India to promote green buildings

The government agencies along with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) have decided to introduce the concept of green buildings and a three tier rating system.

According to the World council for Sustainable Development figures, 40 % of the global energy demands are from buildings. Being a rising economic power, India's energy demands are expected to overtake the energy demands of china by 2050. Green buildings are designed to minimize demand on non renewable resources and maximize utilization efficiency through reuse, recycling and use of renewable energy sources like sun, water and wind. According to the chairman of the Nobel prize winning Intergovernmental panel on Climate change (IPCC) Dr.R.K.Pachauri, who also heads Teri, energy efficient buildings and utility systems can reduce energy demands by as much as 40%. Commercial and residential buildings in India accounts for more than 30% of the countries total electricity consumption.

The Ministry of Non – Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) and Teri are expected to sign a rating system soon that would initially be implemented on a voluntary basis for upcoming building projects, especially offices, retail malls, institutions, residences and family high rise buildings.  The government is also thinking of giving sops to stakeholders, at a later stage, who conform to the green buildings standards and get good credit points.  A nodal agency comprising officials and experts from MNES, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Bureau of Indian standards, Ministry of Environment and Forest and Teri would grant the ratings after making a thorough evaluation.

 The  New Indian Express, November 1^st 2007