The SDC supports the Indian government’s efforts to reduce energy consumption in new commercial buildings. This project also helps to improve the skills of architects, building contractors, engineers and research institutes in the field of energy efficiency.

Background
In India, strong economic growth has led to an increase in the demand for energy. The building sector is booming, and many new buildings are being constructed in thriving sectors such as the commercial and retail trade, the hotel industry and the information technology sector. These buildings require enormous amounts of energy, also because of their air-conditioning systems. The energy consumption of commercial buildings has risen by 13% a year since 2003.

By using energy-efficient designs, materials and technologies, energy consumption in this sector could be reduced by around 50%. In 2007, the Indian government’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency adopted a voluntary energy standard for the construction of new commercial buildings. The SDC project supports the implementation of this standard.

Approach
In Switzerland the first energy efficiency programmes for the building sector were launched more than 30 years ago. It has become clear that rules and standards for energy use alone are not enough and must be accompanied by market development measures and the development of technical know-how among the most important industry players.

Switzerland’s many years of experience and its enormous technical and scientific expertise in the fields of energy and residential construction are exploited for this project to ensure the transfer of knowledge from Swiss to Indian specialists. Thanks to an integral approach, energy efficiency issues can be investigated in an early stage of the planning process.

Expected results

• The project supports the efforts of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency to improve energy efficiency in the growing building sector.
• The skills of various experts in designing and building energy-efficient buildings are further honed.
• The innovative project development approach makes it possible to adapt building designs with little effort, thereby achieving massive energy savings.
• New guidelines and tools help with the design of energy-efficient commercial and residential buildings.