UTC, TERI Open Center to Promote Energy Efficient Buildings in India

United Technologies Corporation and The Energy and Resources Institute launched Wednesday a center to encourage the development of energy efficiency buildings in India.

UTC and TERI announced plans for the center in October.  

The Centre of Excellence for Energy Efficient Buildings opens as the Indian government introduces the Smart City Programme to address the challenge of rapid urbanization and the efficient use of energy resources. 

The center will work towards the development of an energy-use reporting framework for existing buildings, evaluation of the existing building energy rating systems, derivation of tool and techniques for energy management, real-time reporting of consumption and identification and cost benefit analysis of conservation measures. The center will have a core research agenda, according to Mili Majumdar, director of sustainable habitat at TERI.

Buildings account for 40 percent of the total energy consumption globally, according to TERI. Energy efficient technologies could reduce consumption by up to 60 percent. In India, the building sector accounts for about 35 percent of the nation’s total energy consumption and is growing at an eight-percent rate each year. 

A report released in 2013 by UTC, said improving energy efficiency in buildings by 30 percent would create a $275 billion market for advanced technology, engineering and design services, and construction activity in the US alone. The energy savings would generate $34 billion per year for American businesses, net of investment expenses, that could either be passed on to consumers or used to hire more employees or invest in R&D or expanded production