Context
- The Ministry of Power has launches Retrofit of Air-conditioning to improve Indoor Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency (RAISE) – a joint initiative of EESL and USAID.
RAISE Initiative
- Retrofit of Air-conditioning to improve Indoor Air Quality for Safety and Efficiency (RAISE) is a national programme to improve indoor air quality.
- It is launched by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the administration of Ministry of Power.
- It is developed for healthy and energy efficient buildings, in partnership with US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) MAITREE programme.
- The pilot focuses on improving indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, and energy efficiency (EE) in EESL office’s air conditioning system.
- It can potentially alleviate the issue of bad air quality in workspaces across the nation.
Why RAISE?
- Poor air quality has been a concern in India for quite some time and has become more important in light of COVID pandemic.
- As people return to their offices and public spaces, maintaining good indoor air quality is essential for occupant comfort, well-being, productivity and overall public health, the statement noted.
Back to Basics
MAITREE programme
- It is also a joint initiative of Ministry of Power and USAID which focuses on improving indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal comfort, and energy efficiency (EE) in office’s air conditioning system.
- The project has been started at EESL’s office.
- As per EESL, pilot project has shown very impressive results – about 80% improvement in Air Quality parameters with almost no implementation hassles.
EESL
- Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), under the administration of Ministry of Power, is working towards mainstreaming energy efficiency.
- It is implementing the world’s largest energy efficiency portfolio in the country.
- EESL aims to create market access for efficient and future-ready transformative solutions that create a win-win situation for every stakeholder.
About USAID
- USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results.