Green buildings: Government looks to save Rs. 35,000 crore annually
The Union Power Ministry has set an ambitious target to annually save Rs. 35,000 crore, through energy efficient construction. Units of electricity saved would then be used to power irrigation and illuminate homes. The government aims to achieve this through the newly formulated Energy Conservation Building Code- 2017 as well as through pushing energy efficient lighting and appliances through the Energy Efficiency Services Ltd.
Energy Conservation Building Code, 2017
The ECBC prescribes energy standards for commercial building construction. It further recommends parameters for architects, builders and designers for integrating utilization of renewable energy in building designs. It is expected to result in 300 billion units of energy savings annually.
How does the government plan on doing this?
New buildings constructed in accordance with the Energy Efficient building code is expected to result in an annual energy saving of 300 billion units by 2030. Modernization of existing buildings through energy efficient lighting and appliances such as using LEDs can annually save 30-40 billion units of energy. These measures can further reduce India's carbon footprint by 250 million tonnes of carbon-dioxide equivalent.
Goyal's schemes
"How much electricity does a poor household..... need every month? Maybe 30-40 units? Just imagine how many poor households can be powered free of cost; how many farmers can be given free power for their pumps from the savings," stated Power Minister, Piyush Goyal.
Why is this significant?
Primary energy demand in India has also been growing at a rapid rate and is expected to touch 1500 tonnes of oil equivalent by 2030. Residential and commercial buildings contribute to 37% of India's annual electricity consumption. This is expected to increase, as one billion square metres of buildings are estimated to be constructed by 2030, making energy conservation imperative.
