In the fiscal year 2023-24, India has witnessed a remarkable surge in its renewable energy capacity, as reported by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy. The country added a record-breaking 18.48 GW, marking a significant increase of over 21% compared to the previous year’s addition of 15.27 GW.

The data showed that solar installations of 12.78GW led the renewable energy capacity addition of 15.27 GW in 2023-24, followed by 2.27 GW of wind energy. Read More

The European Union has formally adopted the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The legislation sets a framework for member states to reduce emissions and energy use in buildings, following a revised directive that was formally adopted by the European Council and the European Commission.

The EPBD mandates zero on-site fossil fuel emissions for new buildings and for publicly owned structures, effective January 1, 2028, and for all other new buildings by January 1, 2030. Read More

Under the Net Zero Buildings Initiative, Mahindra Group and Johnson Controls have launched a cost-free toolkit that will help building and facility owners learn about the best practices of sustainable buildings. The toolkit assesses building parameters, identifies  and implements  conservation measures. It also explains building regulations, available incentives, technology, financing models, and more.
As part of the initiative, Mahindra and Johnson Controls will collaborate closely with national and state governments, think-tanks, and industry associations. This partnership aims to provide visibility on building data for climate progress reporting and to formulate strategies and frameworks. Read More

India retained its third spot on the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual list of the top 10 countries and regions for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) in 2023. 248 projects, across both buildings and spaces, were certified for LEED in India covering 7.2 million gross square meters (GSM).  The ranking highlights India’s focus on climate change, with a particular emphasis on Green Development and the promotion of environmentally conscious practices. Through LEED, USGBC pushes the market toward high-performing buildings. Read More

The Delhi government has announced an updated Solar Policy for 2024. This revised policy, building upon the amendments made to the State Solar Policy 2016, aims to revolutionize solar adoption in Delhi. This initiative provides additional incentives to consumers opting for solar power generation as well as streamlining the approval processes. The policy represents various incentives such as zero electricity bills for domestic consumers and a drop by 50 percent for commercial and industrial consumers. Domestic consumers could also earn Rs 700-900 per month on the installation of rooftop solar panels. Read More

Karnataka has recently unveiled its “State Energy Efficiency Action Plan,” signaling a strategic transition from traditional to solar-driven electrification of buildings. The plan underscores the significance of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) star ratings for buildings, facilitating the incorporation of elements like energy-efficient lighting, HVAC systems, and renewable energy sources. The Action Plan is divided into two components: a 5-year short-term strategy and a long-term plan targeting significant advancements in energy efficiency by 2031. Read Karnataka’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan

The Sabarmati Multi Modal Transit Hub building in Ahmedabad, Gujarat has installed a 700 kWp solar power plant under the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) mode. The hub aims to provide connectivity to other modes of transport and has secured approval for Net- Metering in RESCO mode from Gujarat Energy Development Agency. The solar plant is expected to generate approximately 10 lakh units of green energy annually, with zero investment and maintenance costs incurred by National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) for 25 years. Read More

The Government of Maharashtra launched the “Maharashtra City Decarbonization Roadmap for Energy and Building Sector” for 43 Amrut cities of the state, in Mumbai.
In 2021, around 43 cities of Maharashtra committed towards Cities Race to Zero Campaign. The roadmap was prepared in partnership with C-40 and Environmental Design Solutions as technical experts; and it outlines a path to energy transition for the cities. The City Decarbonization Roadmap identifies strategies at city level for decarbonizing buildings and energy supply, along with strategies for building institutional capacity. Read More

Chief Minister MK Stalin inaugurated Phase-I of CapitaLand Investment Limited’s (CLI) International Tech Park, which is considered to be the first park certified by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) as ‘Net Zero’ – a rating for energy efficiency, water conservation, and waste management. Located along Chennai’s newest and fastest-growing IT corridors, the 5 million square foot business park will offer four Grade A office blocks with the capacity to house over 50,000 IT service professionals. Read More

Central Railway received the “Shunya Label” from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) for two Net Zero Energy Buildings (Senior Secondary Railway School and the Administrative Building of the Zonal Railway Training Institute (ZRTI)) on October 2023. The Administrative Building boasts a connected load of 288.48 KW, a built-up area of 6503 sqm, an annual energy consumption of 40,379 kWh, and an annual energy generation of 237,484 kWh. Its Energy Performance Index stands at (-) 30.3 kWh/sqm/year, and it has been awarded the “Shunya Plus” label. The Senior Secondary Railway School has a 42 KW connected load, a built-up area of 4,126 sqm, an annual energy consumption of 9,752 kWh/year, and an energy performance index of 2.36 kWh/sqm/year. It has been awarded the “Shunya” label. Read More

India’s demand for electricity to power household air conditioners is estimated to expand nine-fold by 2050 and will exceed total power consumption in the whole of Africa today, according to  the International Energy Agency (IEA).

In its latest World Energy Outlook 2023, IEA has predicted that  India will experience the largest energy demand growth of any country or region in the world over the next three decades.

It projected India’s energy supply to rise from 42 exajoules (EJ) in 2022 to 53.7 EJ in 2030 and 73 EJ in 2050 under stated policies scenarios and 47.6 EJ by 2030 and 60.3 EJ by 2050 as per announced pledges. Read More

The Government of India has launched a Standards & Labeling scheme for solar panels on October 20, 2023. The program was inaugurated by the Honorable Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, R. K. Singh. This initiative will make it easier for citizens to make informed and judicious decisions when purchasing solar photovoltaic modules. The star labeling scheme, prepared by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) for PV modules, will be effective from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025. Abhay Bakre, the Director General of BEE, stated that from now till the year 2030, at least 200 GW of solar panels are expected to be added. Read More