BEEN launches knowledge resources for promoting energy efficiency in Nepalese building sector

The Building Energy Efficiency in Nepal (BEEN) has launched what it called three pivotal knowledge resources aimed at improving energy efficiency in Nepalese building sector.

These resources include the Baseline Report on Operational Energy Consumption in Buildings, the Manual for Energy-Efficient Building Design and the By-Laws for Energy-Efficiency in Buildings of Dhulikhel Municipality, 2080 BS.

BEEN, funded by the European Union under the SWITCH-Asia Grants Programme, is a 4-year project led by the University of Innsbruck, Austria in partnership with MinErgy Pvt Ltd, Nepal, Greentech Knowledge Solutions Pvt Ltd, India, and Asociación Española de Normalización (UNE), Spain.

It was informed at the knowledge resources launching programme held here on Thursday that rapid addition of 1.24 million houses over a decade to reach 6.67 million by 2021 with the residential sector consuming over 60% of the national energy has resulted in the higher carbon footprint of building stocks in Nepal.

The comprehensive baseline study shades light on the current construction practices and operational energy consumption across different building typologies in the four bio-climatic zones of Nepal. The baseline report has been developed for the first time through a survey of over 1,220 residential buildings, 121 hotels/resorts, and 120 day-use office buildings to gather data on construction practices and energy consumption, aiming to develop passive design guidelines, tools, standards, and manuals for energy efficiency.

Speaking on the occasion, Suyesh Prajapati, Team Leader of the BEEN Project highlighted the key findings of the current scenarios of energy consumptions in operation of buildings. He said for each bioclimatic zone and building typologies, the report provides comprehensive information on the key findings on building characteristics; energy consumption, particularly on energy use, source, and end-use device for space heating, cooling, and lighting; Energy Performance Index (EPI); iv) use of renewable energy; and perception and awareness on energy-efficiency, underlining the need for tailored strategies to enhance energy efficiency in Nepal's building sector.

 As per the Manual for Energy-Efficient Building Design, in Nepal, rapid urbanization and market demands have led to building designs that neglect local climates, causing increased energy consumption and discomfort. The Manual aims to educate designers on designing energy efficient buildings, emphasizing climate-responsive design and passive principles relevant to Nepal's diverse climates.

Ms Saswati Chetia, Technical Coordinator of Greentech Knowledge Solutions of India highlighted the key contents of the manual. This manual also seeks to improve thermal and visual comfort while reducing energy consumption, addressing the challenges through better construction technologies, roof assembly, walling techniques, natural ventilation, insulation of walls, and window glazing, framing, and shadings among other strategies.

Unveiling the Dhulikhel by-laws that incorporates EE and RE measures, Ashok Kumar Byanju, Mayor of Dhulikhel Municipality highlighted that a significant policy breakthrough has been done paving the way towards energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) provisions. "This landmark legislation serves as an example for sustainable urban development practices across Nepal," he added.

Attended by the mayor or deputy mayor, and technical representative, the session featured speakers as Ms Sunita Dangol, Deputy Mayor of Kathmandu, Nawa Raj Dhakal, Executive Director, Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), Dr Marco Gemmer, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Nepal, Er Prakirna Tuladhar, Joint Secretary of Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC), Dr Maheshwor Dhakal, Joint Secretary of Ministry of Forests and Environment (MOFE), Kamal Prasad Bhattarai, Joint Secretary of Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Professor Dr Wolfgang Streicher-Vice Rector of University of Innsbruck, and Dr Daniel Neyer, Project Leader of BEEN Project.

Bhattarai and Dr Gemmer jointly launched the Baseline Report on Operational Energy Consumption in Buildings. The manual was jointly launched by Er Tuladhar and Dr Gemmer. The By-Laws for Energy-Efficiency in Buildings of Dhulikhel Municipality, 2080 was launched by Mayor Byanju.

It is said these launches represent a major milestone in Nepal’s journey towards building design and construction that provides thermal comfort and improved quality of life through integration of renewable energy and energy efficiency strategies in the buildings.