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The ECBC strategy to conserve energy
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The Energy Conservation Building Code 2007 aims at trimming the rate of electricity consumption. A study by T. Nandakumar
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The widening demand-supply gap in the power sector is a major cause of concern in India. With capacity augmentation falling short of expectations, the government strategy is currently focussed on energy conservation to trim the rate of electricity consumption.
The Energy Conservation Building Code 2007 launched in May by Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde is a step in this direction. Targeting the construction sector, the code prescribes minimum energy performance standards for the design and construction of buildings.
The new norms can help reduce the energy use for a building by 25 to 40 per cent. According to estimates, the mandatory implementation of the code would yield an annual savings of 1.7 billion units of power. The development of the code was taken up by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) with funding from USAID (United States Agency for International Development).
Ambit
The code is applicable to commercial buildings including offices, IT parks, government buildings, hospitals, retail malls and hotels that have a connected load of 500 KW or more, or a minimum contract demand of 600 KVA. Buildings with conditioned floor area in excess of 1,000 square metres also come under the purview of the code.
The share of electricity consumption of buildings in the commercial sector is estimated to be 33 billion units, which works out to 6.6 percent of country’s overall consumption. It is growing at 12 per cent.
According to Vishal Garg, Centre for IT in Building Science, IIIT, Hyderabad, ECBC is an effective tool for “pushing up the low end” of design and construction practice.
The code contains prescriptive standards which establish overall energy efficiency targets. An energy-efficient building would, for example have cavity walls with insulation, shaded roof, double glazed windows, natural lighting during the day time, energy-efficient CFL lamps and power-saving chillers and condensers for climate control.
The new buildings are required to be designed and built with energy efficiency consideration right from the initial stages itself.
The code proposes solar water heating for at least one-fifth of the design capacity in buildings with a centralised system. Lighting systems are to have automatic control and occupancy sensors that turn lighting off 30 minutes after the occupant leaves a room.
Government role
To ensure implementation of the code, the Government will facilitate the availability of energy-efficient equipment to be used as insulation material in building construction. The Ministry of Urban Development will monitor the implementation of the code through State Governments and urban local bodies.
It will also promote energy auditing.
The guidelines are voluntary as of now but the Government has made it clear that they will be mandatory after creating awareness.
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