Endowed abundantly with solar and wind resources, Karnataka is well positioned to promote renewable energy and green building concepts, Advisor to the Chief Minister, A. Ravindra, said here on Friday.
Buildings should be designed to make the most of natural light and ventilation to reduce the need for power-guzzling air-conditioners and lighting systems, he added. Mr. Ravindra was speaking at a workshop on GRIHA, a national rating system for green buildings, organised by the Union Ministry for New and Renewable Energy.
Though projects have been taken up to increase energy efficiency in large public buildings in Bangalore, including the Vikasa Soudha, the Vidhana Soudha and the Raj Bhavan, their success is yet to be measured, he said. There is a need to create awareness and encourage efficient consumption, he added.
While most of the State's renewable energy comes from wind, there is a need to focus on biomass too, Mr. Ravindra said and added that adopting green practices will go a long way in addressing the power crisis.
At present, 35 per cent of Karnataka's energy is generated through non-thermal sources — primarily hydro and wind energy — which is far above the world average, said M.R. Sreenivasa Murthy, chairman of the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission. Bangalore should learn from New Delhi's initiatives of adopting the Energy Conservation Building Code, he added.
GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitats Assessment) is a programme initiated by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to evaluate buildings for their sustainable use of energy and natural resources.
