The Ministry of Power has issued draft amendments to introduce a mandatory building rating system for all new commercial, office and residential buildings with a proposed built-up area of 20,000 square metres or more. The proposal replaces the Energy Conservation Building Code Rules, 2018 with the Energy Conservation and Sustainable Building Code (ECSBC) Rules, following amendments to the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
Under the draft rules, eligible buildings must obtain a rating from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) or a BEE-registered rating agency. Existing certification systems such as Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA), Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Green and Eco-friendly Movement (GEM) will continue to operate after registering with the BEE. The BEE will introduce its own “BEE Star Rating” system, which links ratings directly to the level of compliance with the ECSBC. Buildings complying with ECSBC, ECSBC Plus and Super ECSBC will receive 3-Star, 4-Star and 5-Star ratings respectively. The minimum mandatory rating will be 3-Star under BEE and GRIHA, Gold under IGBC and LEED, and GEM-3 under GEM. Buildings will receive provisional and final ratings. Final ratings for commercial and office buildings will remain valid for ten years, while renewal for residential buildings will be voluntary.