VIJAYAWADA: In a move aimed at increasing energy efficiency even in the private sector, the State government has issued an order making Andhra Pradesh Energy Conservation Building Code (APECBC) mandatory to get building approvals for commercial and non-residential buildings with a plot area of 1,000 square meters or built up area of 2,000 square meters.
Andhra Pradesh is the third State in the country to have issued an order making ECBC compliance mandatory, the officials said and added that special emphasis was being laid for its implementation through the Development Permission Management System (DPMS) The municipal administration and urban development department has already integrated ECBC compliance with the DPMS system.
“The MAUD department has issued recently-made amendments to the AP Building rules-2017 and made APECBC compliance mandatory for commercial buildings. In coordination with MAUD department and Bureau of Energy Efficiency, the state energy department has empanelled 34 Third Party Assessors (TPAs) to check the ECBC compliance at design and occupancy stages in all the new and upcoming commercial buildings across the State,” a statement from the energy department said on Sunday.
The ECBC provides a platform for the stakeholders such as Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI), Andhra Pradesh Real Estate Developers Association (APREDA), manufacturers, professionals, government agencies and others to participate in the market development for energy efficient construction, the officials said.
The BEE has introduced the ECBC in commercial and non-residential buildings with an objective to ensure construction of energy efficient buildings for reducing energy usage by 30- 40 per cent.
Energy Secretary Srikant Nagulapalli said that compliance of APECBC in the State is one of the major developments in both energy and building sectors. The energy demand in the building sector (commercial buildings) of the State is around 3,117 Million Units. The implementation of ECBC is expected to reduce energy consumption in the building sector and strengthen energy efficiency in the State.
Energy Conservation Building Code
Third State in the country to have issued an order making ECBC compliance mandatory
The code effect
All the commercial buildings and non- residential buildings that have a plot area of more than 1,000 square meters or built up area of 2000 square meters and multiplexes, hospitals, hotels, and convention centres, irrespective of their built up area, shall comply with the Code to get building approvals in municipal corporations, municipalities and Urban Development Authorities (UDA)