The building sector in India is responsible for over 30 percent of annual electricity consumption, and is second only to the industrial sector as the largest emitter of greenhouse gases. Around 75 percent of this electricity is used in residential buildings, and electricity consumption in such buildings has been rising sharply.
In addition, the housing industry in India is poised to grow at a rapid pace. The government Housing for All initiative, for example, plans to construct 20 million houses by 2022. This initiative will improve quality of life and help millions across India own their first home.
However, the growing housing demand will add to energy consumption challenges. Affordable homes that are constructed with energy efficiency in mind—with good design, careful selection of building materials and the right information provided to customers when they select their appliances—will perform better than conventional buildings.
Benefits of resource-efficient homes for occupants
- Adequate thermal comfort and reduced use of air conditioning
- Reduced energy consumption and electricity bills
- Naturally lit spaces
- Improved health and well-being of occupants
- Efficient planning of household budgets
The value of integrating green, affordable housing to address today’s restraints, as well as tomorrow’s challenges, is gaining increased awareness among government, the private sector and the larger community. Private-sector tools like the EDGE green building program are generating interest in India because they offer great potential to transform the residential market.
How EDGE can help
EDGE is a global green building certification program focused on making buildings more resource-efficient. It was created by IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, to address the challenges emerging markets face, such as lack of affordable green housing.
Through its free software application, EDGE empowers the discovery of technical solutions at the early design stage to reduce operational expenses and environmental impact. Based on design inputs and selection of green measures, the EDGE app quickly reveals projected operational savings and reduced carbon emissions.
Energy is a key module in the app. It highlights various strategies to address thermal comfort, ventilation, lighting and selection of building materials and electrical appliances. Project teams can choose energy efficiency measures they would like to incorporate from a ready-made list. Within minutes, a building designer can determine the optimum combination of design strategies for the best return on investment.
The benefits of EDGE for residential stakeholders
- Architects can define new design strategies for energy efficiency. This enhances the creative abilities of the whole project team.
- Developer sales teams may be able to achieve faster sales of EDGE-certified projects, as compared with conventional buildings, and enhance their brand over time.
- Contracting teams executing EDGE projects can share their expertise on efficient use of building materials and construction technologies.
- Materials manufacturers can thrive with numerous innovations for designing and developing building materials with low embodied energy.
- Policymakers can refer to case studies and best practices from among the nearly 140 nations using EDGE to promote their own goals. It also creates a healthy competition among various countries to constantly raise the bar.
- Financial institutions, including agencies that fund developers and provide home loans, can earn faster returns on investment and more appropriate repayment of home loans.
- Homeowners and families can enjoy the benefits of energy and water savings and healthy living spaces.
Interested in learning more about how EDGE can transform the residential market? Attend our upcoming EDGE event in Bangalore on April 25. Building industry experts and project teams will share their thoughts and experiences with EDGE.