Building Energy Code of Pakistan

The Energy Crisis of the early 1970s resulted in a dramatic change in the planning and operation of construction activities in the developed countries, the emphasis being on optimal utilization of energy. In Pakistan, the last few years have witnessed the growing menace of energy shortage or 'load-shedding". Although it could be contributed to a slower rate of increase in our generation capacity, there are numerous other factors which have been widening the gap between demand and supply in all sectors of our economy, especially the building sector. A critical evaluation would reveal that most of the current buildings are not designed keeping in view local climatic conditions. Excessive use of concrete and glass, high levels of illumination and heavy reliance on space conditioning equipment are a common feature of our buildings. These buildings need extra energy to be made comfortable for their occupants. Although a Building Code of Pakistan exists, it does not address this issue. Therefore, the National Energy Conservation Centre (ENERCON), Planning and Development Division was requested by the Environment and Urban Affairs Division, to come up with a Building Energy Code, as an addendum to the Building Code of Pakistan