With the need of creating more residential areas due to rising population and rapid urbanisation, emphasis on greener construction and energy efficiency is also becoming important. The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Mahindra Lifespaces announced the creation of a Centre of Excellence (CoE) focused on improving energy efficiency in India’s residential buildings sector.
The centre will be called ‘Mahindra TERI CoE for Sustainable Habitats’. It will evaluate both traditional and innovative technologies and alternative construction materials customised for the Indian buildings sector and climate zones. “Research agenda of the proposed CoE is to mainstream energy efficient buildings with a focus on selection of right materials/technologies (including the traditional ones) and optimum utilization of daylight,” said Dr Hina Zia, Associate Director, Sustainable Habitat, TERI.
Water efficiency and use of low cost green materials would also be focused by the CoE. Another important intended outcome of the research efforts of the CoE will be to address the existing gap in available statistical datasets relevant to the Indian residential buildings sector. The research output from the CoE will be disseminated to multiple stakeholder communities via conferences, workshops, academic courses, reports, journal archives and webinars, amongst other mediums. Wider industry participation and contribution will be sought to increase capacity and reach.
“Buildings are experiencing unprecedented growth in India, leading to increased energy demand and consumption. Extensive research is needed to enable energy efficiency in buildings, and the ‘Mahindra TERI CoE for Sustainable Habitats’ aims to evaluate innovative technologies tailored to the Indian consumer and climate, and available in the form of ease-to-use tools to the Indian building industry,” said Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General, TERI. At present, the buildings sector accounts for 30% of overall electricity consumption in the country, of which almost 72% is consumed by the residential sector. Studies have indicated that the average household will likely consume five times more electricity in 2020 than it did in 2000.
“The significance of energy efficiency in the Indian buildings sector has been highlighted over the last few years, however there remains substantial potential for further advancements in knowledge assimilation and technology adoption that can benefit the industry and consequently, ensure a sustainable future for India’s urban areas. With its firm conviction that efficient utilization of energy and natural resources is crucial to drive urban development in the right direction, TERI is appropriately placed to drive this agenda and we are happy to support the establishment of the CoE,” said Anita Arjundas, Managing Director, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited.
