India: Ban Ki Moon visits country’s first Net-Zero Energy Building

United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday visited India’s first ‘Net Zero Energy’ consuming building – Indira Paryavaran Bhawan – which is constructed in such a way that it can meet most of its annual energy requirement through solar power.

Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar showcased the secretary general the salient features of the green building which comprises of India’s largest roof-top solar panel.

Javadekar is learnt to have also used this opportunity to reiterate India’s commitment to move on clean energy path using more and more solar and wind power in the next five years and assured Ban Ki-moon about his country’s willingness to work with other nations to have an equitable global climate deal in Paris later this year.

In fact, Ban Ki-moon had expressed his desire to see the green building when Javadekar had last met him during the UN climate conference in Lima, Peru in December, 2014 and explained him the features of the ‘Paryavaran Bhawan’ from where his ministry works. The building is located at Jor Bagh in South Delhi.

The building, which was dedicated to the nation by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh early last year, is focused on increasing the efficiency of resources like energy, water and materials while minimizing the impact of the building on human habitat and environment.

The ‘Net Zero Energy’ building – also called Net Zero Building – is a structure with zero net energy consumption where the total amount of energy used in the premises on an annual basis is more or less equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site.

The building – Indira Paryavaran Bhawan – is state of the art landmark building that is based on conservation of natural areas and trees to reduce adverse environmental impact, provide adequate natural light, shaded landscaped areas to reduce ambient temperature, maximize energy saving system and minimize operation cost by adopting green building concepts.

The building has the highest green building rating of ‘5 star’ of GRIHA of the Union ministry of new and renewable energy and also ‘Platinum’ rating of LEED India of Indian Green Building Council.

Architectural design of the building is primarily based on following concepts:

• Preservation of maximum possible number of trees standing over the site
• Solar Passive Architecture with proper orientation and shading of Fenestrations
• Appropriate building envelope design with envelope insulation to reduce heat intake
• Use of permanent, durable and local materials such as sand stone on exterior face, low heat transmission glass and reflective roofing
• Priority for pedestrians in the front, with vehicular access on the sides of the building
• Reduction of conventional lighting load by ensuring 75% day-light use
• Natural ventilation due to stack effect
• The building is designed in such a way that there is free ventilation across the entire building

Energy conservation measures:

• Utilization of High Efficiency Solar Panels to achieve Net Zero criteria. Energy efficient T-5 and LED fixtures
• Innovative chilled beam system for cooling
• Pre-cooling of fresh air from exhaust using heat recovery wheel in order to reduce load on chiller plant
• Water cooled chillers
• Double skin air handling units with variable frequency drives
• Geo thermal heat exchange technology used for heat rejection from Air-conditioning system
• Innovative energy saving regenerative lifts which have been installed for the first time in government institutional building

Source: Times of India