Page 61 - Shashwat - Let Nature Be: Transforming Habitats
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appropriate ESCOs to provide applied in new FEATURE ARTICLE 57
needed services, including or retrofitted
retrofits, that can improve buildings, with targeted social-assistance
building energy performance. local climate schemes that require users of
Once improvements are conditions, and network-based energies be
identified, the customer may energy prices. charged based on metered
have to manage the efforts consumption. This would also
of multiple contractors. The entry introduce incentives encouraging
In commercial buildings, points at energy utilities to carry out
institutional practices and which to demand-side management
organizational structures can increase energy activities.
inhibit investment in cost- efficiency in
effective, energy-efficiency buildings fall Mandatory standards and
projects. The process for into three codes developed at the national
approving capital and non- focal areas: and regional levels, and updated
capital (operations and (i) reducing periodically, address key-market
maintenance) projects, the heating, cooling, failures or inefficiencies, in this
methods for crediting energy ventilating, case, defined as situations in
cost savings within the and lighting which rational decisions taken by
organization, the level at which loads through market participants have led to
decisions are made, and the improved negative or suboptimal economic
financial criteria used to judge building outcomes for society as a whole.
proposed projects all have an design and The case of split incentives is
impact on the decision-making construction; (ii) increasing a main reason for introducing
process and can result in missed the efficiency of energy-using mandatory building energy-
opportunities to invest in cost- equipment through upgrades efficiency codes.
effective, energy-efficiency and replacement; and (iii) actively
projects. managing energy use in buildings. Minimum Energy Performance
Standards (MEPS) for major
The Opportunities Improving the energy efficiency energy-consuming equipment
should follow a structured are targeted at manufacturers,
Scaling up energy efficiency in process. There should be but supported by demand-side
buildings is a value proposition energy-efficiency promotion, promotions (e.g., rebate
for both mature and fast-growing reducing energy consumption, programmes for appliance
cities. Given that most of the alternative energy production, and replacement) implemented by
buildings in existence today improving the social awareness energy utilities or city authorities.
were constructed with little or through private initiatives that
inadequate attention to EE, the are supported by government
global building sector is a huge intervention. Furthermore, it is
untapped source for energy important to seek and identify,
efficiency gains. City authorities beyond the common methods
should aim to pursue EE measures and state-of-the-art technologies.
that make financial or economic Several examples for the future
sense, depending on local vision by commercial and
resources, on the basis of life cycle institutional buildings include,
cost and benefit. smart facades, intelligent
buildings, new insulating materials
Simple payback time is a which are cost effective and
quick means of evaluating the aesthetically acceptable, high-
financial attractiveness of energy- performance windows, etc.
efficiency measures. Many
energy-efficiency interventions Energy regulatory policies
can pay for themselves under formulated at the national or
five years, although their relative regional levels, address general
cost effectiveness depends on inefficiencies in energy markets.
factors, such as whether, they are Examples include policies to
replace general-pricing subsidies
MARCH 2017
needed services, including or retrofitted
retrofits, that can improve buildings, with targeted social-assistance
building energy performance. local climate schemes that require users of
Once improvements are conditions, and network-based energies be
identified, the customer may energy prices. charged based on metered
have to manage the efforts consumption. This would also
of multiple contractors. The entry introduce incentives encouraging
In commercial buildings, points at energy utilities to carry out
institutional practices and which to demand-side management
organizational structures can increase energy activities.
inhibit investment in cost- efficiency in
effective, energy-efficiency buildings fall Mandatory standards and
projects. The process for into three codes developed at the national
approving capital and non- focal areas: and regional levels, and updated
capital (operations and (i) reducing periodically, address key-market
maintenance) projects, the heating, cooling, failures or inefficiencies, in this
methods for crediting energy ventilating, case, defined as situations in
cost savings within the and lighting which rational decisions taken by
organization, the level at which loads through market participants have led to
decisions are made, and the improved negative or suboptimal economic
financial criteria used to judge building outcomes for society as a whole.
proposed projects all have an design and The case of split incentives is
impact on the decision-making construction; (ii) increasing a main reason for introducing
process and can result in missed the efficiency of energy-using mandatory building energy-
opportunities to invest in cost- equipment through upgrades efficiency codes.
effective, energy-efficiency and replacement; and (iii) actively
projects. managing energy use in buildings. Minimum Energy Performance
Standards (MEPS) for major
The Opportunities Improving the energy efficiency energy-consuming equipment
should follow a structured are targeted at manufacturers,
Scaling up energy efficiency in process. There should be but supported by demand-side
buildings is a value proposition energy-efficiency promotion, promotions (e.g., rebate
for both mature and fast-growing reducing energy consumption, programmes for appliance
cities. Given that most of the alternative energy production, and replacement) implemented by
buildings in existence today improving the social awareness energy utilities or city authorities.
were constructed with little or through private initiatives that
inadequate attention to EE, the are supported by government
global building sector is a huge intervention. Furthermore, it is
untapped source for energy important to seek and identify,
efficiency gains. City authorities beyond the common methods
should aim to pursue EE measures and state-of-the-art technologies.
that make financial or economic Several examples for the future
sense, depending on local vision by commercial and
resources, on the basis of life cycle institutional buildings include,
cost and benefit. smart facades, intelligent
buildings, new insulating materials
Simple payback time is a which are cost effective and
quick means of evaluating the aesthetically acceptable, high-
financial attractiveness of energy- performance windows, etc.
efficiency measures. Many
energy-efficiency interventions Energy regulatory policies
can pay for themselves under formulated at the national or
five years, although their relative regional levels, address general
cost effectiveness depends on inefficiencies in energy markets.
factors, such as whether, they are Examples include policies to
replace general-pricing subsidies
MARCH 2017
