An Article From
Our Building &
Construction September 2014
The high cost of energy, inadequate
infrastructure and the environmental impacts
of energy consumption place enormous stresses on
the developing world.
These problems are especially serious in the
world's megacities (10 million-plus population), two-thirds of which will be in
the developing world by 2015.
Fossil fuel combustion in megacities is already
causing significant health problems
and posing major challenges for municipal
governance. Further, cities in general are major
contributors to global climate warming, emitting
about 70 percent of world's green house
gases but occupying only around 2 percent of
global land area.
Cost-effective energy service..!
Reliable, cost-effective energy service is also
key to improving the quality of life in
rural areas of developing nations where there is
little or no access to electricity; adding
or enhancing such access either through
conventional grids, micro-grids, or other distributed
systems will provide not only electricity but
also benefits such as potable water,
health care, transportation options and other
services that promote economic development
and enhanced quality of life.
Developing new strategies for designing low-cost
energy technologies and enabling
their use by the world's poorer nations remains
one of the large challenges for the 21st
century. Enabling organic growth and evolution
of energy systems over time while tapping
local resources and talent are key aspects of
providing robust, reliable energy to the
developing countries.
Economic growth is most needed for developing
countries, and energy is essential for
economic growth. However, the relationship
between economic growth and increased
energy demand is not always a straightforward
linear one. For example, under present
conditions, 6% increase in India's Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) would impose an increased
demand of 9 % on its energy sector.
 |
| Dr. KR. Thooyavan |
Energy on GDP growth..!
In this context, the ratio of energy demand to
GDP is a useful indicator. A high ratio reflectsenergy dependence and a strong
influence of energy on GDP growth. The developed countries, by focusing on energy
efficiency and lower energy-intensive routes, maintain their energy toGDP
ratios at values of less than ONE (1). The ratios for developing
countries are much higher
When we look at the plan outlay, 18% of the total five-year
plan outlay is spent on the energy sector.India is one of the largest economies
in the world, consuming a large quantity of energy. Buildings
account for more than 30% of the total electricity consumption in India, the
second
highest share of consumption after industries.
Energy efficiency practices..!
Estimates reveal that total built-up area will increase
rapidly, as nearly 66% of the commercial yet to be built in 2030. Adoption of
energy efficiency practices and cutting edge technologies can help
to shift towards low-carbon economy.
Energy consumption in the building sector is a function the
type of construction, usage pattern, the climatic region and the energy
consuming devices installed in the buildings.
Different types of energy end-use in buildings such as
lighting, space heating, space cooling, plug-in loads and appliances all together account for the overall energy consumption pattern
of the building. Energy consumption, not only depends on the type of the end use appliances but also on the
operational efficiency and maintenance of these end use appliances.
Energy consumption pattern..!
Building design and material can have a significant impact
on the energy consumption levels of a
particular end-use application. For instance, the overall
energy consumption pattern of a typical home depends heavily on appliance
efficiency.
In a commercial building, the overall energy consumption of
the building gets significantly affected by the design and selection of the building material and
glazing along with the choice of appliances and HVAC systems.
The building sector in India is experiencing a very high
growth about 8% per year due to emergence of IT sector. The commercial building
sector currently contributes to about 659 Million m2 and even at conservative growth rate
of 5% to 6% per year.
The commercial building space is expected to grow to 1932
Million sqm. by year 2030 at the rate of 38 million m2 per year. While construction sector is one of the key drivers of
modern economy, energy intense buildings are the ambassadors of modern world. Energy consumption in these
buildings has been forecasted to rise consistently. With population over 1.2
billion, India, is consistently adding floor space in a big way. India’s zooming economy was
spurred by its liberalization policy introduced during 1996.
India is a leading destination for IT and IT-enabled
services. Many software companies, software consulting firms and business process outsourcing firms have established their offices in
India, making an important destination for multinational companies (MNCs).
Demand for office
space in India is fuelled by its rapid development in IT
sector combined with
massive migration to cities has dramatically increased the
need for energy to
supply to its growing population and businesses.
Bureau of Energy Efciency..!
Realizing the potential savings that the energy efficiency
that would bring,
Government of India brought in Energy Conservation Act
(2001) and established the Bureau of Energy Efciency (BEE), a National-level bureau that is responsible for
establishing energy efciency labeling and standards for appliances and for establishing energy conservation
standards in building codes. It is estimated that Energy Conservation Building Code compliant buildings may consume
about 40% less energy than conventionally practiced buildings in India and nationwide enforcement of
the building code is warranted.
In this context, we hope that the architects, planners,
builders, contractors and all the stakeholders in building and construction devote themselves to promotion of energy
efficient buildings.
About the author
Dr. KR. Thooyavan is Editor
in Chief at Our Building &
Construction
Other Major Articles
in Our Building & Construction
* Art of Gardening
* Here Comes A Ray of Hope !
* In the Midst of Chaos …
* A World Class
Shopping District in the Making
* BAU 2015
* PREVENTING PROGRESSIVE
COLLAPSE OF
MULTI-STORY BUILDINGS
* A TRIBUTE TO
PERFECTION
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Construction
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