Energy conservation guidelines for government office buildings in New Delhi

Abstract

New Delhi lies in a composite climatic zone, having distinct periods of cold dry, hot dry, hot humid and comfortable seasons in the year. Therefore, both space heating and cooling are required to maintain a constant degree of comfort. Being India's capital, New Delhi has over 50 central government office buildings. Typically, these are 5–10 storey buildings with similar activities and functions. Consequently, their energy-use patterns are likely to be similar. To estimate the potential for energy savings in these buildings, an energy audit was conducted on one of them at the request of the government. The study showed that significant energy savings could be effected by: 1. (a) efficient operation and utilization of the building systems; 2. (b) proper maintenance of window air-conditioning units; 3. (c) use of more efficient lightning systems; 4. (d) switching from radiant heaters to convective heaters. Some phenomena peculiar to Indian government office buildings have been identified, and measures to conserve energy have been suggested.