shifting its focus to building energy-saving structures, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) of the power ministry has made mandatory the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) which acts like a “cross-check for building designs and specifications” to reduce the energy consumption through design and choice of material and equipment. 

Under its ambit are components like building envelopes (wall, roofs, windows), lighting, heat ventilation and air conditioning and electrical systems.Introduced in 2007, on a voluntary basis, the code sets the minimum energy standards for new commercial buildings with a connected load of 100 KW. Besides new buildings, it also covers old buildings which are getting renovated and/or extended. 

“While the ECBC has been developed by BEE, its enforcement lies with the state governments and urban local bodies through notification within their states as per their regional requirements. Seven states have notified the code, while 15 are on the way to doing so,” Sanjay Seth, senior energy economist at BEE, told IANS on the sidelines of the “Urbanscapes: How Sustainable Are Our Buildings” workshop organised here by the Centre For Science and Environment (CSE). “The target is that the code will be implemented and become mandatory for all states by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17). 

States like Rajasthan, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Andhra Pradesh have already notified the code. “Among the states we have been struggling with is West Bengal for a long time. Since there is a huge boom in new commercial buildings there is no reason why it should not implement the code,” he said. He added that adoption of the code can reduce energy demand by at least 25 percent in new buildings compared to recent buildings. An ECBC-compliant building will get three stars on BEE’s building rating scale. 

According to Anumita Roychowdhury, CSE’s executive director for research and advocacy, it is an important policy instrument that is expected to set the sustainability terms for energy savings in new constructions in India. By 2020, almost 500 million people in the country will be living in cities, triggering a huge infrastructure boom.

Source: Economic Times