Govt to introduce building code for energy conservation

New Delhi, Dec 14 (UNI) The government will soon introduce the Energy Conservation Buliding Code (ECBC) for new commercial bulidings, which would reduce energy use by 30-40 per cent.

The ECBC, to be implemented throughout the country by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), will be introduced for new buildings including shopping complexes, offices, hotels and hospitals with a connected load above 500 MW.

''The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has come out with energy conservation codes and manuals that will help energy auditors and managers in achieving excellence in energy audits and implementation of energy efficiency measures,'' Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said while distributing the Energy Conservation Awards here.

Power Secretary R V Shahi said, ''The codes will be introduced within an year, first on a volunatry basis and then, after examining the results, they will be made mandatory within a suitable time.'' BEE would constitute Committee of Experts for preparation of the codes for different climatic zones. It has already operationalised pilot phase of the programme for energy efficiency in government buildings along with an action plan for its wider dissemination and implementation.

Mr Shahi said that the government buildings also constitute a ''very large target market''. He said the bureau has begun conducting energy audit in the Rashtrapathi Bhawan, Parliament House, Shram Shakti Bhawan, Safdarjung Hospital, Sanchar Bhawan.

The BEE will also train core group members to implement energy efficiency in buildings.

The BEE has anticipated a possibility of conserving 23,700 megawatt of energy by the end of Eleventh Plan.

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