Sachin Sandhir is Managing Director & Country Head, RICS India. He can be contacted at ssandhir@rics.org
In order for future generations to witness our planet in all its splendour and glory, there is a conscious effort being made to create a world that will not only stand the test of time but also reduce its impact on the planet and its ecosystems. For such a building path it is essential that several concurrent strategies be adopted. So while building efficiently is definitely a crucial step in the sustainability agenda, even more critical is the use of energy sources that leave a lasting footprint.
Thus, energy efficiency and renewable energy sources are considered as the backbone of sustainable development. ‘Green Power’ greatly impacts power generation for the built environment, which usually is the most expensive feature of a building. However, the availability of adequate electricity is a major challenge for several countries throughout the world, with India no exception to this trend where current electrification percentage is less than 66%.
The demand for electricity continues to grow but the supply has not expanded that easily. Also, as a society we pay a significant environmental price for the production of electricity from most conventional sources. So while there is scope for renewables to play an active role in the overall strategy of improving the resources available for power generation and reducing GHG emissions, India still does not have enough electricity generated through such means.
The situation will further affect the ability of power companies’ to concur with the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission’s recent directive in Maharashtra, making it mandatory for all power utilities to purchase 6% of green power. If unable to do so, purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates designed on the lines of carbon credits has been stipulated. This highlights that ‘green electricity’ in India is still not as readily available as ‘brown’ supplies even though renewable energy resources are abundantly available.
Not all power companies provide alternative renewable supply products as switching to ‘green’ requires the factoring-in of time, cost, infrastructure and technical knowhow. Individuals and business organisations conscious of this fact have turned to ‘micro-power’ substitutes utilising technologies such as small wind turbines, solar power photovoltaic, biomass conversion systems, etc. which produce zero or low carbon electric power to be used in various buildings.
A range of constraints related to costs, information, technology and knowledge affect the wide-scale deployment of micro-power. However, the real estate and construction sector can play a pivotal role in overcoming these issues with the inclusion of such technologies in new homes and commercial complexes. This will have a positive impact on the demand and raise the profile of such technologies and turn them into routinely used products.
Micro-power can be the much needed catalyst for cultural change in consumer attitude towards sustainability, as has been witnessed in developed countries such as the US, UK, Japan and Australia. In India too there are signs of a growing consensus that a shift towards decentralised power production and tapping into our pool of renewable energy resources not only makes sense but is necessary if we are to become more energy efficient and less dependent on international energy suppliers and fossil fuels.
Site Map
COMMENT
Comment on this article