FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Debashish Majumdar Managing Director, IREDA   The US Department of Energy and US Environmental Protection Agency introduced ENERGY STAR as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Computers and monitors were the first labeled products. Through its partnerships with more than 8,000 private and public sector organizations, ENERGY STAR delivers the technical information and tools that organizations and consumers require to choose energy-efficient solutions and best management practices. ENERGY STAR has successfully delivered energy and monetary savings across the country, saving businesses, organizations, and consumers about $12 billion in 2005 alone. In India, the Ministry of Power, Government of India, launched the Energy Labeling program in May 2006. This is a new beginning to the Indian energy efficiency sector with the introduction of energy labels for frost-free refrigerators and tubular fluorescent lamps. Other products would also become part of this system thereby providing a common energy-efficiency benchmark making it easier for utility companies and government agencies to offer consumers incentives to buy energy-efficient products. Another major milestone achieved by India is the Platinum Green Building rating by the USGBC-LEED (US Green Building Council - Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) awarded to ITC Centre, Gurgaon, Haryana. This is the highest rating in this category and ITC Centre is the largest Platinum rated building in the world. ITC is the first corporate house in India to have achieved this unique international distinction. The energy labeling program by the Government of India and the Platinum Green Building rating to ITC Centre mark the beginning of a new era for energy efficiency in India. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency is conducting further research to include other products under the labeling programs. Similarly, with the construction sector growing at a rate of 10 percent, it is required to showcase many more green buildings to sensitize the industry and other stakeholders on importance of EEC. It is with pleasure that I inform you that IREDA in the last one year through its capacity building training programs has sensitized over 500 bank officials and more than 400 other stakeholders including policy makers, NGOs, energy consultants, ESCOs among others active in the area of energy efficiency. Special training programs on EEC have also been organized to sensitize the industry professionals also. All these programs were organized in various parts of the country. Looking at the response of these agencies, IREDA is committed to continue this initiative to cover the entire country. Back