Constructing climate smart buildings

Project description

Title: Indo-German Energy Programme – Climate Smart Buildings (IGEN-CSB)
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: India
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India​​​​​​​
Overall term: 2021 to 2024

Construction site in Raikot (India). Copyright: GIZ

Context

India is at a unique crossroads where two thirds of the commercial and high-rise residential structures that will exist in 2030 are yet to be built. The Government of India has been implementing its flagship programme ‘Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U)’ since 2015 to address affordable housing needs in urban areas. The houses now being constructed will last for 50 to 60 years and will have the potential to impact resource usage during their lifetime. A significant portion of the projected electricity demand is expected to come from active cooling requirements from upcoming housing projects, thus making thermal comfort an imperative concept to be considered while designing and building homes.

Objective

The project is enhancing climate resilience and thermal comfort in affordable housing stock by adopting sustainable and low-impact design, materials, and the best construction technology available.

Approach

GIZ India in partnership with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India aims to foster sustainability in the built environment using sustainable materials for thermal comfort and in turn improve the environment and climate conditions. The key project activities are:

  1. Establishing cluster cells in lighthouse project states where pilot affordable housing projects are being built using innovative construction technologies.
  2. Developing the Thermal Comfort Action Plan 2050 and standards-cum-guidelines to enhance thermal comfort in affordable housing in India.
  3. Providing training modules on thermal comfort in affordable housing for five climatic zones in India.
  4. Creating a replicable design catalogue for each climatic zone to mainstream thermal comfort in affordable housing.
  5. Supporting the mainstreaming of upcoming and innovative building technologies through international university collaborations.

Last update: April 2022

Logo of CSB (Climate Smart buildings). Copyright: GIZ

Additional information