The new Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017 prescribing energy performance standards for new commercial buildings to be constructed in India was launched by Power Minister Piyush Goyal at an event here on Monday."I have recommended that all new buildings and offices in the future should be Super ECBC and Net Zero Energy Buildings. We should also have a code for both residential and commercial buildings this calendar year," Goyal said at the launch."I would like to dedicate today ECBC Code 2017 to all the young children of India... to the future of India," he added.The updated ECBC incorporates advancements in building technology to further reduce building energy consumption and promote low-carbon growth. According to Power Ministry officials, the adoption of ECBC 2017 for new commercial building construction is estimated to achieve 50 per cent reduction in energy use by 2030.
The code has been developed jointly by the Power Ministry and Bureau Energy Efficiency (BEE), with technical support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).The energy saving by ECBC 2017 will be equivalent to the annual expenditure of Rs 35,000 crore and 250 million tonnes of carbon dioxide reduction, an official said."This will translate to energy savings of about 300 billion units by 2030 and peak demand reduction of over 15 GW (gigawatt) in a year," a Power Ministry statement said here. In this connection, the Minister emphasised the importance of not providing subsidies in order to get better results and low cost financing. "Whenever we have removed subsidies and government intervention, we have got much better results. Though it is a state subject to give incentives, I am not for it as we do not need to give them," he said.ECBC 2017 sets parameters for builders, designers and architects to integrate renewable energy sources in building design.