ECO Niwas Samhita 2018 | 15 Dec 2018

Ministry of Power has launched the Energy Conservation- New Indian Way for Affordable & Sustainable Homes (ECO Niwas) Samhita 2018, an Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings (ECBC-R) to give a further fillip to India’s energy conservation efforts.

  • The Code was launched on the occasion of National Energy Conservation Day 2018 which is celebrated every year on 14th of December by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).

ECO Niwas

  • The code focuses on building envelope, mechanical systems and equipment including heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, interior and exterior lighting systems, electrical system and renewable energy.
  • It also takes into account the five climates zones (Hot Dry, Warm Humid, Temperate, Composite and Cold) present in India.
  • However, it addresses only energy efficiency of buildings. Water and other aspects are not covered under it.

Benefits

  • It aims to benefit the occupants and the environment by promoting energy efficiency in design and construction of homes, apartments and townships.
  • Implementation of this Code will have potential for energy savings to the tune of 125 Billion Units of electricity per year by 2030, which is equivalent to about 100 million ton of CO2 emission.
  • The Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) was launched in 2007 by the BEE to set energy efficiency standards for design and construction of buildings as a first step towards promoting energy efficiency in the building sector.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency

  • BEE is a statutory body under Ministry of Power which was setup in 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
  • It is mandated to implement policy and programmes in the area of energy efficiency and conservation.
  • Other agencies that promote energy efficiency in buildings:
    • LEED-India – Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is an international recognized certification system for the green buildings. The LEED-India Green Building Rating System is an international benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings (provided by IGBC).
    • IGBC Ratings – The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) is a division of the Confederation of Indian Industry that works closely with the government and aims at sustainably built environment.
    • TERI GRIHA – The Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is a national rating system for green buildings that is adopted while designing and evaluating new buildings.

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