The state government is set to make implementation of Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) mandatory in all commercial establishments and in buildings with more than 1,000 square metre built-up area. It has prepared a draft government order and sent it for the comments of Directorate of Country and Town Planning (DTCP). The GO is likely to come into force soon.
In a review meeting over implementation of ECBC with state officials, the director general of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Abhay Bhakre expressed concern over delay in its implementation in commercial buildings. He appealed to municipal administration and urban development department officials to take immediate steps to make implementation of ECBC-2017 mandatory while issuing building permissions.
Energy secretary Nagulapalli Srikant said Andhra Pradesh is committed to implementing ECBC and a draft GO is also being prepared. He said although a clause was incorporated in development permission management system (DPMS) by municipal administration department in October 2018, making it mandatory in DPMS software is still pending. He observed that once the GO is cleared, it will be made mandatory and all building permissions will be cleared only after ECBC compliance.
Srikant noted that Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) estimated that the building sector is consuming 3,117 million units of power every year. According to a recent study conducted in the state by Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), out of the 3,117 million units, 888 million units of power can be saved every year with the implementation of ECBC, that translates into saving Rs 538 crore.
According to BEE, 30% of the total energy consumed can be saved by adopting ECBC. The BEE has set a target to save 300 billion units by 2030 across the country. This would translate into Rs 35,000 crore savings and reduction of 250 million tonnes of carbon dioxide released into environment.
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
