Haryana Plans To Make RE Installations In Large Commercial Buildings Mandatory

Haryana govt has now issues draft rules on energy conservation building code (ECBC). Photo by-Pexels

The Haryana government has now released its draft notification on Haryana Energy Conservation Building Code (HECBC) Rules. It has asked the stakeholders and public to send their comments on the draft rules to finalize the state ECBC rules. It comes after around five years when the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) put forth its ECBC rules to pave the way for energy-efficient buildings in India.

The Haryana ECBC rules cover all commercial buildings with a connected load of 100 Kilowatt (Kw) or more. These rules mandate such buildings to install energy-efficient measures in design and ensure the mandatory installation of renewable energy to offset some parts of their power demands. 

According to the ECBC rule book of BEE, such category of buildings must make a provision to reserve around 25 percent of their roof area for renewable energy and also ensure that at least one percent of their peak demand is taken care of by these renewable sources of energy. It is anticipated that with the compliance of the rules, more commercial buildings in the state would witness higher deployment of renewables on their campus. 

The new draft rules, named Haryana Energy Conservation Building Code Rules 2022, mandate all commercial buildings with a connected load of 100 Kw or more to imbibe energy efficiency provisions. The rules ask the building owners to apply to the state government to seek permission, submit plans for energy conservation, get the designs approved by BEE-appointed auditors, and ensure inspection of their premises for compliance. 

The rules said that the owners of such buildings must ensure making the right building envelope, comfort systems and controls, lighting and controls, electrical and renewable energy systems to ensure compliance. These rules are also applied to those buildings which undergo additions or alterations, leading to an increase in their connected power load up to 100 Kw. 

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The rules said that the owner who wanted to erect or re-erect a building or make additions/alterations in any structure in the category needed to submit an app; application to the concerned authority and also submit relevant documents to support their claims of compliance. Only after getting approval the owners could start their construction. 

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The HECBC draft rules also have made provisions to constitute a HECBC Implementation Committee which would be headed by the Haryana Chief Secretary or his nominee and comprise all stakeholders, including a nominee from BEE, to oversee the issue. It has also proposed a technical committee to look into the technical aspect of the issue.