Abstract
India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh (IPB) are the largest South Asian countries in terms of land area, gross domestic product (GDP), and population. The growth in these countries is impacted by inadequate renewable energy policy and implementation over the years, resulting in slow progress towards human development and economic sustainability. These developing countries are blessed with huge potential for renewable energy resources; however, they still heavily rely on fossil fuels (93%). IPB is a major contributor to the total energy consumption of the world and its most energy-intensive building sector (India 47%, Pakistan 55% and Bangladesh 55%) displays inadequate energy performance. This paper comprehensively reviews the energy mix and consumption in IPB with special emphasis on current policies and its impact on economic and human development. The main performance indicators have been critically analyzed for the period 1970–2017. The strength of this paper is a broad overview on energy and development of energy integration in major South Asian countries. Furthermore, it presents a broad deepening on the main sector of energy consumption, i.e., the building sector. The paper also particularly analyzes the existing buildings energy efficiency codes and policies, with specific long-term recommendations to improve average energy consumption per person. The study also examines the technical and regulatory barriers and recommends specific measures to adapt renewable technologies, with special attention to policies affecting energy consumption. The analysis and results are general and can be applied to other developing countries of the world.
Highlights
Global energy demand has been increasing exponentially at a yearly average rate of 2.2% since 1965.The world energy outlook has already predicted it to increase by 30% between today and 2040 [1,2].Among various regions in the world, South Asia is a major contributor, whose energy demand is Energies 2020, 13, 5776; doi:10.3390/en13215776 www.mdpi.com/journal/energies Energies2020, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of2 39 of 37[1,2]
Small changes in the building and material can make a big difference in energy consumption of the building in urban and rural areas, where people are unaware of efficient design and building codes [66]
The energy mix of IPB with special emphasis on energy consumption and its impact on economic growth and human development have been extensively reviewed in this paper
Summary
Global energy demand has been increasing exponentially at a yearly average rate of 2.2% since 1965. It is important to note that there is a long-term relationship between human development and energy consumption, and effective energy policy can play a significant role in substantial economic growth by providing a better standard of living. The varying climatic conditions with increasing population, economic development, and human growth in IPB countries have resulted in an increased demand for energy in the building sector. The study further attempts to explore the potential for RERs and energy efficiency in this energy-intensive region, with specific recommendations by re-addressing government policies to fully exploit RETs. The analysis and results are general and will go a long way in helping IPB, as well as developing countries, to overcome energy crises, with special emphasis on improving the energy performance of their building sectors.
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