Energy Conservation Building Code

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) was established under the Ministry of Power of the Government of India with the primary objective of decreasing India’s energy intensity. 

It is estimated that nearly two thirds of the commercial and high rise buildings that will exist in India in 2030 are yet to be built. This means that the demand for energy in buildings is also going to increase rapidly. Keeping this in view, and the target of reducing the emissions intensity by 33-35 per cent by 2030 as committed in the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), the ECBC will play an increasingly important role in India’s contribution toward curbing climate change. 

The 12th Five Year Plan for the period between 2012 to 2017 laid out an ambitious target of making 75 per cent of all new constructions in this period ECBC compliant, and reducing the energy consumption of 20 per cent of all existing buildings through retrofits. An ECBC compliant building is estimated to consume nearly 40% to 60% less energy as compared to simulations of comparable non-compliant building.

The primary aim of ECBC is to decrease the energy consumption of buildings. It sets energy efficiency requirements for energy efficient design and construction for buildings with a connected load of 100 kW or more, or a contract demand of 120 kVA or more.

The ECBC was developed at the Central Government level but it is not mandated yet. It is on voluntary adoption basis, with the power and responsibility of its enforcement resting with individual states.

The ECBC targets design and construction practices for new commercial buildings and complexes with a connected load of 100 kW or more, or a contract demand of 120 kVA or more. Buildings with a conditioned area of more than 1000 m² generally fall into this category.

Requirements for existing buildings are triggered when additions to the existing structure are made and total conditioned area then exceeds 1000 m², or when alterations to existing buildings are made. The alterations to and addtions of new systems shall broadly comply with the requirements of new constructions, with certain exemptions.

The code takes into its ambit the following building systems:

• Building envelope
• Mechanical systems and equipment including heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems
• Service hot water heating 
• Interior and exterior lighting
• Electrical power and motors

The ECBC does not specify any MEPS levels or energy efficiency requirements for the targeted actions. It does, however, mention mandatory and prescriptive requirements for each targeted building system, in addition to trade-offs and a whole building method. For example, for HVAC systems the mandatory requirements state that:

1. the building shall have natural ventilation design compliant with the National Building Code,
2. equipment must meet certain minimum efficiencies, 
3. controls like timeclock control, temperature control etc. must be incorporated,
4. piping and ductwork shall meet given R-value standards,
5. system balancing must be in accordance with standard practices, and
6. condensers must be located away from heat discharging areas and shall be fed treated water.

Prescriptive requirements for this system include:

1. Incorporation of economizers
2. Incorporation of variable flow hydronic systems

Whole building performance (WBP) method for HVAC systems elaborates on simulation and modeling techniques for HVAC systems, including zoning, sizing, air flow rates, losses, equipment parameters etc.

Similarly for lighting, mandatory requirements include the incorporation of lighting controls. Prescriptive requirements include lighting power density (LPD) limits on types of spaces. The WBP method gives specifics to be included in modeling, like LPD levels, controls, and minimum lamp efficacies.

Relevant target groups

• Architect The ECBC gives design and construction requirements, in addition to the whole building performance method, for a low-energy building, including mandatory and prescriptive requirements for the building envelope. Hence, at the design stage the architect plays an important role in using materials and techniques that meet the mentioned requirements, keeping in mind the local climate and site orientation.
• Construction company The construction companies bear the responsibility of meeting ECBC compliances according to the building owner’s expectations, and ensuring quality of the materials being used.
• Installation contractor To comply with relevant Indian and international codes in terms of installation, performance, testing and quality of equipment is the responsibility of the contractors. The code refers to relevant Indian and international standards wherever needed and requires compliance with these codes for various systems, for example, IS 13129 for solar water heater systems, ASHRAE 90.1-2004 for cooling equipment, NBC 2005 for natural ventilation etc.
• Property development company The responsibility of ensuring compliance of building systems with the ECBC rests with the property development companies and builders, in terms of meeting the budget requirements of energy efficient measures and hiring relevant expertise. Hence, understanding the code is important for these companies and building owners too.
• System supplier Greater availability and affordability of code compliant standardised systems depend upon the suppliers of these systems. This can encourage building owners to adopt greener practices.
• Building permission authorities The mode of implementation of ECBC involves various agencies which have to amend the Code according to state-specific requirements and notify it. The Code addresses this process by making the Code flexible in terms of compliance methods.
• Governmental actor Government bodies such as the Urban Local Bodies, which includes municipalities, the Legislative assembly etc. have a major role in implementing the ECBC’s provisions and are major influencing actors.

Direct beneficiaries

• Property development company

  Property development companies benefit from complying with the ECBC since in some states the local authorities introduced tax rebates for projects complying with the ECBC. This was done to encourage developers to adopt ECBC. Reduced operating costs can also be a benefit to development companies in some business models. Green construction can also be rewarded with free floor-area ratio (FAR), which is the ratio of constructed floor space allowed on a given plot area, over and above what the building laws already allow. Extra construction space without expense would directly translate into extra revenue for the owners.

• Investor

  These actors benefit due to reduced operating costs and utility bills.

• Tenant

  Tenants benefit due to reduced operating costs and utility bills.

• User

  Users are benefit due to reduced operating costs and utility bills.

Indirect beneficiaries

• Manufacturer

  Manufacturers of building envelope materials, and standardised systems and components, which meet the ECBC requirements would benefit from a push by the local authorities toward ECBC compliant buildings.

• Engineering consultant

  If the ECBC compliance method being opted for is the whole building performance method, energy consultants will play a major role in calculating the energy use of a building and in improving the energy performance.

• Energy Service Company

  In some business models making sure that the building conforms to the building energy performance standards laid down during initial calculations would be the job for energy service companies. Market for these companies would also increase with the implementation of ECBC.

Relevant barriers

• Technical barriers: Lack of technical expertise with the urban local bodies responsible for implementing the code hinders its adoption. Apart from this lack of relevant software for energy calculations, and the training to use this software, also presents a challenge to concerned professionals. Testing procedures and equipment for testing and validating building equipment are also not well established. Relevant actors are architects, engineers, developers and manufacturers (Meredydd Evans, 2014).
• Knowledge and information barriers: Lack of information amongst building owners and other stakeholders regarding implementation and benefits of the ECBC is the most important barrier. The conception that implementation of ECBC would not make business sense is also a consequence of this barrier. The BEE has undertaken code training sessions for stakeholders to overcome this barrier. Relevant actors are developers, building owners and user and construction companies.
• Organisational barriers: The authorities responsible for implementation, enforcement and market surveillance of ECBC are often ill-equipped to effectively enforce ECBC implementation. Since the code was drafted at the Central level and is to be implemented by the state authorities, better coordination between these bodies is also required. Stronger incentives to encourage compliance with the code are also required, with best cases being propagated and rewarded. Relevant actors are the urban local bodies.

Relevant incentives

• Saved energy costs: The Code benefits the users by lowering the operating costs of the building. An compliant building is estimated to consume nearly 40% less energy than a comparable ECBC non-compliant building.
• Contribution to protection of the environment: Lower energy consumption of buildings helps decrease the national energy intensity of the country, while also reducing carbon emissions.

The Energy Conservation Act was passed by the Government of India with the overall goal of decreasing India’s energy intensity. This Act set up the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the Ministry of Power (MoP) in March 2002 to formulate and facilitate policies and measures geared toward achieving this goal. In 2007 the BEE launched ECBC, providing design and construction requirements for energy efficient buildings.

The BEE is also running a program for star rating of energy efficient buildings, in which a building is awarded a star rating between 1 to 5 stars based on the building’s Energy Performance Index (EPI). Till 2014, 150 commercial buildings had been awarded a star rating under various building typologies. A tool has also been developed by the BEE, in partnership with Eco-III, which allows a user to determine the baseline EPI for their building based on its type, area, occupancy etc.
The UNDP-GEF BEE project seeks to facilitate implementation of ECBC through capacity building programs, like stakeholder workshops and training for professionals, developing user manuals and guides, and assist state governments in reviewing building bye-laws to incorporate ECBC measures.

In addition to the government notification for implementation of ECBC in their respective states, the BEE, along with the UNDP-GEF funded project ‘Energy Efficiency Improvements in Commercial Buildings’, has taken significant steps toward assisting governments in speeding up the implementation of ECBC by overcoming informational and financial barriers, and capacity building. Educating architects and engineers about implementation of the code and its benefits has been an important tool for pushing adoption of the ECBC forward.

In the 12th Five Year Plan, for the period between 2012 and 2017, an ambitious target was set to make 75% of all new commercial buildings in this period ECBC complaint, and retrofit 20% of all existing buildings.

The Code is innovative in its approach as in the development stage of the building code detailed life-cycle cost analyses were carried out to ensure that the code reflected practical efficiency measures across five different climate zones in India. This makes it easier for municipal bodies of different climate zones to implement the Code within its own local bye-laws.

Further, the Code also provides options for compliance to its provisions, like the mandatory and prescriptive approach, where system-wise measures have to be implemented for each specified building system. The second option is the whole building performance method, which uses computer based energy simulations to determine the energy performance of a building as a whole at the design stage of the building.

In addition, the state governments can amend the provisions of the ECBC to suit the local climatic conditions. These amendments are passed by the state Legislative Assembly before notifying the ECBC for incorporation in the building bye-laws.

The implementation of the ECBC has to be undertaken by the individual state actors, like the governments and the urban local bodies. The process of implementation of the ECBC must be streamlined for efficient and timely implementation. Inclusion of multiple bodies slows down the process.

The scheme must also have a robust reporting structure so that data of compliant buildings and energy saved by these buildings can be made available, and assessments in the progress of the scheme can be done to draw up suitable action plans. This would also help generate greater confidence in the ECBC.
Providing tax incentives based on performance benchmarks and achievements could lead to a greater penetration of energy efficiency measures and practices. 

It has been proposed that municipalities offering ECBC compliant building rebates on property tax or other incentives to increase the participation rate to comply with the code. Another option is to
allow a greater floor-area ratio (FAR) or building height according to the compliance level.

The policy package can be further optimized mainly through capacity building.

Lack of technical expertise amongst enforcing authorities and requisite technical tools amongst building system professionals present major hurdles to effective implementation of the Code. Through capacity building and training of professionals, and awareness toward benefits of implementation of the Code, the package can be significantly optimized for effective adoption and implementation.

The implementation itself must be streamlined by easing up the process. Compliance with the Code must be encouraged through financial and/or other incentives.

Agencies or other actors responsible for implementation
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency, under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, is responsible for design and revisions of the Code. The implementation at the national level is under the Ministry of Urban Development. The enforcement of the Code is the responsibility of the state governments and the urban local bodies, including the municipalities.

Funding
There is no specific funding requirement for the implementation of the Code, as its provisions are incorporated within the building bye-laws themselves.
The BEE has provided significant funding to capacity building programs in partnership with the UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). 

Test procedures
Testing facilities for materials and building equipment are needed to provide owners with accurate estimations of performance. These are still lacking in the Indian situation. Energy simulation software and training is also lacking amongst building professionals.

1. The Energy Conservation Building Code, like all policies in India, was developed at the Central government level, by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, whereas the responsibility of implementing lies with the state governments. 
2. The Ministry of Power launched the Code in June, 2007. The process of implementation the Code will starts in individual states after a notification by the state government to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). 
3. Post notification the ULBs, which includes local municipalities, will accommodate the code’s provisions into the General Development Control Regulation (GDCR) document, which is the framework for the local bye-laws.
4. The modified GDCR will then have to be passed by the state’s Legislative Assembly.
5. Once the document is passed the ULB can notify its Town Development Office to incorporate the changes into the building bye-laws and implement it on ground.

Quantified target

The Code itself does not specify a quantified target for energy savings or compliance. The 12th Five Year Plan, however, set the target to make 75% of new commercial constructions ECBC compliant in the target period, and retrofit 20% of all existing commercial buildings. There would be a saving of approximately 5.07 billion kWh of electricity accrued to this target (Bureau of Energy Efficiency, n.d.).

Monitoring

BEE monitors the implementation of the ECBC through the ECBC Program Committee (EPC), which periodically reviews inconsistencies with the Code and comments from various groups of stakeholders. The ECBC was also revised in 2008 after the launch of the first version in 2007, taking into account these factors.

Evaluation

There is no evaluation and no figures available giving and estimate of the actual energy savings accrued to the implementation of the ECBC. However, an ex-ante evaluation was conducted with the following results:

• The ECBC User Guide claims that according to computer simulations, an ECBC compliant building can consume 40% to 60% less energy as compared to an ECBC non-compliant building. It also states that nationwide implementation of ECBC can save approximately 1.7 billion units of electricity annually (USAID Eco III Project 2011).
• However, other research shows that, for a sample four star hotel building, implementation of ECBC can yield savings of maximum of 37.2%, with a payback period of 2.39 years. Further implementation of stronger and cost intensive energy efficiency measures can save a maximum of 61.75% energy with a longer payback period of 4.22 years (Rajesh Chedwal 2015).

Dynamic market transformation and or innovation

Since the ECBC’s provisions are incorporated within the local building bye-laws the Code seeks to implement behavioural and organizational changes in the construction industry. With the implementation of ECBC the baseline of commercial buildings’ energy performance will be pushed upward. 

The Code also encourages innovation in modifying and optimizing the Code’s provisions to the local climate.

Avoiding lost opportunities
The ECBC applies to both new constructions and retrofits, which means that the buildings being constructed now and will be in use for the decades to come will be energy efficient, and the buildings that have been in use can also be made more energy efficient through the Code’s provisions. Hence, the Code does seek to correct the retrospective loss of energy that could have been avoided by using energy efficient building systems. If the ECBC compliant retrofits are made the lock-in effect can be considerably corrected.

Minimising rebound effects
The Code does not take measures to minimise rebound effects.

Minimising snap-back effects
Since the ECBC’s provisions are incorporated into the building bye-laws these will make sure that as long as the building and its systems are in use they will be operated in an energy efficient manner, provided they are maintained properly. 

Minimising free-rider effects
The policy does not take account of the free-rider effect.

Creating spill-over effects
ECBC does not aim at maximising spill-over effects.

1. Technical: A lack of expertise amongst the implementing bodies result in a slower process of implementing the Code. 
2. Knowledge: Building owners often presume that complying with ECBC will not make business sense. A lack of knowledge about benefits of energy efficient buildings is thus, a major barrier. 
3. Organizational: Since the Code is designed at the Central level but it is to be implemented at the State level, organizational procedures and lack of coordination present a hurdle to brisk implementation.

The process of overcoming these barriers involve capacity building, in terms of training professionals in using relevant energy simulation software and testing facilities, code training to all stakeholders to proliferate benefits of complying with the Code, and technical support to government bodies responsible for implementing the Code.

The 12th Five year plan of the Government of India aims at saving 5.07 billion kWh of electricity through implementation of ECBC between 2012 and 2017. The Code itself, however, does not specify any savings target to be achieved by a target year.

Nationwide mandatory compliance with ECBC could achieve a savings of 1.7 billion kWh annually. 

The aim of the 12th Five Year Plan is to make 75% of all new commercial constructions that start in the period between 2012 and 2017 ECBC compliant, and to retrofit 20% of existing buildings.

As of October 2016 nine states and one Union Territory (UT) out of India’s thirty states and six UTs have notified the implementation of ECBC in their respective jurisdictions. This covers roughly 50% of the new construction activity estimated to take place in India in the coming years. 

Ten states have amended the ECBC to suit their local conditions and are making progress toward notification. 

The rest eleven states and five UTs have not made any progress on the ECBC yet (UNDP-GEF-BEE Project 2016). 

The savings accrued to notification of the Code are not yet available in the public domain.

At an average rate of INR 5 per kWh that is charged in India for commercial electricity consumption, a saving of 5.07 billion kWh between 2012 and 2017 through ECBC compliance targets would achieve a savings of nearly INR 25.4 billion.