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…Union Minister of Power, Shri. Sushilkumar Shinde today launched a Star Rating Programme for office buildings in order to accelerate the Energy Efficiency activities in the commercial buildings. The programme developed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, BEE is based on actual performance of the building, in terms of specific energy usage (in kWh/sq m/year). Following are the highlights:
• This Programme would rate office buildings on a 1-5 star scale, with 5-Star labeled buildings being the most energy efficient.
• Initially, the programme targets the following 3 climatic zones for air-conditioned and non- air-conditioned office buildings:
i. Warm and Humid
ii. Composite
iii. Hot and Dry
It will be subsequently extended to other climatic zones and building types.
• Energy Performance Index (EPI) in kWh / sq m/ year will be considered for rating the building. Bandwidths for Energy Performance Index for different climatic zones have been developed based on percentage air-conditioned space. For example a building in a composite climatic zone like New Delhi and having air conditioned area greater than 50% of their built up area, the bandwidths of EPI range between 190-90 kWh/sq m/year. Thus a building would get a 5-Star rating if its EPI falls below 90kWh/sq m/year and 1 Star if it is between 165-190 90kWh/sq m/year.
• Similarly the same building in a warm and humid climatic zone like Chennai, the bandwidths of EPI range between 200-100 kWh/sq m/year and therefore it would get a 5-Star rating if its EPI is below 100 kWh/sq m/year and 1 Star if it is between 200-175 kWh/sq m/year.
• Buildings having air conditioned area less than 50% of their built up area,in a in a composite climatic zone the bandwidths of EPI range between 80-40 kWh/sq m/year. Similarly the same building in a warm and humid climatic zone like Chennai, the bandwidths of EPI range between 85-45 kWh/sq m/year.
• The Star rating Programme would provide public recognition to energy efficient buildings, and create a “demand side” pull for such buildings. Those buildings having a connected load of 500 kW and above would be considered for BEE star rating scheme.
• EPI shall be kWh/sq.m/year in terms of purchased & generated electricity divided by built up area in sq.m. However the total electricity would not include electricity generated from on-site renewable sources such as solar photovoltaic etc.
The Bureau over the past 2 years, launched the Energy Conservation Building Code(ECBC) with the goal of specifying standards for new, large, efficient commercial buildings, as well as initiated a nationwide programme to upgrade the energy efficiency of existing government buildings through retrofitting, carried out by Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) in a performance Contracting mode. . …
read on:full text link; accessed 28/03/2009
…A layman is very likely to show little interest in a speech or a discussion on green buildings. But, when the same person learns that there are only eight years left for us to save Mother Earth from the throes of emissions induced destruction, sitting up and taking notice is the only way out. Just to make people all the more aware and let them know what is happening and what’s in store on the green front, ECONOMICTIMES.COM had an interaction with three eminent personalities in the field of green building movement in India - Dr Prem C Jain, Chairman, Indian Green Buildings Council, Pankaj Gupta, Customer Care Leader, Trane India Limited and Kapil Thukral ,Director Energy & Resources, Deloitte India. …
read on:full text link; accessed 06/05/2008
…I have recently returned from a trip to India, where I listened to a presentation by Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency in the Indian government. There had been a lot of coverage in the Indian press about how the US had been pointing fingers at India, …I found Dr. Mathur's presentation interesting, in that it showed how seriously India is taking its role as its population is becoming more dependent on energy. India has looked at the rest of the world, and has learnt from many of the mistakes that have been made in the US and across Europe.
As an example, let's look at what the EU has done on domestic white goods. The EU Energy Labelling system gives a rating from G (least efficient) to A (most efficient) on white goods, with refrigeration now having two higher possible ratings of A+ and A++. And herein lies the rub—as goods do get more efficient, the EU labelling system cannot adequately reflect this, and new ratings above the A level have to be brought in to ensure differentiation between the raft of A rated goods.
India decided to take a different route—it uses a 5* system, where 1* is the least efficient and 5* the most efficient. However, the rules as to what makes a device 5* or 4* change every year. Therefore, a manufacturer wishing to bring to market a 5* device that will be on the market for 3 years will have to build the device to the 5* requirements for 2011—not 2008. Otherwise, the device could become a 4* in 2009 and a 3* in 2010 as the rules change.
This is reflected in the way that India is looking at its data centres as well. Work is ongoing in rating backup power systems, large air conditioning systems as well as servers, networking equipment and so on. Within a couple of years, it is hoped that Indian organisations will be able to rate their data centres to demonstrate their green credentials—and they will have to work hard to keep these current, as the requirements for a 5* data centre will be as dynamic as those for domestic goods. "
full text link; accessed 06/04/2008
…The airport consumes 25% less energy than what a similar facility without the environment-friendly features would consume… The new airport has an integrated cargo complex, flight kitchens, cargo agents building, 308 room hotel, fuel pumping, airline offices and many other additional facilities…The notable features of the new airport which makes it energy efficient are reduced overall conductance for the walls and roof, high performance glass with low shading coefficient and optimum visual light transmittance, overhangs and vertical fins to reduce solar gains, efficient chillers, efficient lighting using T5 lamps, amply day lit common spaces with photo sensor-controlled electric lighting, economiser and primary and secondary chilled water pumping for increased energy-efficiency…
…Many people do not opt for a green building in view of 20% to 30% higher initial costs. Experts say that there is a sheer need to create awareness about not only the initial cost but also the operating costs for any building. Although the cost of construction of green buildings is almost 20% higher than that of normal buildings, almost 30% energy saving will more than make up over a period of time.
"…Awareness and market forces have to move together create the demand. Builders can use low energy architecture and still provide modern comfort by introducing green building technology…" said Mili Majumdar, Associate Director at Teri.
The cost of green building has also come down over the years. "…The cost of first green building in India, the green business centre in Hyderabad, which came up in 2003 was 18% more than the conventional buildings, but the gap now is just 5%-8% more than a conventional building…" said S Raghupathy, Sr Director & Head, Green Building Centre (GBC)…
…No wonder, the demand for green buildings, especially for commercial use, is increasing exponentially.
"The change has started taking shape. People are not worried about cost. Big corporate players have started building or using only green buildings," said Raghupathy… Big companies like ABN Amro, Infosys, Microsoft, WIPRO, Godrej, ITC and K Raheja group are opting for green buildings…
full text link; accessed 06/03/2008
…The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), which today has about 110 million sq ft of green real estate registered with it, is targeting a nearly ten-fold increase in eco-friendly property development to a billion sq ft. Modern technologies, including Integrated Building Management Systems (IBMS), would play a key role in the ensuring the success of the green-buildings movement,…Dr. P.C. Jain"
full text link; accessed 06/03/2008
…Mounting concerns for environment protection have at last a softening effect on the rough and tough construction sector also. The infrastructure world is waking up to the concept of Green buildings now. First, it were the demolition techniques that were made highly sophisticated to cause least pollution. Then, trench-less technology was promoted to minimizese dust boiling. Now, focus is on adopting such techniques and utilising such materials that help a building achieve the ‘Green Building rating…"
full text link; accessed 06/03/2008
… Today's modern buildings are no doubt a marvel in terms of architecture and technology, but have also led to an adverse impact on the environment. The new-age buildings account for 12% of water usage, 30% of green house gas (GHG) emissions, 65% of waste output and 70% of electrical consumption.
In contrast, 'Green' buildings are eco-friendly and can contribute towards a cleaner environment by reducing the amount of energy used to light, heat, cool and operate buildings and GHG and other harmful emissions. Recognising the need for green buildings, several individuals as well as organisations are making efforts towards increasing the awareness of their importance and the challenges that need to be tackled.
A building's initial construction cost may represent only 20-30% of its building's entire useful life costs. Usually, the cost of constructing green buildings is higher by 15-20%, but they save around 30% on energy usage annually. Hence, there is a need to create awareness about not only the 'First' cost, but also year-to-year operating costs for any project.
Builders as well as users should remember that life cycle benefits of a Green design more than make up for the additional initial costs. In order to appreciate the cost effectiveness of green buildings over a period of time, adopting the practice of separating capital and operating cost is necessary…"
full text link; accessed 05/15/2008
…The Indian Green Building Council has launched a rating system for green homes. According to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the IGBC-Green Homes Rating System is the first ecological rating programme developed in India exclusively for the residential sector. It takes into account conservation of natural resources, infrastructure, water efficiency, waste handling, health and occupants’ well-being.
The rating system sets standards for the residential sector in optimal use of natural resources, including 30-50 per cent saving of water, 20-30 per cent savings in energy, natural day lighting, enhanced ventilation, water efficient green cover, and waste management.
Over 50 pilot projects spread across India with a total built-up area of over 47 million sq.ft have signed up to conform to the rating system, with the projects ranging from individual houses, multiple dwellings and gated communities. The IGBC is the US-LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) programme certified rating agency. …"
full text link; accessed 05/11/2008
