Ever mounting energy crisis, depleting oil & gas reserves, dipping down water tables are posing a serious threat to Pakistan’s industrial growth, economic progress and social development. This situation calls for adoption of all possible energy conservation measures and one of the most important measures to save energy is to ensure the construction of energy efficient buildings by using green building designs and technologies.

This was said by Zahid Maqbool, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) in a statement. He said according to the report of International Energy Agency, about 30-40 per cent of the worldwide energy is being used in building sector while up to 90 per cent of the energy is utilized during the operational stage of buildings for heating, cooling, and lighting purposes. However, he said, 20 to 30 percent of the energy consumed in buildings can be saved by using smart building designs and management.

He said overall lifestyle and construction pattern in Pakistan is highly energy inefficient proper attention is not paid to ventilation and air needs while constructing houses, which necessitates lot of energy use for cooling arrangements. He said total electricity consumption has touched 18,000 MW in recent times due to increase in use of electrical appliances while usage of air conditioners require additional 3,500 MW of electricity further widening demand and supply deficit. But adopting energy conservation measures in buildings could produce multiple dividends for the economy, he maintained.

Zahid Maqbool said the rising power crisis has jeopardized the future of Pakistan and called upon the PEPCO to launch a massive media campaign to educate consumers about energy conservation measures. Moreover, government must enforce modified building laws to ensure energy efficiency through its regulatory bodies.

He said the survival and growth of trade & industrial sector is dependent on uninterrupted power supply and stressed upon the construction companies as well as the building contractors to introduce energy efficient construction methods & designs in Pakistan to conserve maximum energy so that trade and industry could be saved from detrimental effects of energy shortage and economy could be put on sustainable track of development.