Centre lays out codes for energy conservation

In a bid to encourage energy efficiency, the government has launched an ‘Energy Conservation Building Code’ for the construction sector...

In a bid to encourage energy efficiency, the government has launched an ‘Energy Conservation Building Code’ for the construction sector that prescribes minimum energy performance standards for the design and construction of non-residential buildings.

The guidelines, fromulated by the bureau of energy efficiency (BEE), are voluntary as of now but power minsiter Sushilkumar Shinde said that they would be mandatory after creating awareness.

The new norms can help reduce the energy usage for a building anywhere between 25 to 40 per cent which in turn can save the nation as much as Rs 80,000 crore.

Story continues below this ad

Estimates suggest that mandatory implementation of the code would yield an annual savings of 1.7 billion units of power in the first year of implementation itself.

The guidelines provide specifications for lighting systems, building envelopes, optimisation of lighting, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning. An energy efficient building would, for example have brick work plastered on both sides of the wall for better insualtion, natural lighting during the day time and use of CFL lamps.

The architectural design of the Centre for Environmental Sciences and Engineering at IIT Kanpur, for instance has been optimised as per the climate and sun path analysis. An earth air tunnel has been incorporated in the air handling units to reduce the cooling load.

To ensure implementation of the code, the government will facilitate the availibilty of energy efficient equipment to be used as insulation material in building construction. The ministry of urban development will monitor implementation of the programme among private palyers through state goverments and urban local bodies. The ministry of urban development will also initiate energy auditing.

Story continues below this ad

Energy auditing of Rashtrapati Bhawan and Shram Shakti Bhawan has already been done. Also, six PSUs including BSNL and NTPC have agreed to implement the new code in at least one of their new constructions.

Features of ECBC code

• Applicable to buildings with demand greater than 500 KW

• Buildings with centralised system to have solar water heating for atleast one-fifth of design capacity

• Lighting systems to have automatic control device, equipped with occupancy sensors that turn lighting off, 30 minutes after occupant leaves space

• Luminaries to be fiited with control device that can reduce light output in daly light areas

80 per cent of planned target achieved: Bhel

Story continues below this ad

NEW DELHI: State-owned power plant equipment maker, Bhel, claimed on Sunday that it was able to achieve 80 per cent of the target set for it by the government during the 10th plan through a company statement. The statement comes a day after Shinde said in Kolkata that the navratna PSU has failed in supplying equipment that led to a shortfall in capacity addition for the 10th five year plan.

But the company said they are confident of commissioning the remaining projects in the first half of 2007-08.

—PTI