UGC wants Universities to go Green

We are living in times wherein the majority of the cities across the world are looking for ways to promote renewable energy and reduce GHG (greenhouse gasses) emissions. In order to help make this planet a place worth living the UGC (University Grants Commission) is taking steps in its own unique ways. The UGC has invited proposals from all universities of the country, including Allahabad University (AU) to develop their campuses as green campuses during the 12th five year plan.

In order to prepare the master plan and DPR (detailed project report) an assistance of Rs five lakhs has been approved. The UGC secretary S S Sandhu has written a letter stating that the ministry of new and renewable energy, Government of India (GOI) has taken steps to develop green campuses under development of solar cities programme that aims at minimum 10% reduction in projected demand of conventional energy at the end of five years.

The UGC official has instructed that the buildings within the campus should be based on green building concepts to the extent possible. The energy and water audit of the entire campus should be carried by the institutions that send such proposals. In the proposed master plan sensors for lighting should be adopted and reflected.

Utilization of renewable energy system such as solar water heater, solar air conditioning, solar dryers, solar cookers, solar lantern, solar pumps, solar traffic signals, battery operated vehicles, hybrid systems etc. should be explored by the universities. Similarly solar cooking options should be utilized for hostels.

A master plan for the entire campus should be prepared with the agenda of reducing the fossil fuel based energy by 25% within the next five years. The institutions have also been exhorted to conduct awareness/training workshops in their respective campuses regarding renewable energy applications as well as taking suitable measures for energy conservation and energy efficiency. In addition to these steps the redesigning of the exteriors of the buildings with energy efficient material would also be explored.

Prof. K N Uttam, AU PRO stated,” AU administration has already started following the instructions of the UGC and to start with, varsity has commenced budgeting of the energy after which we would be conducting auditing of individual units wherein energy consumed and utilised would be audited.” The proposal would then be sent to the UGC, he said.