Energy Efficiency Enterprise (E3) Certifications Programme

• 13 Mar 2021

Why in News

The Ministry of Power has launched "Energy Efficiency Enterprise (E3) Certifications Programme for the Brick Manufacturing Sector".

• The E3 Certification Scheme is aimed at tapping huge energy efficiency potential in this sector.

Key Points

• About the Energy Efficiency Enterprise (E3) Certifications Programme:
  
  • E3 certification is an accreditation process focused on the Brick industry. The certification will be provided by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
    
    • It is an initiative to recognise burnt clay brick manufacturers who adopt energy-efficient manufacturing and encourage customers to source bricks from such E3 certified manufacturing units.
    • It will be awarded to Brick Manufacturing Enterprises that meet the minimum Specific Energy Consumption (SECVol) performance criteria specified in the Scheme.
    • It is a shift from conventional to efficient technologies and product shift towards low density bricks with better thermal insulation.
    • The adoption of the E3 Certification is currently voluntary for the Brick industry.
• Brick Manufacturing Sector:
  
  • Contribution in GDP: The brick sector contributes nearly 0.7% to the country's GDP, offers seasonal employment generation to over 1 crore workers, and has a strong influence on other economic sectors such as transportation and construction.
  • Market Size: India is the world's second largest producer of bricks and this demand is expected to multiply three to four times over the next 20 years, through the E3 Certification program.
  • Energy Consumption: The brick manufacturing industry consumes about 45-50 million tonnes of coal equivalent annually, amounting to 5-15% of the total energy consumption in the country.
    
    • The brick sector has the second largest potential for energy efficiency amongst the Indian industrial sector after steel and more than cement.
• Advantages of E3 Certification:
  
  • The implementation of E3 Certification will lead to multiple benefits:
    
    • Energy savings in the brick manufacturing process.
    • Improved quality of bricks.
    • Cost savings to builders.
    • Energy savings to occupiers of buildings due to better thermal comfort and improved insulation properties.
  • Energy saving of 7 Million Tonnes of oil equivalent (MTOE) per year and CO, savings of about 25 Million Tonnes by 2030 are estimated through adoption of E3 Certification by 7500 Bricks manufacturing units.
  • Modernization of Sector: The Scheme seeks to accelerate brick sector modernization, using market incentives to create customer demand to fulfil the vision for Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
  • ECBC Compliance: Energy efficient bricks will be useful in complying with the requirements of Energy Conservation Buildings Code (ECBC).

Bureau of Energy Efficiency

• Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Power which was setup in 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
  
  • It is mandated to implement policy and programmes in the area of energy efficiency and conservation.
• It assists in developing policies and strategies with the primary objective of reducing energy intensity of the Indian economy.
• Major Programmes: State Energy Efficiency Index, Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme, The Standards & Labeling Programme, Energy Conservation Building Code, etc.

Energy Conservation Building Code

• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency had launched Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2007 to establish minimum energy performance standards for buildings in India.
  
  • Buildings consume a significant proportion of our energy resources and the ECBC is an essential regulatory tool to curb their energy footprint.
• ECBC sets minimum energy standards for new commercial buildings having a connected load of 100kW (kilowatt) or contract demand of 120 KVA (kilovolt-ampere) and above.
• BEE has also developed a voluntary Star Rating Programme for buildings which is based on the actual performance of a building, in terms of energy usage in the building over its area expressed in kWh/sq. m/year.

Source: PIB