ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN INDIAN BUILDINGS: THE AUROVILLE EXPERIENCE

As India is beginning to feel the crunch of dwindling conventional energy sources, it is just only beginning to explore alternative sources. It is also poised to manage existing energy sources judiciously. As India’s economy continues to grow, the demand for energy increases exponentially, leaving exorbitant prices for commodities in its wake. Infrastructure and development has come of age in India in the past 10 years and the effect is visible in the form of townships, malls, multi-storied apartments. However, a less visible but nonetheless a more negative impact is felt by the surrounding environment and its individual entities. Energy conservation in buildings is an issue that needs to be addressed now. This has been addressed in western countries that have a different climate. The ECBC (India), TERI Griha, and the NBC (India) have indeed provided guidelines on how green buildings should be rated in India. Ideally, buildings should be both energy efficient and kind to the environment – this implies a minimal contribution to GHG. Energy calculations should therefore be presented in terms of CO2 emissions. Production of cement which is used in RCC contributes significantly to the atmospheric CO2 loading. These issues are being addressed by green architects, town planners, and other bodies at the decision-making level and green buildings are now being built all over the country. However, the only place where a holistic approach towards green architecture, sustainability, alternative energy utilization, environmental ethos comes together is the Auroville international township. Auroville is a model township experimenting with a new world-order – new architectural designs are being tried out, building forms and fabrics are currently being tested for their environmental friendliness. The ‘green’ combination of building orientation that facilitates infiltration, ventilation and natural lighting has found its mark in this township. A precursor to green architecture is a kind micro-climate – Auroville’s greening and rain water harvesting methods serve as a bench mark model in this regard. This report is being written as part of a taught course on energy efficient buildings (M. Tech in Construction Technology and Management). The report in a sense is a coming-together of time tested building practices with alternative practices adopted in Auroville