New Initiatives in Building Energy Efficiency 2021

Context:

“Aiming for Sustainable Habitat: New Initiatives in Building Energy Efficiency 2021” was recently launched by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) as part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav’ to enhance energy efficiency in the building sector.

Relevance:

Prelims, GS-III: Environment and Ecology (Conservation of Environment, Pollution Control), GS-III: Industry and Infrastructure

Dimensions of the Article:

1. Aiming for Sustainable Habitat: New Initiatives in Building Energy Efficiency 2021
2. About the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
3. Objectives of BEE

Aiming for Sustainable Habitat: New Initiatives in Building Energy Efficiency 2021

1. Eco Niwas Samhita 2021 is an Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings (ECBC-R) to give a further fillip to India’s energy conservation efforts. It specifies code compliance approaches and minimum energy performance requirements for building services, and verification framework with Eco Niwas Samhita 2021.
2. A web-based platform called ‘The Handbook of Replicable Designs for Energy Efficient Residential Buildings’ was released as a learning tool, which can be used to create a pool of ready-to-use resources of replicable designs to construct energy-efficient homes in India.
3. An Online Directory of Building Materials was released that would envisage the process of establishing standards for energy efficient building materials.
4. National Energy Efficiency Roadmap for Movement towards Affordable & Natural Habitat (NEERMAN) Awards were announced to encourage exceptionally efficient building designs complying with BEE’s Energy Conservation Building Codes.
5. An Online Star Rating Tool was launched that provides performance analysis to help professionals decide the best options to pick for energy-efficiency of their homes. It was launched for Energy Efficient Homes, created to improve energy-efficiency and reduce energy consumption in individual homes.
6. It was also announced that there will be training provided for over 15,000 Architects, Engineers and Government officials on Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017 and Eco Niwas Samhita 2021.

About the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)

• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Power created in 2002.
• BEE is a statutory body as it was created under the provisions of the nation’s 2001 Energy Conservation Act.
• The agency’s function is to develop programs which will increase the conservation and efficient use of energy in India.
• The mission of Bureau of Energy Efficiency is to “institutionalise” energy efficiency services, enable delivery mechanisms in the country and provide leadership to energy efficiency in all sectors of the country.
• The primary objective would be to reduce energy intensity in the economy.
• The government has made it mandatory for certain appliances in India to have ratings by the BEE since 2010.

Objectives of BEE

1. To exert leadership and provide policy recommendation and direction to national energy conservation and efficiency efforts and programs.
2. To coordinate energy efficiency and conservation policies and programs and take it to the stakeholders
3. To establish systems and procedures to measure, monitor and verify energy efficiency results in individual sectors as well as at a macro level.
4. To leverage multi-lateral, bi-lateral, and private sector support in implementation of Energy Conservation Act and efficient use of energy and its conservation programs.
5. To demonstrate delivery of energy efficiency services as mandated in the EC bill through private-public partnerships.
6. To interpret, plan and manage energy conservation programs as envisaged in the Energy Conservation Act.
7. To promote research and development in energy efficiency and energy conservation.
8. To develop testing and certification procedures for energy consumption of equipment and appliances and promote the testing facilities.
9. To strengthen consultancy services in the field of energy conservation.

-Source: PIB