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Net Zero Energy Building Movement in India - An Overview

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© 2016 IJSRSET | Volume 2 | Issue 5 | Print ISSN: 2395-1990 | Online ISSN : 2394-4099
Themed Section: Engineering and Technology

Net Zero Energy Building Movement in India - An Overview

V. Sumateja Reddy
Student of Architecture, IGBC Accredited Professional, AU College of Engineering, Andhra University, Andhra Pradesh, India

ABSTRACT
Worldwide Buildings consume up to 40% of the total global energy and 36% of carbon dioxide emissions. By the
year 2030, the consumption is expected to increase up to 50%. In India building sector consume a total of 70% of
the electricity generated in the country. Studies indicate more than 50% of energy is used in buildings for occupants
comfort like cooling and lighting. Energy consumption in the building sector will continue to increase until
buildings can be designed to produce enough energy to compensate the growing energy demand of these buildings.
Toward this end, many governments promote zero energy buildings. A zero-energy building is a building with zero
net energy consumption; it means the total amount of energy used by the building on an annual basis is equal to the
amount of energy produced on the site or off the site. These buildings do not increase the amount of greenhouse
gases and less impact on climate. This paper aimed at reviewing some literature on zero energy buildings in India
and suggests ways of improving the energy usage by the occupants.
Keywords: Net zero Energy Building, Design, Energy reduction strategies, Foot print, barriers, Advantages, Goals.

I. INTRODUCTION between 1980 and 2000, and is expected to increase

another 50% by 2025. Energy consumption in the
In India most of the energy used today is produced from commercial building sector will continue to increase
fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas, and a direct until buildings can be designed to produce enough
consequence of using these fuels is that greenhouse energy to offset the growing energy demand of these
gasses are released into the atmosphere, with one of the buildings. Toward this end, Indian government
most significant being carbon dioxide (CO2). These promotes Zero Energy Buildings concept, which greatly
gasses emitting infrared radiation, contribute to global reduced energy needs through efficiency gains such that
warming and climate change. In response to this threat, the balance of the energy needs can be supplied by
governments across the world have committed to renewable technologies. A building may be considered a
reducing greenhouse gas emission and increasing ZEB if 100% of the energy it purchases comes from
renewable energy production. India is the sixth largest renewable energy sources, even if the energy is
CO2 emission country (6.6%) in the world and generated off the site.
continued to increase by 7.8%. The increase in CO2
emission was mainly caused due to consumption of II. METHODS AND MATERIAL
energy which is primary demand of building sector.
Buildings have a significant impact on energy use and 1. Definitions of Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB)
the environmental impact. Buildings use almost 40% of
the primary energy and approximately 70% of the All NZEBs must have common in reduce energy
electricity. The energy used by the building sector consumption through energy efficiency measures such
continues to increase, primarily because new buildings as passive design, daylighting, efficient appliances,
are constructed faster than old ones are demolished. insulation, passive solar heating, high-efficiency heating,
Power consumption doubled in the building sector ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment,
natural ventilation etc. They are...

IJSRSET1625102 | Received : 17 October 2016 | Accepted : 25 October-2016 | September-October-2016 [(2)5: 360-363] 360
A. Net Zero Energy Cost Building: The electricity bill environment. NZEB’s achieve one key green-building
is covered every year by virtue of design and production goal of significantly reducing energy use
of energy at the site. and greenhouse gas emissions for the life of the
B. Net Zero Energy Emission Building: The energy building. Zero energy buildings may or may not be
emission is measured in mass of carbon- equivalent considered green in all areas, such as
greenhouse gas emissions related to energy use in the using recycled building materials, such as reducing
building. waste etc. However, zero energy buildings do tend to
C. Net Zero Source Energy Building: A building that have a much lower ecological impact over the life of the
purchases or produces as much energy for a year by building compared with other green buildings that
accounting the energy produced at the source. require imported energy and/or fossil fuel to be
D. Net Zero Site Energy Building: A building that habitable and meet the needs of occupants.
produces at least as much renewable energy as it uses
3. Towards Net Zero Energy Buildings
the energy, over the course of a year.
With a modest beginning of 9565m2 project area in the
2. Deference between Zero Energy Building and country in the year 2014 today (as on August 2016)
Green Building more than 7 NZEB projects (Table:1)with a footprint of
over 33,777 m2 projected area is certified and fully
The main goal of green building is to use resources
functional in India. They are…
efficiently and reduce a negative impact on the

Table 1. NZEBS foot print in India

Sno Name of Location Climate Projec Occupancy Typolo Grid EPI

the type t area type gy connectivity
Premises
1 Indira New Composite 9565m Office New Connected 44kWh/m2/yr
2
Paryavar Delhi &Educational
an
Bhawan
2 CEPT Ahmadaba Hot & dry 498m2 Office New Connected 58kWh/m2/yr
d &Educational
3 Akshay Haryana Hot &Dry 5100m Office New Connected 30Wh/m2/yr
2
urja
bhawan
4 ECB Noida,UP Composite 891m2 Lab New Connected 71Wh/m2/yr
5 Sun Bhopal Hot 918m2 Office-Private New Off grid -
Carrier &Humid
Omega
6 GRIDCO Bhubanes Warm & 15793 Office New Connected 90Wh/m2/yr
war Humid m2
7 Malankar Kerala Warm - Office-Private Old Connected -
a Tea &humid
Plantatio
n

4. Design Stratagy For Net Zero Energy Buildings conditions inside buildings. It harnesses environmental
conditions such as solar radiation, cool night air and air
The key to designing net zero energy buildings are first
pressure differences to drive the internal environment.
reducing energy demand as much as possible, and then
Passive measures do not involve mechanical or
choosing good energy sources. Here is a simple order of
electrical systems. An NZEB will only be cost-effective
operations.
if all the passive strategies Like Form & Orientation,
A. Passive Design
Shading, Cool Roofs, Fenestration, Insulation,
Passive design maximizes the use of natural sources
Daylighting, Windows, Natural Ventilation, Thermal
of heating, cooling and ventilation to create comfortable

International Journal of Scientific Research in Science, Engineering and Technology (ijsrset.com)

361
Mass, Evaporative Cooling, Thermal Comfort and Design of a building, climatic zone and operational
Vegetation are adopted in its design and construction. parameters governs the energy requirement for the
comfort system. Reducing heating and cooling loads
B. Lighting through passive design and enhancing the efficiency of
HVAC systems are steps that are imperative for any
Lighting energy accounts for more than a quarter of building energy efficiency policy. Apart from selecting
total energy consumption in buildings. It is therefore energy efficient equipment, it is important to select the
important to optimize lighting energy used to achieve correct system type, size, and design for optimized
net zero goals. Energy efficient lighting fixtures like energy efficiency.
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are now readily available
in the market. These must work in conjunction with day III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
lighting. Building form, orientation, and fenestration
design must take channel daylight into the building. Day 1. Advantages and Disadvantages Of NZEB
lighting controls as well as occupancy sensors could
further reduce lighting energy use. A. Advantages of zero energy buildings are

C. Efficient appliances  Client buildings Isolation for building owners from

future energy price increases.
Selecting the right appliances and good usage practices  Increased comfort due to more uniform interior
is reducing half energy load. Solar Appliances, Solar Lighting, temperatures.
Tubular Fluorescent Lamps (TFLs), Ceiling Fans,  Reduced total cost of ownership due to improved
Electric Geysers and Color Television are the right energy efficiency.
alternative to conventional appliances.  Extra cost is minimized for new construction
compared to an afterthought retrofit.
D. Renewable energy  Higher resale value as potential owners demand
more ZEBs than available supply.
Renewable energy systems are the final step to attaining  The value of a ZEB building relative to similar
zero energy goals. Once all possible measures to reduce conventional building should increase every time
energy demand are deployed, renewable energy systems energy costs increase
must step in to balance residual energy demand.  Isolation for building owners from future energy
Performance of renewable energy systems determines price increases
the success of the net-zero buildings. Total grid  Increased comfort due to more-uniform interior
connected renewable power capacity in India is 45,065 temperatures
MW as of August 2016(Ministry of New and  Reduced requirement for energy austerity
Renewable Energy-MNRE) i.e.; wind power: 27,674  Reduced total cost of ownership due to
MW (61.3%), Solar power: 8,083MW (18%), Bio- improved energy efficiency
power: 4,882 MW (10.9%), small hydro: 4,310MW  Reduced total net monthly cost of living
(9.6%) and Waste-to-Power: 115MW (0.3%).  Reduced risk of loss from grid blackouts
Economical Comparison shows that Wind Energy is
most economical among all renewable resources. India B. Disadvantages of zero energy buildings are
target 5 time (175MW) increasing renewable energy
capacity by 2020.  Initial costs can be higher than conventional
buildings
E. Heating, Ventilation and Air  Very few designers have the experience to build
Conditioning (HVAC) NZEBs.
 Challenge to recover higher initial costs on resale of
Comfort systems contribute to nearly 40% of the energy building.
used by commercial buildings in India. Many types of  Without an optimized thermal envelope the
HVAC systems are available in market ranging from embodied energy, heating and cooling energy and
low energy comfort systems to conventional systems. resource usage is higher than needed.

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2. Barriers/Challenges V. REFERENCES

The following are some of the barriers [1] https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-

greenhouse-gas-emissions-data
 Regulation and lack of political will [2] http://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/news_docs/jrc-2015-
 Business case and financing trends-in-global-co2-emissions-2015-report
 Lack of awareness and familiarity for design [3] http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/46382.pdf
professionals [4] IEA-PVPS Snapshot of Global PV 1992–2014
 Difficulty in finding trained contractors report, March 2015
 Insufficient knowledge base [5] http://www.nzeb.in/knowledge-centre/renewable-
 Lack of suitable variety and competitive market for energy/
high performance products [6] http://www.outbackpower.com/downloads/case_stu
 Lack of awareness of passive design and benefits dies/pdf/malankara.pdf
 Lack of experts capable of doing quality assurance [7] http://www.wbdg.org/resources/netzeroenergybuildi
ngs.php
IV. CONCLUSION [8] http://newbuildings.org/zero-energy
[9] http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid
Worldwide acceptance of zero energy building
technology may require more government incentives or
building code regulations, the development of
recognized standards, or significant increases in the cost
of conventional energy. The zero energy building
concepts has been a progressive evaluation from other
low energy building designs. Difficulty in finding
trained contractors and builders, lack of public
awareness, regulation and political agenda, financing
are not the barrier to achieve goal. .NZEB’s are the
good solution to significantly reducing energy use
and greenhouse gas emissions for the life of the building.
In 2007 UK Government introduced a policy stating that
from 2016 all new homes constructed must meet a Zero
Carbon Standard.

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