India has only four percent of the building that can be classified as ‘green,’ according to a smart cities indicator survey conducted by Ireland-based multinational, Johnson Controls.

However, 38 percent of buildings in India want to get the ‘green building certification’ in the future as compared to the global percentage of 44. Around 46 percent are willing to pay a premium to lease space in a certified green building in India as compared to 51 percent in the world.

Lack of private engagement, standards, and availability of funding were the top three barriers to investment in smart cities in Asia, the survey found. In comparison, the biggest barrier to investment in smart cities globally is the lack of proven business cases.

In India, lack of technical expertise to evaluate or execute projects and uncertainty regarding savings and performance were the top barriers for investment in smart cities. Lack of funding to pay for improvements was also one of the reasons that have impeded the investment.

The report lists five drivers – energy cost savings, greenhouse gas footprint reduction, increasing energy security, increasing building resilience, attracting/retaining employees, which make the energy investment decision.

The survey was conducted to track key drivers, organizational barriers, technology trends, and the status of smart city solution implementations around the world.

Over 330 cities across twenty countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States were covered in the survey.

As per the survey, cities are gradually looking to implement solutions that will drive growth, while providing safe, sustainable and resilient environments for their citizens.

The survey has listed five technology trends- the internet of things (IoT), data analytics, artificial intelligence/machine learning, cyber security, and systems interoperability standards, which will have the maximum impact on the implementation of smart city projects in next five years.

“India is getting a bit of a slow start, but it would be catching up. The most exciting data that we have is that 46 percent of the organizations in India are willing to pay a premium to lease space in a green building,” Clay Nesler, the Vice President of the Johnson Controls told PTI.

Recently, the Ministry of Power announced the ECO Niwas Samhita 2018, which is the Energy Conservation Building Code for residential buildings (ECBC-R). The implementation of this code is expected to boost energy efficiency in the residential sector, its occupants, and the larger environment by promoting energy efficiency in the design and construction of homes, apartments, and townships.

In January 2019, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency and the Central Public Works Department have signed a memorandum of understanding kickstarting their cooperation to promote energy efficiency in buildings.

Nitin is a staff reporter at Mercomindia.com and writes on renewable energy and related sectors. Prior to Mercom, Nitin has worked for CNN IBN, India News, Agricultural Spectrum and Bureaucracy Today. He received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Communication from Manipal Institute of Communication at Manipal University and Master’s degree in International Relations from Jindal School of International Affairs. More articles from Nitin Kabeer