Increase in the energy consumption in India:

• In India the electrification of households has taken place on a massive scale and demand for energy has increased. One of the key reasons for this has been the growing population.
• Another is the enormous increase in energy intensive economic activities.
• As the conventional sources of energy are reducing and the renewable Sources are under developing phase, improving energy efficiency at all levels of the energy spectrum is the cost-effective and quick solution to address this problem.
• There is a direct relation between energy, environment and sustainable development.
• A country seeking sustainable development ideally must utilize only those energy resources which have minimal environmental impact.
• Some of the concerns regarding the limitations imposed on sustainable development by environmental emissions and their negative impacts can in part be overcome through increased energy efficiency.
• The government, through Nationally Determined Contributions has aimed to reduce emission intensity of GDP to 33-35% below what it was in 2005 by 2030.
• However, to achieve this target, there is a need for a concerted move to ensure increased energy efficiency especially in 3 sectors- Industrial sector, Real estate, Consumer appliance.

Industrial Sector:

• Industrial sector continues to be the highest energy consuming domain where energy consumption would play a vital role.
• There is also huge potential for energy conservation and technology enhancement for efficiency in key intensive industries.
• With an aim of energy efficiency improvement, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is implementing Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme under the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE).

Perform Achieve and Trade:

It is a regulatory instrument to reduce specific energy consumption in energy intensive industries, with an associated market based mechanism to enhance the cost effectiveness through certification of excess energy saving which can be traded.

Real Estate Sector:

• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) envisages a phased approach for developing an energy conservation code for the residential sector.
• The idea is to create a simple and implementable code focusing on building envelope which can be integrated with the existing building codes and bye-laws.
• The design of the building envelope will have a direct impact on:
  • Heat conduction through the roof, opaque wall and glazed windows
  • Solar radiation gains through glazed windows
  • Natural ventilation
  • Day-lighting
• The real estate sector consumes over 30 per cent of the total electricity consumption in India annually.
• It is second only to the industrial sector as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases; of which around 75 per cent is used in residential spaces.

In this context, BEE has two programs:

1. Eco Samhita, Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings
2. Labelling for Energy Efficient Homes

Eco Samhita (Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings):

• The Eco-Niwas Samhita aims to set minimum building envelope performance standards to limit heat gains ( for cooling dominated climates) and to limit heat loss (for heating dominated climate) as well as for ensuring adequate natural ventilation and day lighting.
• This strategy enables most of the new urban housing stock to be brought into the net for capturing the opportunities and the Benefits of energy efficiency in residential buildings.
• This critical investment in envelope construction and design made today will reap the benefits of reduced GHG emissions for the entire lifetime of the buildings.

Labelling Programme for Energy- Efficient Homes:

• To enable consumers to compare building performances from a sustainable energy point of view, a comprehensive labelling scheme is important.
• Energy labels help consumers to make efficient decisions through the provision of direct, reliable and cost less information. The objective of proposed labelling programme is
  • To provide information to consumers for Energy Efficient homes
  • Energy Sustainability for India
  • To achieve Indian NDC Targets
  • Market Transformation for Energy Efficiency in housing sector
• This is expected to save substantial energy through improving energy efficiency to houses nationwide.
• In conjunction with this, the programme also brings up various ancillary benefits:
  • The labelling regime shall also be a stimulant for the Indian job market.
  • It will also motivate material manufacturers to invest in energy- efficient material manufacturing in India.
  • Labelling mechanism shall cause a reduction in energy bills. This will empower individuals with a greater disposable income that can be consumed at other avenues, saved for future contingencies or invested for cash-generating asset creation for overall economic growth.
  • It helps the nation in working towards the fulfilment of Global Sustainable Development Goals 7 of the United Nations: Affordable and Clean Energy.

Consumer Appliances:

• Consumer appliances are one of the important areas of energy consumption.
• Daily household electronic appliances like AC, Microwave, Washing Machine etc. are included in this sector.
• A lot of initiatives are being taken to reduce the energy consumption and to enhance the technology for energy efficiency in consumer durable sector.
• Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has been promoting energy conservation through optimum temperature settings for Air Conditioners.
  • According to the study Of BEE, one degree increase in the AC temperature setting results in saving of 6 per cent of electricity consumed.
  • 24-26 degree Celsius default setting has been recommended by BEE for energy savings and also to reduce greenhouse gas emission.
  • Measures to promote advancement of technology and energv efficiency in Microwave Ovens which is becoming a popular household gadget, are also being taken.
  • Savings of over 3.0 Billion units of electricity are estimated at consumer-end through adoption of Star Rated Microwave Ovens and Washing Machines by 2030.
  • This would be equivalent to Green House Gases (OHG) reduction of 2.4 Million-ton of CO, by the year 2030 through these recent initiatives.