VIJAYAWADA: Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory body of Union Ministry of Power, has come forward to provide best technological support in the area of energy efficiency in housing programme and financial support as grant-in-aid (100% free) to various key sectors in Andhra Pradesh such as hospitals, schools and Rural Water Supply (RWS) schemes.
The BEE has agreed to provide Indo-Swiss energy efficient building technology for the State government’s flagship programme of ‘affordable housing’ for the poor, without any financial burden on the government, through the newly-introduced Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Buildings (Residential ECBC).
In a communication to CMD APTRANSCO and secretary (Energy) N Srikanth through the Andhra Pradesh State Energy Conservation Mission (APSECM), Abhay Bhakre, director general and the chairman of national level media committee on energy efficiency, the BEE said that as AP is a proactive State in energy efficiency readiness, it wanted to promote the energy efficiency measures aggressively in key sectors, including housing, hospitals, schools and RWS schemes.
“While the Centre was planning to build over two crore houses in the entire country, the AP government itself determined to build lakhs of houses to the poor, which is exemplary. The Residential ECBC focuses on the components like roof, walls and windows of a building. It will directly impact heat loss, natural ventilation, daylight availability, reduction in electricity consumption and electricity bill. The beneficiaries of housing schemes or others will get modern healthy houses with minimum 20 per cent energy savings compared to traditional housing by applying the Residential ECBC,” he said.
Abhay Bhakre requested all the State governments including AP to incorporate the Residential ECBC in the development control rules or building bylaws and incorporate provisions of the code in the specifications of the affordable housing projects or the houses constructed by the State government agencies.
Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy will review the energy efficiency activities in the State soon.
While thanking Bhakre for providing technical and financial support, Secretary (Energy) said that the BEE has also agreed to support the implementation of energy efficiency measures in nine government teaching hospitals out of 22 in the State initially as a pilot project.