How the Energy Management Centre (EMC) of Kerala has achieved a status of energy positive campus?

The Energy Management Centre (EMC), an autonomous institution under the Kerala government has achieved the status of energy-positive campus.
The ‘Global Status Report 2017: Towards a zero-emission, efficient, and resilient buildings and construction sector,’ published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has listed the EMC campus as one of the recent achievements in the deployment of key technologies for energy-efficiency in buildings.
The 40,000-square foot building is the only one from India to figure in the list, along with five other projects worldwide. The other projects are

• Sierra Crest development in Fontana, California.
• The Association of Nubian Vaults in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• A construction and demolition waste recycling project in Paris.
• The Palm Tree eco-development project in Hanoi, Vietnam.
• The Higashi-Matsushima Smart ecotown in northern Japan.

The EMC campus which has been built with the assistance of Global Environment Fund has achieved the distinction through

• The EMC campus uses daylighting controls, CFC-free heating, ventilation and cooling systems, along with a halogen-free fire-fighting system.
• Solar reflectance index coating, combined with high-albedo painting and turbo-vents for passive cooling, has been used, and tropical rainforest trees help create cool surroundings.
• It uses certified green construction materials, recycled wood boards, low-emitting paints and adhesives, and green-plus certified carpets.

Building-related carbon emissions have been rising by around 1% per year since 2010, and more than four million deaths are attributable to illness from household air pollution. The expertise and the learning’s from the EMC can aid India in making our buildings energy positive thus marking a journey towards the sustainable model of development.

Topics: GS-III: Conservation Environmental Pollution Degradation