An Efficiency Benchmark for the Building Industry

Buildings account for over one third of global energy consumption and are responsible for an equally significant amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In the Indian context, with rapid urbanization and growing energy demand, it is essential to make sure that the upcoming building stock is built in the most efficient way. The fact that 70% of the India of 2030 is yet to be built provides a great opportunity for the building industry fraternity to transform the way buildings are designed and to adopt a sustainable approach. Though renewable energy sources like solar photovoltaic (PV) are getting cheaper by the day and are witnessing tremendous growth, it is important to understand that the first step to being sustainable is to bring down the demand (energy, water, materials, etc.) through resource efficiency measures, and the second step is to meet the demand through renewables, recycling, etc.