Gandhinagar: The Gujarat Government has issued guidelines through the Energy and Petrochemicals Department and the Roads and Buildings Department to improve energy efficiency and reduce electricity consumption across all government, semi-government offices, boards, corporations and public buildings in the state.

As per the new guidelines, all lights, fans, air-conditioners and computer systems must be switched off after office hours, on weekends and on public holidays. Heads of offices will ensure that electrical equipment in vacant cabins, including those of officers on leave or on field duty, is also switched off.All major departments will appoint a nodal officer to monitor compliance.

Under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) guidelines, the default temperature of air conditioners in all government offices will be maintained at 24 degrees Celsius. Occupancy sensors and timer-based automation systems will be installed in office corridors, meeting rooms, parking areas and toilets. Water coolers will be switched off after 6 pm and turned on only after 9 am.

Conventional lighting in government buildings will replaced with energy-efficient LED lights. Future procurement will prioritize only 5-star rated electrical equipment.

In municipal corporations and municipalities, street lights will be connected to a Centralized Control Monitoring System (CCMS), enabling automatic operation based on sunrise and sunset timings. The government estimates this will save around 60 minutes of electricity consumption daily. Additionally, an experimental plan has been proposed to switch off alternate street lights during low-traffic hours between midnight and 4 am.

Posters promoting the use of stairs instead of lifts will be displayed in multi-storey government buildings. Departments have also been instructed to maximize the use of natural daylight and minimize artificial lighting during daytime.

Government offices with suitable open spaces have been asked to prepare plans for installing rooftop solar power systems. The Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) will inspect government buildings with existing solar installations and take steps to restore non-functional systems to ensure optimum power generation.

All departments are directed to prepare and submit an “Office Energy Efficiency Action Plan” to GEDA within 45 days. They will also be required to submit quarterly reports on energy consumption and undergo annual third-party energy audits.

Offices demonstrating outstanding performance in implementing energy-saving measures will be recognized and honoured by the government. DeshGujarat