New building energy code being developed

[Naveed Yaseen]

The National Energy Conservation Centre (Enercon) is working vigorously to upgrade and update its Building Energy Code to promote energy-efficient building design and retrofits.

The Building Energy Code was devised in 1989, which was very well received by the builders and architects. The code is now being updated with a new vision. In this regard, the Enercon has demonstrated a potential of 30 per cent savings in the building sector, through its pilot projects.

The potential savings can be realized through energy efficient building designs and by retrofitting and modifying the existing buildings. The building sector is a major consumer of energy resources, with its lighting, heating and air-conditioning loads, especially in extreme climatic zones of the country.

BEC will encourage and facilitate introduction of energy audits in commercial and community buildings. Enercon also organised a national workshop on building energy code on February 11, 2009, at Islamabad, which was attended by renowned architects and engineers and developers from all over the Country. The workshop deliberated on various components of BEC and came up with recommendations and comments for the implementation of BEC in the country.

The new building energy code would encourage adoption of energy efficient considerations in the household; evaluate building and insulation materials for the energy efficient characteristics with report to different climatic zones and promote their adoption nation wide; encourage use of energy efficient equipment, fixtures and appliances in buildings.

This would also promote through relevant authorities, energy efficient building design; ensure compliance with building energy code; develop and update a building energy code for the country and institute measures for its compliance; promote use of energy efficient HVAC and lighting practices in buildings; develop appropriate database/MIS with respect to energy conservation in buildings.

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