sustainability

Article
Net-Zero Energy Campuses in India: Blending Education and
Governance for Sustainable and Just Transition
Balaji Kalluri 1 , Vishnupriya Vishnupriya 2, * , Pandarasamy Arjunan 3 and Jay Dhariwal 4

1 School of Computing and Data Sciences, FLAME University, Pune 412115, India; [Link]@[Link]
2 School of Built Environment, Massey University, Auckland 0632, New Zealand
3 Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India; samy@[Link]
4 Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi 110016, India; jay@[Link]
* Correspondence: [Link]@[Link]

Abstract: This study addresses the urgent need for comprehensive climate education amid a climate
emergency. Human (energy) behaviors are developed from childhood and early adulthood. This
study hypothesizes that transcending a nation’s net-zero energy ambition can be accomplished
through experiential education. An Urban Governance Lab plus nEt-Zero Energy league model
is introduced. Various behavioral interventions are designed based on the principles of serious
games. Discussions provide rich narratives on how a nation with so many diverse communities can
forge a rapid net-zero transition. The blended multi-disciplinary STEM education can drive energy
citizenship in campus-like communities. A scenarios-based analysis demonstrating the potential of
the proposed model in shaping energy behavior in young citizens leading to net zero is presented.
The results from the scenario analysis present optimistic evidence underlining how campus-like
communities driven by bottom-up initiatives can realize net-zero ambition beyond hope.

Keywords: behavioral interventions; climate education; league model; net-zero transition; sustainability

1. Introduction
Citation: Kalluri, B.; Vishnupriya, V.;
Arjunan, P.; Dhariwal, J. Net-Zero India has emerged as a frontrunner in the global fight against climate change, with
Energy Campuses in India: Blending remarkable progress in meeting its mitigation commitments. The country’s energy sector,
Education and Governance for responsible for 73% of greenhouse gas emissions, is leading these efforts. By 2050, India
Sustainable and Just Transition. is expected to have around 800 million urban dwellers and at least seven megacities
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87. https:// surpassing 10 million people by 2030 [1]. India targets to achieve a per capita consumption
[Link]/10.3390/su16010087 of 3000 kWh annually by 2040, with 60% of this demand being met through non-fossil
fuel-based sources. However, India’s urban population is set to double by 2050, and there
Academic Editors: Zufen Wang,
Wei Zhang and Wentao Wu
is a projected tripled demand for residential electricity [2]. In line with the International
Energy Agency’s “Net Zero by 2050” mission, numerous initiatives from the government,
Received: 24 August 2023 industry, and academic research have aimed to achieve net-zero emissions in India in
Revised: 10 November 2023 recent years.
Accepted: 1 December 2023 The government initiatives primarily focus on developing and implementing policies
Published: 21 December 2023
through various building rating systems and codes [3]. For example, the Indian Green
Building Council (IGBC) started voluntary ratings of net-zero energy buildings in 2018. It is
voluntary in nature to rate net-zero buildings based on energy performance improvements
Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.
and the usage of renewable energy sources. It gives up to 25 percent weightage to the use
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. of renewable energy in addition to focusing on the energy-efficient design of the buildings.
This article is an open access article Solar-grid, rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are a central pillar of government
distributed under the terms and initiatives in Indian, and several studies have been conducted in this area [4,5].
conditions of the Creative Commons Furthermore, with the support of the Ministry of Power in 2021, the Bureau of Energy
Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// Efficiency (BEE) introduced the “Shunya labelling” program as an exclusive certification
[Link]/licenses/by/ to promote net-zero and net-positive energy buildings in India [6]. This program aims to
4.0/). recognize the building owners who contribute to fulfilling India’s net-zero mission. Under

Sustainability 2024, 16, 87. [Link] [Link]

Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 23

Sustainability 2024, 16, 87

to promote net-zero and net-positive energy buildings in India [6]. This program aims to
2 of 23
recognize the building owners who contribute to fulfilling India’s net-zero mission. Under
this program, two types of labels have been proposed: Shunya and Shunya+. The Shunya
label
thisisprogram,
awarded totypes
two net-zero energy
of labels havebuildings
been proposed:with Shunya
an Energy Performance
and Shunya+. Index (EPI)
The Shunya
ranging
label isfrom 10 toto0 net-zero
awarded kWh/m energy
2 /year. On the other
buildings withhand, the Shunya+
an Energy labelIndex
Performance is given(EPI)to net-
2 /year. On the other hand, the Shunya+ label is given to
positive
ranging energy
from 10buildings,
to 0 kWh/m which are either those with an EPI below 0 or buildings that
net-positive
generate moreenergy
energybuildings,
than theywhich are either
consume. Figurethose with an EPI key
1 summarizes below 0 or buildings
characteristics of sev-
that generate more energy than they consume. Figure 1 summarizes
eral high-energy performance buildings and facilities indicating the prevalence and key characteristics
of several high-energy performance buildings and facilities indicating the prevalence and
growth of net-zero energy transition across the nation. The trends analysis suggests that
growth of net-zero energy transition across the nation. The trends analysis suggests that
organizations, including private and public offices, residences, educational institutions,
organizations, including private and public offices, residences, educational institutions,
andandmanufacturing
manufacturing industries,
industries, have have embraced
embraced sustainability
sustainability and adopted
and adopted climate-sensi-
climate-sensitive
tive building designs in the past decade. Furthermore, our observations
building designs in the past decade. Furthermore, our observations suggest that expe- suggest that ex-
periential guidededucational
riential guided educationaltours tours have
have been
been institutionalized
institutionalized by Environmental
by Environmental Design Design
Solutions
Solutions (EDS)
(EDS)since
since 2019.
2019. Through
Through these theseinitiatives
initiatives
andand their
their potential
potential for integrating
for integrating
more
more renewableenergy
renewable energy sources,
sources,IndiaIndiaaims
aimsto to
achieve approximately
achieve approximately40% of40%
totalofelectricity
total electric-
itythrough
throughclean energy
clean energy sources
sourcesby 2030.
by 2030.

Figure 1. An overview of high-performance buildings (HPB) and facilities in India (Source:

Figure 1. An overview of high-performance buildings (HPB) and facilities in India (Source: [Link]
[Link], accessed on 23 August 2023).
[Link], accessed on 23 August 2023).

Research
Researchfor for net-zero goalsfocuses
net-zero goals focuses on issues
on issues related
related to finance
to finance [7], governance
[7], governance [8], pol- [8],
policy [9],strategies
icy [9], strategies to minimize
to minimize energy
energy loss,Some
loss, etc. etc. Some
studiesstudies have identified
have identified key strat-
key strategies
to realize the net-zero mission in India [10], which include engaging with
egies to realize the net-zero mission in India [10], which include engaging with citizens, citizens, engaging
with thewith
engaging energythesector
energyworkforce, pricing carbon,
sector workforce, deploying
pricing carbon,low-cost finance,
deploying and going
low-cost finance,
and going beyond co-benefits. In contrast, others focused on energy consumptionasreduc-
beyond co-benefits. In contrast, others focused on energy consumption reduction, such
developing strategies to enhance energy efficiency in high-rise office buildings [11].
tion, such as developing strategies to enhance energy efficiency in high-rise office build-
Research has shown that behavioral factors such as social norms, personal norms, emo-
ings [11].attitudes, trust, and skills significantly influence high-level decision-making related
tions,
to Research has shown
energy policies that behavioral
[12,13]. Integrating factors such factors
socio-psychological as social
intonorms,
energy personal
policies can norms,
emotions, attitudes,
lead to more trust,
effective andand skillsoutcomes.
efficient significantly influenceHong
For instance, high-level decision-making
et al. [14] reported that re-
lated to energy
raising policies
awareness among[12,13]. Integrating
residential end-users socio-psychological factors factors
and improving behavioral into energy
through policies
non-monetary intervention strategies can save up to 20% of energy.
can lead to more effective and efficient outcomes. For instance, Hong et al. [14] reportedWang et al. [15] catego-
rized
that intervention
raising strategies
awareness among to shape targets and
residential facilitateand
end-users behavioral change
improving into positive
behavioral factors
motivational, coercive, and incentive-based techniques. Stephenson
through non-monetary intervention strategies can save up to 20% of energy. Wang et al. et al. [16] suggested
[15] categorized intervention strategies to shape targets and facilitate behavioral change
into positive motivational, coercive, and incentive-based techniques. Stephenson et al. [16]
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 3 of 23

that interactions among material culture, energy practices, and norms are significant factors
that shape and reinforce occupants’ energy behaviors. According to Hansen [17], studies
have demonstrated that exposure to certain types of homes and living spaces during child-
hood and early adulthood can shape energy consumption behaviors. Dubois et al. [18]
emphasized households’ significant role in the context of carbon emissions. By inducing
changes in attitudes, norms, or practices, it is possible to influence consumption habits,
thereby generating incentives for additional voluntary changes to arise [19]. It is important
to undertake a systematic approach to gathering qualitative data and analyzing local com-
munities to understand the growing global population’s values, ingrained behaviors, and
needs and predict their energy practices, needs, and usage.
According to the International Energy Agency’s report, “Net Zero by 2050”, a com-
bination of efficient energy use, resource efficiency, and changes in behavior is necessary
to offset the increasing demand for energy to achieve the goal of net-zero emissions by
2050 [20]. Implementing energy policies that effectively balance economic development
with environmental sustainability requires the consideration of socio-psychological fac-
tors in decision-making. Hence, India requires a holy grail approach that involves the
participatory engagement of urban citizens who can actively contribute to addressing
the increasingly complex energy sustainability goals. Thus, it is vital to integrate socio-
psychological factors into holistic energy policies to achieve sustainable development goals
and address challenges associated with rapid urbanization and industrialization.

2. Existing Models and Framework

The Sustainable Solutions Development Network (SDSN), under the global initiative
of the United Nations, offers a guide and toolkit for universities worldwide to race to net
zero [21]. It provides guiding principles for each stage of the campus decarbonization
journey. The accompanying online toolkit provides examples of resources that can support
the planning and implementation of decarbonization efforts across several stages, includ-
ing energy, mobility, facilities, waste and recycling, procurement, and beyond-campus
operations of college and university campuses worldwide.
To assess climate action in Indian cities, the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Frame-
work 2.0 evaluates cities based on 28 indicators across five thematic areas, including Energy
and Green Buildings, using a 1 to 5 stars rating system [2]. Another framework exists
for net-zero-carbon cities and net-zero buildings. The framework in [22] encompasses
the entire lifecycle of buildings, evaluating their potential for self-sufficiency by utilizing
local natural resources. The findings from this research indicate that the sustainability
assessment is most influenced by two key factors: the building’s lifespan and the behaviors
of its occupants. The existing research has a framework for sustainability design and
decision-making of net-zero buildings [23], which did not consider the behavioral aspects
and their impacts and indicated it as a study limitation. Another research with a framework
for net-zero carbon building integrates Building Information Modelling and Digital Twins
to achieve it [24]. To achieve energy efficiency in urban energy planning, a framework was
developed taking into consideration energy, environmental, and social criteria [25].
A recent study on the Indian community establishes a framework centered on a
community-oriented energy-analysis approach. It introduces a decision-making framework
to assess the feasibility of building retrofit schemes across residential communities. The
primary objective of the research was to assess the viability of community solar rooftops,
emphasizing the concept of achieving net-zero energy consumption within residential
buildings [26]. Another study identifies that relying solely on energy efficiency measures
will not suffice to meet carbon emission reduction goals [27]. A framework has been
created to chart the elements associated with such buildings to address this necessity. This
framework is intended to be a valuable tool for sustainable designers working on new
construction projects and retrofitting existing buildings.
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 4 of 23

2.1. Net Zero at Universities

Worldwide, universities are taking numerous measures to achieve the net-zero carbon
goals on their campuses. Universities are undeniably significant energy consumers glob-
ally, leading to noteworthy economic and environmental consequences [28]. Universities
are progressively reassessing their strategies and techniques to enhance the promotion of
efficient and sustainable energy utilization on their campuses [29]. In fact, campus-like
communities are naturally conducive environments for co-creation and innovation. Nu-
merous universities have diminished their carbon footprint by incorporating intelligent
energy-monitoring systems and harnessing renewable energy sources [30]. Curtin Univer-
sity’s Green Wave and Curtin Net Zero projects have focused on exploring how universities
could implement strategies for achieving net-zero energy and decarbonization goals while
simultaneously fostering stronger community and business partnerships. Massey Univer-
sity partnered with the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ) with a
zero-carbon agenda for building professionals. The educational institution and industry
work hand in hand to empower students to become change agents in the industry through
their Building Capability to help the Construction Industry Transition to Zero Carbon
program, where students work on Zero Carbon projects. Some educational institutions
introduce electricity energy-efficiency programs for entire universities, such as the Institut
Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) in Indonesia, which has implemented the Smart Eco
Campus program since 2011, aiming to promote electricity energy efficiency and create
a safe environment [31]. The National Energy Conservation and Emissions Reduction
Competition for college students is a well-received environmental-social practice in China.
It provides a platform for students to showcase their creative inventions and investiga-
tions regarding environmental issues. Taking place annually, students form teams and
participate voluntarily in the competition. The competition serves as a strong motivation
for college students, who dedicate around six months of their spare time to prepare for
it. Students actively engage with the community during this period, collect data, identify
problems, and explore effective solutions. This student-driven initiative aims to modify
college students’ behavior to reduce their carbon footprint, benefiting the environment.
To enhance the understanding of energy conservation and foster a culture of energy-
saving behavior, it is recommended that long-term environmental education campaigns
be implemented across all higher educational institutions based on a study from Kuwait
University. This would ensure a continuous and sustained effort in promoting energy
conservation knowledge [32]. Introducing ecological footprint calculators as part of a
master’s course in environmental psychology helped South African university students
understand, change, and measure the environmental impacts of their daily activities [33].
Similarly, introducing energy lectures improved the students’ attitudes and intentions
toward energy-saving behaviors at a Portugal University [34].
In the US, many universities have taken numerous measures, such as sustainability
training and self-management techniques, resulting in a boost in participants’ efforts
to conserve energy. A notable contrast between students’ initial energy consumption
and their energy consumption after a workshop and training session was observed [35].
In another US campus, staff received training and monthly emails containing a graph
summarising their building’s energy use during the previous months and were asked to be
volunteers for energy interventions, resulting in a significant decline in energy use relative
to before intervention [36]. At Otago University in New Zealand, interventions using visual
prompts, feedback, and incentives to promote behavior change in relation to electricity
usage showcased the effectiveness of utilizing interventions [28].
Universities can broaden their influence by incorporating net-zero and other sustain-
ability principles into their two primary areas of operation: research and education. Such
integration and implementation would contribute to developing practical and innovative
solutions to address climate change effectively in India. The literature review shows a lack
of a framework model for university campuses in India for achieving zero-carbon goals.
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 5 of 23

2.2. Knowledge Gap and Contributions

There are existing frameworks (e.g., SDSN), models (e.g., Smart Eco Campus pro-
gram, Green Wave, and Curtin Net Zero), and climate education programs [33–36] that
empirically demonstrate the potential to make campus-like communities net-zero energy
worldwide. Likewise, in India, accomplishing net-zero goals within the residential commu-
nities has been explored [26]. Our literature study presents a clear knowledge gap in this
regard. Just and successful governance of net-zero transition in campus-like communities
in India requires blending indigenous and global approaches. In this context, our study
makes the following contributions to the scientific body of knowledge. Firstly, it proposes
new indigenous and creative interventions (tailored appropriately to the Indian context).
Secondly, it exemplifies how to blend them appropriately with other socio-behavioral
interventions under one framework. Finally, a scenario analysis is presented to test the
viability of meeting net-zero energy goals, especially for campus-like communities in India.
Furthermore, this study underlines driving the momentum through comprehensive educa-
tional outreach and engagement efforts. The goal is to facilitate the widespread adoption of
such groundbreaking models across campus-like communities in India.

3. Proposed Model
This study introduces the prototype of an UrbaN Governance Lab plus nEt-Zero
Energy (UNGLEE) league model. The proposed model stems from the concept of Energy
Citizenship, which attempts to reimagine the role of every urban citizen as an actively
engaging agent in the energy transition proposed in [37]. Energy citizenship is a concept
that refers to the active engagement of individuals, communities, and organizations in the
management, conservation, and generation of energy resources, as well as in the decision-
making processes related to energy policy and sustainability. Energy citizenship recognizes
that energy is a critical aspect of modern life and that individuals and communities have a
role to play in shaping how energy is produced, consumed, and governed. The UNGLEE
draws ideas such as gaming, guided walks, competitions such as hackathons, datathons,
etc., and blends them to co-create a gourmet of climate derisk interventions and action
plans led by young citizens. As the name suggests, UNGLEE (when translated into Hindi)
is synonymous with “showing a direction” and shall serve as a reference to how to seed
responsible innovation in the minds of young citizens during their tertiary education,
allowing the space and time for them to nurture, enabling them to co-develop ideas, pilot
and implement net-zero energy interventions/solutions within a campus-like ecosystem,
use a digitized data-driven governance platform to monitor their impact over time, and thus
validate their efficacy. Studies recommend that universities implement a comprehensive
multi-vector approach based on evidence from which the university campus scale benefits.
Thus, there is a need to necessitate a deliberate co-evolutionary process based on adaptive
governance, utilizing a feedback loop model, advancing participatory action research, and
improving the effectiveness of government policies towards zero carbon [38].
UNGLEE is a generic model for transitioning into a realistic net-zero energy future by
focusing on the three core principles:
• Digitization of everything, including infrastructure, information, resources, and pro-
cesses, which are otherwise either unaccounted or accounted for in logbooks/registries;
• Democratization of information leading to actionable insights by relevant stakeholders
in various capacities leading towards open innovation and energy citizenship;
• Decarbonization of the built environment.
The proposed model presented in Figure 2 is like the five guiding principles of SDSN:
commit, assess and organize, plan and strategize, implement and innovate, and monitor
and evaluate.
 • Decarbonization of the built environment.
The proposed model presented in Figure 2 is like the five guiding principles of SDSN:
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 6 of 23
commit, assess and organize, plan and strategize, implement and innovate, and monitor
and evaluate.

Figure 2. An
Figure2. An overview
overview of
of the
the proposed
proposedUNGLEE
UNGLEEmodel
modeltailored
tailoredto
tocampus-like
campus-likecommunities.
communities.

The
Thedata-driven,
data-driven,decentralized,
decentralized,participatory
participatoryapproach
approachuponuponwhich
whichUNGLEE
UNGLEEisisbuilt
built
is
is generic in that it applies across the scale of buildings, communities, and urban
generic in that it applies across the scale of buildings, communities, and urban areas.
areas.
For
For instance, atthe
instance, at thebuilding
buildingscale,
scale, digitizing
digitizing energy
energy useuse together
together withwith
somesome analytics
analytics shall
shall enable categorizing energy consumers and designing intelligent
enable categorizing energy consumers and designing intelligent behavioral-change behavioral-change
interventions/campaigns in partnership with utility companies to improve energy effi-
interventions/campaigns in partnership with utility companies to improve energy
ciency by feeding back insights to every household. Likewise, next-generation real estate
efficiency by feeding back insights to every household. Likewise, next-generation real
management firms such as APNAComplex are already digitizing a lot of information at a
estate management firms such as APNAComplex are already digitizing a lot of
community level, e.g., apartment complexes in Indian cities. Combining aggregated energy-
information at a community level, e.g., apartment complexes in Indian cities. Combining
usage information, for example, at Block A, B, and C levels, can allow them to run digital
aggregated energy-usage information, for example, at Block A, B, and C levels, can allow
campaigns combining rewards to motivate change in energy-use behavior among residents
them to run digital campaigns combining rewards to motivate change in energy-use
in each housing complex block without intruding into individual households’ privacy. At
behavior among residents in each housing complex block without intruding into
the scale of a city, urban local bodies, in partnership with regional schools, can possibly
individual households’ privacy. At the scale of a city, urban local bodies, in partnership
employ students as grassroots-level ambassadors of change in energy behavior amongst
with regional schools, can possibly employ students as grassroots-level ambassadors of
households (e.g., in the case of the southwest council in Singapore) to design successful
change in energy
long-term energy transition
behavior amongst
[Link]
However, (e.g., in the
in this casediscussions
study, of the southwest council
deliberating
in Singapore) to design successful long-term energy transition campaigns.
the application of the proposed model shall consider campus-like communities. However, in
this study, discussions deliberating the application of the proposed model shall consider
campus-like
3.1. communities.
Digitization
The proposed model described in Figure 2 exemplifies the application details in
3.1. context
the Digitization
of campus-like communities, which are quite prevalent across the country,
The proposed
including boarding model
schools, described in Figure
universities, 2 exemplifies
townships, large IT theparks,
application details in the
etc. Regarding the
context of phase,
digitization campus-like
certaincommunities,
key information which are to
relevant quite
campusprevalent across
facilities the country,
and infrastructure
including
should boarding as
be digitized schools, universities,
the first townships,
step. This includes large IT on-site
appliances, parks, etc. Regarding
renewables, the
num-
digitization phase, certain
ber/type/function/use ofkey information
buildings (e.g., relevant to campus
hostel, faculty facilities
housing, and infrastructure
lecture theatres, and
shouldoffice),
faculty be digitized as area,
gross foot the occupancy
first step. pattern,
This includes
other key appliances, on-sitefeatures
building design renewables,
(e.g.,
number/type/function/use
glazed of buildings
and mechanical ventilation), and (e.g.,
keyhostel,
facilityfaculty housing,features
management lecture theatres, and
(e.g., access
faculty office),
controls gross footmodes).
and ventilation area, occupancy
In additionpattern,
to the other
above, key building design
information features
pertinent (e.g.,
to energy
usage,
glazeduser
and interaction,
mechanical and energy behavior
ventilation), and keyoffacility
occupants (e.g., howfeatures
management much students use
(e.g., access
energy
controlsinand
hostels and energy-intensive
ventilation equipment
modes). In addition to the in faculty
above, labs). Typically,
information information
pertinent to energy
relevant to energy
usage, user use inand
interaction, theenergy
campusbehavior
community can be easily
of occupants (e.g.,digitized,
how much collected,
studentsand use
stored through longitudinal surveys, IoT sensors, and micro-surveys via wearables.
The digital energy usage information from multiple sources forms a rich foundation
to stimulate the design and implementation of community-driven, engaging behavioral
interventions on campuses involving students, faculty members, and staff. It is typically
facilitated by a centralized campus estate building management system such as Siemens
Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 7 of 23

Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 7 of 23

Desigo CC or Apogee, which forms one of the key sub-systems for governance in the pro-
posed model. The BMS, together with another high-level analytics engine and application
layer,
Desigotypically constitutes
CC or Apogee, whichthe coreone
forms of the net-zero
of the energy governance
key sub-systems system
for governance in the con-
in the
text
proposed model. The BMS, together with another high-level analytics engine and applica-of data
of the proposed model. These two sub-systems allow the democratization
fostering
tion layer, atypically
greaterconstitutes
degree of the culture
core ofofthe
innovation that allows
net-zero energy co-creating,
governance system in piloting,
the and
context of the
validating proposed
creative andmodel. These twodesigned
thoughtfully sub-systems allow the democratization
behavioral interventions. Data of data,
collection
fostering
can a greater degree
be performed of culture
in a number of innovation
of ways, such asthat allows
surveys orco-creating,
wearables piloting, and Build-
from people.
validating creative and thoughtfully designed behavioral interventions.
ing and resource use can be tracked using sensors that serve as the foundation Data collection canof an IoT
be performed in a number of ways, such as surveys or wearables from people. Building and
network, as they are embedded within physical devices to detect and collect data from the
resource use can be tracked using sensors that serve as the foundation of an IoT network, as
surrounding
they are embedded environment [39]. devices
within physical Smart to meters can collect
detect and provide
datausers with
from the important infor-
surrounding
mation on energy usage [40].
environment [39]. Smart meters can provide users with important information on energy
usageAnother
[40]. example of digitization is providing cheap smart plugs and energy monitors
to students
Anotherto measure
example their operational
of digitization energy
is providing consumption
cheap smart plugsas a part
and energyof monitors
a course on sus-
to students to measure their operational energy consumption as
tainable habitat design at IIT Delhi, India (Figure 3). Energy usage measurement a part of a course on helped
sustainable
the students habitat design
to know at IITto
where Delhi, India (Figure
prioritize 3). Energy
their energy usage measurement
reduction efforts. Theyhelped
were curious
the students to know where to prioritize their energy reduction efforts.
about how much energy is wasted in standby mode while we keep laptops, televisions They were curious
about how much energy is wasted in standby mode while we keep laptops, televisions,
microwave ovens, etc., connected to the mains. They also experimented with an air con-
microwave ovens, etc., connected to the mains. They also experimented with an air
ditioner (AC) setpoint with a PZEM-014 energy monitor to find out how much energy is
conditioner (AC) setpoint with an energy monitor to find out how much energy is saved
saved this
this way. For way.
a 1.5For
tonainverter-based
1.5 ton inverter-based AC, consumption
AC, the power the power consumption
for a setpointfor a setpoint
of 30 ◦C of
30
vs. °C
23 vs.
◦ 23 °C
C was 0.8was
kW0.8
vs. kW vs. 2.2
2.2 kW, kW, respectively,
respectively, when usedwhen used
in Delhi in in Delhi in2023.
September September 2023

Figure
Figure [Link]
Behavioral interventions
interventions helping
helping with climate
with climate education:
education: digitization
digitization with energy with energy moni-
monitors
tors forsetpoints
for AC of 23 ◦ Cofand
AC setpoints °C◦and
23 30 30left),
C (top °C (top left), trekking
multi-day multi-day trekking
to reduce to reducebehaviors
consumption consumption be-
haviors (top
(top right), right), immersion
immersion with Jain
with Jain monks monks
leading leadingcooling
to reduced to reduced
needscooling
(bottomneeds (bottom
left), Jain monkleft), Jain
monk
(bottom(bottom
center), center),
and highand highto
window window
wall ratiotoin
wall
Jainratio in Jain
Sthanak Sthanak
(bottom (bottom right).
right).

3.2. Interventions
There are several indigenous interventions that can propel university campuses to-
wards zero-carbon goals in India. The examples selected for this study (as presented in
Figure 3) are from the literature review, observations, research studies by the authors, and
feedback from university students, as explained in this section.
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 8 of 23

3.2. Interventions
There are several indigenous interventions that can propel university campuses to-
wards zero-carbon goals in India. The examples selected for this study (as presented in
Figure 3) are from the literature review, observations, research studies by the authors, and
feedback from university students, as explained in this section.
The students of the course on sustainable habitat design at IIT Delhi visited Jain
monks who do not use any operational energy. The monks explained how they lead a life
in sync with nature and made suggestions for how the students could reduce their energy
consumption. Some of the suggested techniques that do not use electricity include sleeping
in an airy place, moving to a cooler room in summer, and using a wet cloth for evaporative
cooling. The students were asked to fill out a thermal comfort survey while they were there
with the monks. The thermal comfort index, UTCI, was in the strong heat stress range
with a value of 33 ◦ C, but the majority of the eight students felt a neutral thermal sensation
corresponding to a UTCI between 18–26 ◦ C (Figure 3). This could lead to a reduction in
their energy consumption behavior for cooling, which is rising rapidly in a warming planet.
It is also to be noted that the Jain Sthanak building had a very high window-to-wall ratio
to promote cross ventilation. One of the students said that the monk made her realize
how altering their lifestyle is possible and can help conserve nature. Some of the other
students were also asked if multi-day trekking helped in reducing their carbon footprint.
Interestingly, the students who had undergone climate education responded positively, but
the other students did not comment about it. Climate education coupled with multi-day
trekking could be a behavioral intervention to help students reduce their carbon footprint
in fun ways.
Thermal imaging techniques using a FLIR-C5 camera were used to test environmen-
tally friendly and affordable ways to reduce cooling needs in hostel rooms without an AC
as a part of a student’s design project at IIT Delhi. With the students willing to participate
in the experiments, she found that techniques such as taking a shower reduced the skin
temperature by about 4 ◦ C (Figure 4). Another zero-energy cooling technique was to touch
the person’s back directly with the cool floor to cool the body. The thermal image in Figure 4
(center right) shows a skin temperature of 32.2 ◦ C, like the shower case, achieved when
the floor cools the back. The floor is an infinite reservoir of cooling, and it can be used
until the cooling lasts. The room was naturally ventilated, with no active cooling during
this experiment. These techniques show the promise of behavioral interventions to reduce
energy consumption through active citizen participation, but experiments with a higher
sample size of participants using a longitudinal study should be performed to test the
efficacy of these interventions.
It is a well-known fact that animals use similar techniques to stay cool. The buffaloes
would spend many hours in the water to escape the summer heat. One of the author’s pet
dogs preferred to sleep on the floor during summer and even when offered a comfy bed.
Indraganti [41] suggests many behavioral adaptations for planet-friendly cooling methods.
Drinking cold water, staying in an airy place, and performing less vigorous activities are
some behaviors that help to beat the heat in the summertime in India.
Sustainability 2024,
Sustainability 2023, 16,
15, 87
x FOR PEER REVIEW 9 of 23
9 of 23

Figure [Link]-energy
Figure Zero-energycooling-based
cooling-based behavioral
behavioral interventions:
interventions: thermal
thermal image image before
before shower
shower (top
(top left),
left), thermal
thermal imageimage after shower
after shower (center(center left),
left), real real(bottom
image image (bottom left), a thermal
left), a thermal image inimage in aposition
a supine supine
position
on on the
the floor (topfloor (top
right), right), a image
a thermal thermal inimage
a prone in position
a prone position
while back while
is inback is in
touch touch
with thewith
floorthe
to
floor to show cooling (center right), and real image of the prone
show cooling (center right), and real image of the prone position (bottom). position (bottom).

Previous studies
Previous studies have
have shown
shown thatthat experiential
experiential learning
learning methods
methods have have enhanced
enhanced en- en-
gagement and
gagement and improved
improved students’
students’ learning
learning experiences
experiences [42]. [43]. Similarly, experiential games
Similarly, experiential games
activities are
and activities are blended
blended interventions
interventions to reimagine
reimagine the the learning
learning experience
experience to to educate
educate
and accelerate responsible climate climate action
actionin inaauniversity
universitysetting
settingininIndia.
[Link]
Figures 5 presents
5 and 6
an overview
presents of blended
an overview of serious
blendedgames
serious of games
Building-in-a-Box and a guided
of Building-in-a-Box walk
(BiBo) andtoaAvasara
guided
Academy’s net-zero energy campus in Pune, introduced as interventions
walk to Avasara Academy’s net-zero energy campus in Pune, introduced as interventions during FLAME
Summer
during School Summer
FLAME in July 2023. A new
School interactive
in July 2023. Aboard game, BiBoboard
new interactive (aka. game,
Building-in-a-Box),
BiBo is intro-
is introduced
duced as an interactive
as an interactive aid to communicate
aid to communicate climate emergencies
climate emergencies on thescale
on the building building
[43].
scale.
It It serves
serves as a simple
as a simple yet creative
yet creative artifact
artifact to stimulate
to stimulate the thinking
the thinking of future
of future alterna-
alternatives,
leading to responsible
tives, leading designdesign
to responsible and behavioral changechange
and behavioral innovations within within
innovations complex urban
complex
systems inspired
urban systems by the potential
inspired of games
by the potential of as socio-behavioral
games as socio-behavioralchange change
agents in society.
agents in
Recent studies highlight the gap in the penetration of serious games
society. Recent studies highlight the gap in the penetration of serious games in the AEC in the AEC industry
in Asia, particularly
industry within the
in Asia, particularly energy
within theand built-environment
energy and built-environment sectors [44]. BiBo
sectors [44].is thus
BiBo
uniquely positioned
is thus uniquely as one ofasthe
positioned onefirst games
of the firstofgames
its kindof that aimsthat
its kind to promote and enhance
aims to promote and
innovation in the AEC
enhance innovation industry
in the sector across
AEC industry sector global-south nations (e.g.,
across global-south India)
nations (e.g.,beyond
India)
energy
beyondand sustainability.
energy It simulates
and sustainability. real-world
It simulates challenges
real-world (urbanization,
challenges climate cli-
(urbanization, ac-
tion, and technological risks) and constraints (land-use limitations,
mate action, and technological risks) and constraints (land-use limitations, climate emer- climate emergencies,
and passivity)
gencies, that the industry
and passivity) faces. It faces.
that the industry facilitates roleplays
It facilitates that enable
roleplays that participants
enable partici- to
think outside the box and explore creative/alternative solutions to
pants to think outside the box and explore creative/alternative solutions to complex and complex and intractable
(wicked)
intractableproblems
(wicked) encountered by stakeholders
problems encountered in this industry.
by stakeholders Theindustry.
in this engagingThegame design
engaging
encourages creativity, fostering innovation and risk-free exploration. Moreover, it functions
Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 10 of 23

Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 10 of 23

game design encourages creativity, fostering innovation and risk-free exploration. More-
over,
as it functions
an interactive as an interactive
visioning visioning the
tool that challenges toolstatus
that challenges
quo (designthe status quo
practices, (design
operations,
practices, operations,
maintenance, and best maintenance, and best
practices) prevalent practices)
in the industryprevalent in the
and allows industry and
reimagining al-
future
lows reimagining
design alternativesfuture design alternatives more holistically.
more holistically.

Figure 5. (top) Building-in-a-Box game board and gameplay introduced in FLAME Summer School
in Pune, India (bottom) Overview of a guided energy walk to the Avasara net-zero energy campus
Figure 5. Overview of a guided energy walk to the Avasara net-zero energy campus and BiBo seri-
introduced in FLAME Summer
ous game introduced in FLAME School.
Summer School. (On the top: Building-in-a-Box game board and
gameplay. On the bottom: guided energy walk to Avasara Academy’s net-zero energy campus in
At the university level, institutes such as IIT Bombay have conducted intra-hostel
Pune).
competitions in which the hostels compete to reduce their electricity bills. Solar Decathlon
competitions
During aworldwide
guided walk alsotomake the students
the Avasara compete
Academy, to designunderstood
participants and fabricate net-zero
several key
buildings. The students
design aspects, including of choice
Team SHUNYA,
of materialswho participated
(such as recycled in doors,
Solar Decathlon
windows, Europe
and fly
2014 [45], feltactive
ash bricks), that they learned
energy more
systems from participating
(rooftop in this
photovoltaics), and18-month-long
passive systemscompetition
(reed bed
than
water recycling and solar chimneys) that contribute to low carbon during thelearning
their curriculum, highlighting the importance of experiential education, lifecyclebyof
doing, and We
buildings. connecting
collectedthefeedback
curriculum to real-world
from participantsproblem [Link]
to determine SHUNYA,
efficacy which
of the
means
blended zero in Hindi,The
approach. is an acronym
feedback for “Sustainable
showed Habitats for
that all respondents an Urbanizing
reported Nation
an increase by
in their
its Young Aspirants”.
comprehension of concepts, methods, and applications, including the technology under-
During a guided walk to the Avasara Academy, participants understood several key
lying the operations of net-zero energy buildings, where a mean score = 8.875 and SD =
design aspects, including choice of materials (such as recycled doors, windows, and fly
0.83, respectively. Specifically, most respondents (seven responses) acknowledge acquir-
ash bricks), active energy systems (rooftop photovoltaics), and passive systems (reed bed
ing new conceptual knowledge about design principles, materials, energy use, and the
water recycling and solar chimneys) that contribute to low carbon during the lifecycle
influence of energy generation on net zero. Specifically, 43% of the survey respondents
of buildings. We collected feedback from participants to determine the efficacy of the
felt that the guided walk alone provided the knowledge required to understand energy
blended approach. The feedback showed that all respondents reported an increase in
their comprehension of concepts, methods, and applications, including the technology
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 11 of 23

underlying the operations of net-zero energy buildings, where a mean score = 8.875 and
SD = 0.83, respectively. Specifically, most respondents (seven responses) acknowledge
acquiring new conceptual knowledge about design principles, materials, energy use, and
the influence of energy generation on net zero. Specifically, 43% of the survey respondents
felt that the guided walk alone provided the knowledge required to understand energy and
sustainability concepts in buildings, whereas 57% of respondents felt that the seminar, BiBo
gameplay, and guided walks provided greater understanding [43]. Through this study,
we show how to create an experiential learning program around net-zero transition and
commit to scaling these efforts to accelerate climate action in India. The study hints about
replicating this model across the country by aggregating existing information and creating
experiential educational programs through partner institutions to build the necessary
capacity for scaling.
A recent comprehensive review of gamification has uncovered 118 different theories
and derived ten basic principles of gamification [46]. Among them are five principles,
namely, clear and relevant goals, immediate feedback, positive reinforcement, guided
paths, and simplified user experience, to guide intended behavioral outcomes. Three prin-
ciples, namely, individual goals, adaptive content, and multiple choices, foster individual
relevance. Finally, two principles, namely, social comparison and social norming, enable
social interaction and positive social effects.
A systematic review by [44] reviewed 21 serious games employed as engaging mediums
for building energy consumption, focusing on the role of energy-consumption awareness-
related education in motivating end-users to save energy and make informed decisions to
change energy-related behaviors. This study underlines serious games as strategic tools that
elicit pro-environmental behavior for energy efficiency related to—environmental education,
consumption awareness, and energy efficiency behaviors. Table 1 presents evidence of
recent developments in creating experiential programs. Table 2 presents an overview of
games classified by building use-type and objective of the game. This study also examines
the growth and penetration of serious games in the AEC industry, particularly in Asia,
compared to global trends.

Table 1. Summary of activities broadly related to environment, design, and policy.

Experiential Country Context/Game References

Activities/Programs Objective
Walking with
Energy’—A guided Sweden and UK Energy Citizenship [47]
energy walk
Integrated Child [Link]
Development Services, India Tactical Urbanism [Link]/ope
Kaun Hai Master? Kya n-source (accessed on
Hai Plan?, City for All? 23 August 2023)
Storytelling to tackle
Telling Tales UK the “wicked problems” [48]
of climate change
Shaping Future, Polity, To design better [Link]
Unpack Play, India policies using games in/projects/
Curriculum for 74th and simulations. (accessed on 23
Amendment August 2023)

To develop software [Link]

Norway with [Link]/
Climate Hackathon solutions for energy
Microsoft (accessed on 23
consumption problems. August 2023)
[Link]
[Link]/publications/
The Climate Change To explore the use of
UK climate-change-eme
Emergency Hackathon data to tackle the
climate emergency. rgency-hackathon
(accessed on 23
August 2023)
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 12 of 23

Table 2. Summary of serious games related to energy in built environment [44].

Games Title Building Type Game Objective

Power Agent Real House
Power Explorer Real House
EnerCities Virtual Cities
EnergyLife Real House
Energy Battle Dormitory
Super Delivery Virtual Cities
Ghost Hunter Real House
eViz Virtual Apartment
Do It In The Dark Dormitory Change in
Energy Chicken Real House human behavior
Residence Energy Saving Virtual house/Virtual
(RES) battle Commercial
Power House Virtual House
Social Power Virtual House
Greenplay Real House
Ringorang Real House
Energy Cat Real House
Energy Piggy Bank N/A
Smarter Households Real House
Serena Games Virtual House
Design and improvisation
Greenify N/A
of the game
EcoIsland N/A

The assessment of retrofitting measures on the energy efficiency performance of the

buildings was conducted, and the resulting impact was calculated for an educational
building of Kazakh–German University. Their results indicated that minor retrofitting
interventions provide energy savings of up to 36.9 kWh/m2, and in the major scenario, the
savings were 77.76 kWh/m2, reducing up to 82% CO2 emission [49].
While we discuss how the interventions would lead to people reducing their energy
consumption, we also need to relate their impact to the decarbonization goals for the
campuses. We should also look at the bigger picture of how the campuses would help
the country to transition to net zero faster. Scenario analysis helps us know what would
happen if we conducted business as usual (BAU) and the impact of different steps for
decarbonizing the world. Reports from the International Energy Agency [20,50] help look
at the BAU, exploratory, and normative scenarios to suggest the energy transition paths for
the world and the factors that would affect their success in terms of financial investments,
uncertainties over technological growth, policies at the governmental level, impact of
behavioral interventions, etc. Recently, the Green Terre Foundation launched the U75
initiative to make 75 campuses net zero [51], which the government of India is supporting.
It is suggested that all Indian university campuses become net zero by 2030. The campuses
are the most forward-looking in the nation, and they can lead the way in terms of R&D and
training the future leaders of the nation to propel the nation to achieve its net-zero targets.

3.3. Scenario Analysis

In this section, we present a simple framework to conduct a scenario analysis to
understand the impact of different strategies on the decarbonization goals of the campus.
Figure 6 provides glimpses of large university campuses in India. There are several factors
that will affect the net-zero energy transition of campus-like communities, including:
• Buildings and infrastructure: This includes hostels, faculty and staff housing, faculty
and academic staff offices, administrative offices, dining cum-community kitchens,
lecture theatres, network equipment, data centers, EV charging stations, renewables,
energy storage facilities, and local energy distribution stations;
• Number of students: The students join the academic programs (UG, PG, and PhD)
offered on-campus by different academic units;
 • Buildings and infrastructure: This includes hostels, faculty and staff housing, faculty
and academic staff offices, administrative offices, dining cum-community kitchens,
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87
lecture theatres, network equipment, data centers, EV charging stations, renewables,
13 of 23
energy storage facilities, and local energy distribution stations;
• Number of students: The students join the academic programs (UG, PG, and PhD)
offered on-campus by different academic units;
•• Number
Number of of faculty and staff:
faculty and staff:This
Thisincludes
includesfaculty
faculty members,
members, academic
academic andand adminis-
adminis-
trative staff, and their respective families;
trative staff, and their respective families;
•• Operations:
Operations: This
Thisencapsulates
encapsulatesfactors
factorsthat
thataffect
affectthetheenergy
energyconsumption
consumptionononcampuses,
cam-
including the schedule of hours of operation (day-long,
puses, including the schedule of hours of operation (day-long, eveningevening college,
college,remote
re-
classes, and fixed
mote classes, length
and fixed of time
length per day),
of time flexible
per day), workplace
flexible workplaceculture (work-from-
culture (work-
home and fixed/flexible
from-home number
and fixed/flexible number ofofoffice
officedays
days per week),and
per week), and space
space ownership
ownership
(co-working/dedicated/open-plan
(co-working/dedicated/open-plan offices), offices), among
among others.
others.

Figure6.6. Glimpses
Figure Glimpses of
of some
somelarge
largeuniversity
universitycampuses
campusesin in
India. (Starting
India. from
(Starting top–left)
from BITSBITS
top-left) Pilani,
Pilani,
Rajasthan;IIT
Rajasthan; IIT Roorkee,
Roorkee, Uttarakhand;
Uttarakhand;FLAME
FLAMEUniversity,
University,Maharashtra;
Maharashtra; IITIIT
Gandhi Nagar,
Gandhi Gujarat;
Nagar, Gujarat;
IIM Kozhikode, Kerala; IIT Jodhpur, Rajasthan; IIIT Hyderabad, Telangana; IIT Delhi; Azim Premji
IIM Kozhikode, Kerala; IIT Jodhpur, Rajasthan; IIIT Hyderabad, Telangana; IIT Delhi; Azim Premji
University, Karnataka; and LNMIIT Jaipur, Rajasthan.
University, Karnataka; and LNMIIT Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Campus data from IIT Delhi [52] have been considered a reference for a hypothetical
Campus data from IIT Delhi [52] have been considered a reference for a hypothetical
campus for this scenario analysis. The hypothetical campus would be referred to as the
campus for this scenario analysis. The hypothetical campus would be referred to as the
“Shunya” campus for this study (Table 3). The electricity consumption for this campus is
“Shunya” campus for this study (Table 3). The electricity consumption for this campus is
assumed to be 60 GWh for the year 2022, with 20 GWh coming from renewable sources of
assumed
solar PV to and behydropower
60 GWh for purchase.
the year 2022, witharea
The floor 20 GWh
for thecoming
campus from renewable
buildings sources
has been
ofassumed
solar PV and hydropower purchase. The floor area for the campus
to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 3% from 2022 to 2047. The grossbuildings has been
assumed to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 3% from 2022
floor area would roughly double in the next 25 years, as described in Figure 7. The campus to 2047. The gross
floor area wouldwould
administration roughly double
manage theinenergy
the next
use25inyears, as described
the common area ininacademic
Figure [Link],
The campus
administration would manage the energy use in the common area
administrative buildings, and facilities such as hospitals, guest houses, creche, [Link] academic buildings,
The
administrative buildings, and facilities such as hospitals, guest
faculty and the academic staff have been assumed to have control over the energy use houses, creche, [Link]
faculty and the
their offices, academic
residences, staff
and have
labs. Thebeen assumed
students wouldto have
have thecontrol
freedom over the energy
to manage use in
energy
their
use inoffices, residences,
hostels, andand
sports fields, [Link]
The students
activitywould
[Link] the freedom
Considering to manage energy
the operational en-
use
ergy,in the
hostels, sports fields,
corresponding andPerformance
Energy student activity
Indexcenters.
(EPI) inConsidering the operational
terms of kWh/sq.m.-year
energy,
seems to thebecorresponding
the highest forEnergy
faculty Performance
offices and labs Index
and(EPI)
lowest in for
terms of kWh/sq.m.-year
students residing in
seems
hostelsto(refer
be the to highest
Table 4).for faculty
Most offices
student and may
hostels labs not
andbe lowest for students
air-conditioned, residing
leading to in
hostels (refer toconsumption.
lower energy Table 4). MostThe student hostels may
administration maynotpay
be air-conditioned, leading to
the energy consumption lower
bills
energy consumption.
from faculty offices andThe labsadministration
centrally, leadingmayto apay theconsumption
higher energy consumption bills from
than required.
faculty offices and labs centrally, leading to a higher consumption than required.
Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 14 of 23

Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 14 of 23

Table 3. Shunya campus in numbers.

Item 3. Shunya campus in numbers.

TableDescription Value
Campus area (in sq.m.) 1,200,000
Item Description Value
Forest area on campus (in m2) 200,000
Campus area (in sq.m.) 1,200,000
Number of students 10,000
Forest area on campus (in m2 ) 200,000
Number
Numberofofstudents
students residing on campus 7000
10,000
Number
Numberofoffaculty
studentsand staff on campus
residing 1000
7000
Numberofoffaculty
Number faculty and
and staff
staff residing on campus with their families 1000
3000
Number of faculty
Total campus residents and staff residing on campus with their families 3000
10,000
Total campus residents 10,000
Electricity
Electricityconsumption
consumption for forthe
theyear
year2022
2022
(in(in GWh)
GWh) 6060
Electricity
Electricity supply from Solar PV + Hydropower (in (in
supply from Solar PV + Hydropower GWhGWh in 2022)
in 2022) 2020
Built-up area (in sq.m.)
Built-up area (in sq.m.) 500,000
500,000

Floorarea
[Link]
Figure areaincrease
increasefor
forthe
thecampus
campusbuildings
buildingsfrom
from2022
2022to
to2047.
2047.

Table 4. EPI (kWh/m2 -year) for different buildings on the campus.

Table 4. EPI (kWh/m2-year) for different buildings on the campus.
Building Typology
Building Typology EPIEPI (kWh/sq.m.-year)
(kWh/sq.m.-year)
AcademicBuildings
Academic Buildings (common
(commonarea)
area) 40 40
Administrative Buildings 175
Administrative Buildings 175
Misc Facilities (Hospital, Creche, Guest House, etc.) 100
Misc Facilities
Faculty Offices(Hospital, Creche, Guest House, etc.) 100 200
Faculty Offices
Residences 200 140
Labs
Residences 140 200
Hostels
Labs 200 35
Sports Complex 100
Hostels
Student Activity Centers 35 100
Sports Complex 100
Student Activity Centers 100
For discussion, we look into the future, develop plausible scenarios that are likely to
unfold, and use them as the basis of analysis. The scenario analysis combining strategic
For discussion, we look into the future, develop plausible scenarios that are likely to
foresight is an accepted approach to allow informed decisions on pathways to guide policy
unfold, and use them as the basis of analysis. The scenario analysis combining strategic
making. In this study, we consider three plausible future scenarios, as described in Figure 8,
foresight is an accepted approach to allow informed decisions on pathways to guide pol-
that are likely to affect the net-zero ambition of the future. All our scenarios are projected
icy making. In this study, we consider three plausible future scenarios, as described in
for 2047, aligning with the Nation’s Atmanirbhar Bharat mission (translated to “Self-reliant
Figure
India”)8,inthat
100are likely
years to affect the net-zero
of independence. Figure 8ambition
describesofthe
theuse
future. All our
of “High”, scenarios are
“Medium”, and
projected for 2047, aligning with the Nation’s Atmanibhar Bharat mission (translated
“Low” as qualitative indicators of change in energy use in the next 25 years based on the to
following assumptions.
 “Self-reliant India”) in 100 years of independence. Figure 8 describes the use of “High”,
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 “Medium”, and “Low” as qualitative indicators of change in energy use in the next 25
15 of 23
years based on the following assumptions.
• Scenario “BAU”: The Campus will expand its infrastructural capacity to accommo-
• date more
Scenario students
“BAU”: Theon-campus,
Campus willhire a nominal
expand number ofcapacity
its infrastructural faculty/staff to meet the
to accommodate
needs, build more energy-consuming labs, and procure and add
more students on-campus, hire a nominal number of faculty/staff to meet the needs,more appliances for
business
build more continuity and productivity;
energy-consuming labs, and procure and add more appliances for business
• Scenario “Top-Down”:
continuity and productivity;The Campus will expand its infrastructural capacity to ac-
• commodate
Scenario more students
“Top-Down”: on-campus,
The Campus hire more
will expand faculty to meetcapacity
its infrastructural the needs, build
to accom-
more energy-consuming
modate labs, and hire
more students on-campus, procure
moreand add to
faculty more
meetappliances
the needs,for business
build more
continuity and productivity—all
energy-consuming labs, and procure theand
aboveaddwould be performed
more appliances for to meet regulations
business continuity
set by
and the governing council
productivity—all for would
the above education such as accreditation
be performed bodies to set
to meet regulations transition
by the
to net zero;council for education such as accreditation bodies to transition to net zero;
governing
•• Scenario “Bottom-Up”:
Scenario “Bottom-Up”: The The campus
campus will expand its infrastructural capacity to accom-
modate
modate moremore students
students on-campus,
on-campus, hirehire more
more faculty
faculty to
to meet
meet the
the needs
needs strategically
strategically
(e.g.,
(e.g., computer
computer science
science faculty
faculty with
with experience
experience in climate change, behavioral change,
and
and sustainability),
sustainability), build energy-aware learning environments, and procure appli-
ances
ances with
with aa long-term
long-term energy
energy footprint
footprint in-mind—all
in-mind—all the the above
above would
would bebe performed
performed
not
not to
to meet
meet the regulations
regulations but through behavioral interventions for the campus com-
munity
munity consisting
consisting of of the
the faculty,
faculty, staff
staff and
and students,
students, and
and greater
greater awareness
awareness for
for the
the
administration
administrationtotoreduce reduce energy
energyconsumption,
consumption, strategic industry
strategic partnerships
industry to learn
partnerships to
the best practices and focus on long-term stewardship.
learn the best practices and focus on long-term stewardship.

Figure 8. Factors
Figure 8. Factors influencing
influencing the
the plausible
plausible future
future net-zero
net-zerotransition
transitionscenarios.
scenarios.

Table
Table 55 allows
allows transcribing
transcribing the the qualitative
qualitative indicators
indicators described
described in in Figure
Figure 88 into
into mean-
mean-
ingful
ingful values for carrying out a quantitative analysis of plausible futuristic scenarios. The
values for carrying out a quantitative analysis of plausible futuristic scenarios. The
values
values for
for the
the energy
energy use
use factor
factor for
for the
the administration,
administration, students,
students, faculty,
faculty, andand the
the hours
hours ofof
operation
operation correspond
for the casesto where
the scenarios in Figure
the energy 8 wherebethe
use would energy“Medium”,
“High”, use would be or “High”,
“Low”.
“Medium”,
These values orcorrespond
“Low”. Forto example, for theinBAU
the scenarios scenario
Figure 8. For for 2047, the
example, forenergy
the BAUusescenario
for the
buildings
for 2047, the energy use for the buildings managed by campus administration and and
managed by campus administration and students would remain “High”, stu-
for thewould
dents faculty-managed spaces,
remain “High”, and it would
for theremain “Medium”.spaces,
faculty-managed The “operations”
it would remainfactor “Me-
here
considers whether the classes are held online or in hybrid mode, whether any bachelor’s
dium”. The “operations” factor here considers whether the classes are held online or in
degree courses or continuing education courses have been offered fully in online mode, or
hybrid mode, whether any bachelor’s degree courses or continuing education courses
has the nature of learning changed to having some of the classes as field trips that consume
have been offered fully in online mode, or has the nature of learning changed to having
much less energy. In the BAU case, the operations factor would mean the use of campus
some of the classes as field trips that consume much less energy. In the BAU case, the
facilities conventionally managed by the administration, with a factor value of “High”. In
operations factor would mean the use of campus facilities conventionally managed by the
the “Top-Down” scenario, the administration would follow the regulations so they may
administration, with a factor value of “High”. In the “Top-Down” scenario, the admin-
have the sense to reduce energy consumption, but the faculty and the students may not
istration would follow the regulations so they may have the sense to reduce energy con-
be motivated to move towards net-zero goals. Likewise, for the “Bottom-Up” scenario,
sumption, but the faculty and the students may not be motivated to move towards net-
the proposed interventions would work, and the energy use would come down for all the
zero goals. Likewise, for the “Bottom-Up” scenario, the proposed interventions would
stakeholders on the campus, so a “Low” value has been assigned for the energy use factor
work, and the energy use would come down for all the stakeholders on the campus, so a
for all the cases. We can assume the behavioral interventions proposed as a part of the
“Low” value
UNGLEE hastobeen
model workassigned for the
effectively energy
to lead use factor
to “Low” for use.
energy all the
Forcases. We can
instance, the assume
faculty,
the behavioral interventions proposed as a part of the UNGLEE model
staff, and students may have greater climate change awareness, or they may become in- to work effectively
to leadby
spired to communities
“Low” energyleading
use. For instance, thelifestyle,
a low-carbon faculty, or
staff,
theyand
maystudents
have had may have greater
greater nature
experiences for them to minimize their energy consumption. The energy use for allathree
climate change awareness, or they may become inspired by communities leading low-
carbon lifestyle, or they may have had greater nature experiences
future scenarios can be computed using the following set of Equations: (1) and (2): for them to minimize
their energy consumption. The energy use for all three future scenarios can be computed
using the following
Electricity set of(kWh/year)
consumption Equations (1) and (2):
= Floor area (in sq.m.) × EPI (kWh/sq.m.-year) (1)

Electricity consumption (kWh/year) for a scenario for 2047 = Summation of (Floor area (in sq.m.)
× EPI (kWh/sq.m.-year) × Energy Use Factorx Operations Factor) for each of the stakeholders (2)
of administration, students, faculty and academic staff.
 Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 16 of 23

Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 16 of 23

Electricity consumption (kWh/year) = Floor area (in sq.m.) × EPI (kWh/sq.m.-year) (1)

Electricity consumption (kWh/year) for a scenario for 2047 = Summation of (Floor area (in sq.m.) × EPI (kWh/sq.m.-
These two
year)xEnergy Use Factorx Operations equations
Factor) for eachwould help find the
of the stakeholders electricity consumption
of administration, forand
students, faculty (2) scenarios
all three
academic
in 2047 and compare it with 2022. staff.

These two equations would help find the electricity consumption for all three scenar-
Table
ios 5. Estimation
in 2047 of the
and compare it factors influencing the plausible future net-zero transition scenarios.
with 2022.

Table 5. EstimationInfluencing
of the factorsFactors High
influencing the plausible future Medium
net-zero transition scenarios. Low
Energy Use Factor for
Influencing Administration
Factors High 1 Medium 0.7 Low 0.4
Energy Use Factor for Students 1 0.8 0.2
Energy Use Factor for Administration 1 0.7 0.4
Energy Use Factor for Faculty and Academic Staff 1 0.6 0.3
EnergyHours
Use Factor for Students
of Operation 1 1 0.8 0.8 0.2 0.6
Energy Use Factor for Faculty and Academic Staff 1 0.6 0.3
Hours of Operation 1 0.8 0.6
The energy demand for the “Bottom-Up” scenario goes below 20 GWh/year, which
is already being
The energy provided
demand by “Bottom-Up”
for the renewable energy
scenario sources, as per
goes below Figure 9. Our
20 GWh/year, which analysis of
Figure
is already9 shows that electricity
being provided consumption
by renewable energy would
sources,double
as per in the “BAU”
Figure scenario,
9. Our analysis of would be
Figure
about 91.5shows
timesthat
in electricity consumption
the “Top-Down” wouldand
scenario, double
has in thepotential
the “BAU” scenario,
to reducewouldto more than
be about 1.5 times in the “Top-Down” scenario, and has the potential
half in the “Bottom-Up” scenario. So, the Shunya campus can become net zero throughto reduce to more
than half in theSimilarly,
this pathway. “Bottom-Up” the scenario.
scenariosSo, the Shunya
could be morecampus
detailedcanand
become
havenetmore zeropredictive
through
value if we follow the UNGLEE model. We should have access to data throughpre-
this pathway. Similarly, the scenarios could be more detailed and have more digitization,
dictive value if we follow the UNGLEE model. We should have access to data through
which are used to make informed decisions about the interventions to decarbonize the
digitization, which are used to make informed decisions about the interventions to decar-
campuses. We could also prioritize our efforts where we would be able to reduce energy
bonize the campuses. We could also prioritize our efforts where we would be able to re-
consumption
duce with less effort.
energy consumption For effort.
with less instance,
For the residences
instance, constitute
the residences about 60%
constitute aboutof the total
60% of the total energy consumption, so the efforts focused on the faculty and academic in these
energy consumption, so the efforts focused on the faculty and academic staff living
residential
staff living inbuildings wouldbuildings
these residential lead to greater benefits,
would lead as per
to greater Figureas10.
benefits, per Figure 10.

Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 17 of 23

Comparison
[Link]
Figure of electricity
of electricity use (GWh/yr)
use (GWh/yr) for thefor thescenarios
three three scenarios
between between 2022 and 2047.
2022 and 2047.

Figure
Figure10.
[Link]
Energyuseuse
(in(in
GWh/yr) in 2047
GWh/yr) for thefor
in 2047 “BAU” scenario.
the “BAU” scenario.

4. Discussion
The physical characteristics of the building, as well as the needs and behavioral pat-
terns of the occupants, influence the energy used in a dwelling. Understanding the occu-
pants’ interaction with buildings, household energy behavior, and adopting energy-effi-
cient practices is the key to establishing a better evidence base to inform societal actions,
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 17 of 23

4. Discussion
The physical characteristics of the building, as well as the needs and behavioral
patterns of the occupants, influence the energy used in a dwelling. Understanding the
occupants’ interaction with buildings, household energy behavior, and adopting energy-
efficient practices is the key to establishing a better evidence base to inform societal actions,
predict energy usage precisely, and determine the building needs and designs for healthy
living. Childhood and early adulthood exposure to the types of homes and dwellings has
an impact on later energy consumption behaviors [17]. Social practice theories explain how
ordinary behaviors become globalized through migration, spreading from one location to
another and supplanting local, often more sustainable, practices. Migrants “carry” habits
that can “travel” across cultures, generations, time, and living conditions [53].
Among the novel techniques used for climate education, a recent study introduced
“Walking with Energy”, a new technique to actively engage and (re)connect citizens with
where their energy is coming from [54]. The authors experimented with the application
of this method in the European region (UK and Sweden). The study considers viewing
and talking about heating provision, while in the energy landscape, it can encourage
participants to reflect upon their local, mundane energy experiences and foster a greater
sense of energy citizenship and greater motivation to engage in debates around heating
transition. However, we argue that while the reflexive approach might prove to be a
strong force to propel energy transition in developed nations, it may perhaps not be
equally effective in developing economies where personal motives are far more superior
to global/collective interest. Thus, our proposed UNGLEE model is unique in the sense
that it blends multiple techniques from computational social sciences, including gaming
(e.g., reward-based league competition), from law and public policy, such as passing an
energy bill in the university (equivalent to passing an act in the parliament), and enabling
data-driven responsible urban governance (e.g., forging trust through transparency in
energy use/audit and the budgeting of upgrades/retrofits in energy-intensive equipment
in facilities). For example, introducing guided walks in the foundational educational
courses that sensitize students to systems thinking by “observing systems in the wild”
around them in the campus ecosystem develop a sense of sustainable thinking by educating
them about sustainable development goals while learning to think computationally and
implement them via computer programs. In spirit, the proposed model embraces all three
principles outlined in the SDSN handbook on the unique position university and college
campuses have in the race to net zero in terms of amplifying change, deeply engaging
with the student body, and fostering the culture of innovation, leading to new knowledge
through student-led research [21]. SDSN is a global initiative of the UN. It aims to mobilize
its members and leverage their collective strength to SDGs through education, awareness,
engagement, and developing solutions. There are currently about 73 active SDSN nodal
agencies in South Asia, of which about 27 are from Indian academia, which involve youth
through experiential education to contribute positively to sustainable development.
In the past decade, between 2008 and 2020, the Infosys Corporation has moved away
from a rule of thumb to a data-driven approach to tracking energy use across campuses
and at multiple levels [55]. While increasing the workforce by 166%, their integrated design
approach has enabled a limit in electricity consumption by 20%, saving 2.63 billion kWh
of electricity across 28.9 million sq. ft. office areas spread across the nation. Digitalization
has served as the foundation for Infosys’ data-driven energy-efficiency initiative. Installing
equipment-level metering for granular energy-usage data, integrating more than 19,500 sen-
sors, 10,000 energy meters, 1650 flow meters, and advancing the building management
system (BMS) across their Indian office buildings deployed across 30 million sq. ft. office
area, etc., are some examples of how digital solutions improve energy efficiency by provid-
ing 24 × 7 real-time monitoring ability and AI-driven facilities management across Infosys
campuses. Setting up a Sustainability Policy, followed by building a Green Initiatives
team, patent-winning technological solutions for efficient cooling systems, stewardship by
pledging for carbon neutrality at the UN, and winning climate-neutral awards at COP25
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 18 of 23

are examples of good and proactive governance. Combined digitalization and governance
have enabled Infosys to not only baseline its decarbonization story but also benchmark
against other best-in-class global corporations. Their leadership model serves as a template
for low-carbon and digital transformation for many large institutions for prioritizing and
planning energy-efficiency interventions. All these studies highlight the significance and
need for experiential educational tools and programs within the hard-to-abate AEC sector.
With the democratization of digital data, interventions can be considered for decar-
bonization. One of the novel methods we have proposed in this study is to learn from
groups or communities who may be leading a low-carbon lifestyle due to the nature
of their work or cultural or economic reasons. One such example is the group of Jain
monks and nuns from India leading a life without the use of any electricity after attaining
monkhood [56]. Having the students spend time with them could inspire them to reduce
consumption-based lifestyles. The monks are shining examples of leading a life in sync with
nature, where the world suffers from climate change due to excessive energy use. Their
lifestyle could be studied in terms of different aspects of their life. From the interviews with
some of them in May 2023, they manage heating and cooling due to their psychological
thermal adaptation of maintaining equanimity even if their body feels thermal discomfort
physiologically. Likewise, they travel barefoot, thereby reducing material and transport-
related emissions. They carry their belongings when they travel barefoot. This means
that they have minimal material belongings with them. With our current urban ways of
living, we may not be able to follow their ways of life fully, but it helps us to introspect
our lifestyles to find ways to reduce consumption. After spending time with these monks
and nuns, some students felt inspired to reduce their cooling needs. During a heat wave in
May 2023 in Delhi, it did not feel uncomfortable to sit beside these monks and nuns for
more than 5–6 h with indoor air temperatures between 35 ◦ C and 40 ◦ C. The students could
not believe that they were fine sitting with them with the indoor air temperature being so
high. During the same time, for a thermal comfort point-in-time survey, 18 out of 20 (90%)
of them found the thermal conditions to be acceptable, while the UTCI thermal comfort
index [57] varied between 35 ◦ C and 40 ◦ C relating to conditions of strong to very strong
heat stress [58]. The advice from these monks and nuns for others to lead a low-carbon
lifestyle is to reduce their needs a little bit at a time. For instance, if someone is used to
living with air conditioning all the time, then they could avoid using it for 2–3 h a day,
thereby increasing the number of hours with time.
The soldiers serving the borders at high altitudes in India, slum dwellers, or laborers
living in hotter climates in India with minimal access to active thermal comfort, religious or
tribal communities, and their low-carbon lifestyles should also be studied. Many villages in
India did not have electricity since India’s independence, but people still lived comfortably
without it. We must reflect on the aspects of our lifestyles and adapt our energy usage
behaviors to reduce our energy footprint. During COP26, India’s Prime Minister suggested
the concept of LIFE ([Link] accessed on 23 August 2023)—
”Lifestyle for Environment” as a mass movement to lead a life in sync with nature. India
is the first country to include LIFE in its Nationally Determined Contributions to combat
climate change. Chetan Singh Solanki, an awardee of the Avoid-Minimize-Generate award
and a faculty at IIT Bombay, has recently suggested that human beings should avoid one-
third of their energy consumption by changing their lifestyles [59]. In an interaction with
school students, he asked them if their families could avoid ironing clothes to reduce their
carbon footprint. IPCC states that lifestyle changes must stay within the 2-degree climate
change limit agreed in the Paris Agreement [60]. Austria, Portugal, the Netherlands, and
Slovakia suggest lifestyle changes in their NDCs, such as low-carbon diets, reduced material
consumption, reduced energy consumption, etc. Altering energy behavior through several
energy-conservation strategies, including print media, interactive face-to-face discussions,
and eco-feedback, was effective in promoting energy conservation even among low-income
households in developing economies such as South Africa [61]. Similar experiments in
developed economies were also carried out, and results from such programs exemplify the
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 19 of 23

important roleplay of community-initiated bottom-up initiatives in promoting sustainable

consumption with financial support from the local (district) government [62].
Hiking and camping are also becoming popular with tourists instead of high-energy-
consuming entertainment projects. Tourists may also choose to eat locally produced food,
stay at low-carbon accommodations, and use products with green packaging [63]. To
simulate a low-carbon lifestyle in a fun way, the students can be taken for multi-day
camping and trekking experiences with nature. There are many multi-day treks in the
Himalayas lasting for four days, with an average of 7 km of hiking per day involving
sleeping in tents, carrying one’s own backpack, and living without energy and possibly
no internet connectivity. The backpackers learn to manage with fewer belongings as the
more they carry, the heavier their backpack becomes. Moreover, they must stay for the
night in a basic tent with the temperatures on the colder side. Despite these hurdles, there
is quite an incentive to spend time in the beautiful Himalayan landscapes. The backpackers
also realize that the littered plastic in the Himalayas does not belong there, and it stays
etched in their minds even when they return from the trekking trip. It goes without saying
that the trek also improves their fitness. This activity is suggested for the students to help
them live a low-carbon lifestyle while having fun. The students can be made aware to
continue with this lifestyle when they return to their universities and how it can benefit the
planet. Another activity to help students improve their fitness and become incentivized
to use low-energy mobility options is to make them use fitness apps for cycling, jogging,
and walking. These apps are like social media for fitness, and, with friends posting their
activities on these apps, this can gamify the experience. It also helps the students to stay
connected, no matter which part of the world they are in. Climate education in universities
can also be promoted by offering courses in sustainable habitats. The students can be taught
to build low-cost data loggers for environmental monitoring. They can utilize them to
conduct experiments to understand air quality, thermal comfort, energy metering, etc., and
the impact of interventions to improve their surrounding environments. The immersive
experiences of low-carbon lifestyles can also be a part of such courses. Global relevance
wise, in New Zealand, despite having a strong zero-carbon goal, the construction industry
that contributes towards one-fifth of the carbon emissions is not equipped with sufficient
skills, knowledge, processes, and procedures to deliver the zero-carbon goals. As a result,
it was determined that the education of the next generation of construction professionals
will enable the acceleration of the transformation of industry practices to zero carbon.
Jain [64] suggests that bottom-up approaches can work better than top-down. Indra-
ganti [41] suggests that behavioral interventions can help with energy efficiency. These
models do not involve higher economic costs or administrative hurdles at the outset. Social
acceptance can be taken care of through behavioral design methods of figuring out ways to
minimize the task complexity to implement target behaviors. The “Bottom-Up” models
make every citizen responsible for helping with climate change. The climate crisis is un-
precedented, so we also need to try all possible methods. Having said that, the behavioral
interventions need to be tested with a higher sample size to prove their efficacy. The
scenario analysis should also be detailed with sensitivity analysis to ensure that campuses
are still on track toward net zero with the uncertainties involved.

5. Conclusions and Future Work

Environmental education plays a crucial role in nurturing the environmental con-
sciousness of college students. Higher education institutions bear the responsibility of
instilling environmental ethics and building a reservoir of environmental knowledge among
students for their future professional endeavors. A comprehensive and transformative shift
within higher education institutions is essential to promote sustainability. For significant
economic and environmental advantages, it is important to implement a wide range of
strategies. Several global studies have shown that implementing combined interventions
for behavior change can result in more substantial outcomes than employing single inter-
ventions alone. The findings from this study conclude that a new league-based governance
Sustainability 2024, 16, 87 20 of 23

model (UNGLEE) built on the foundations of 3Ds (digitization, democratization, and

decarbonization) and the principle of decentralized participatory governance (energy citi-
zenship) can reduce more than half of the energy consumption demand expected by 2047
from campus-like communities across India. This proposed model is tailored to the Indian
context, encompassing innovative indigenous (socio-cultural and behavioral) interventions
and their seamless integration with other global approaches. In this study, we conducted a
scenario analysis to assess the feasibility of such blended interventions to achieve net-zero
energy goals, particularly within Indian campus-like communities. These contributions not
only enhance the existing body of knowledge of relevance to sustainable, just, and inclusive
net-zero transition but also provide a practical framework for implementation in India.
While related work provides hints on how net-zero energy buildings and communities
in India are garnering attention, our future work shall focus on building the low-carbon
transition momentum through education, outreach, and engagement. We hope to scale
up the implementation of such models across campus-like communities in India, possibly
through the Collective Voices for Buildings in India ([Link], accessed on 23 August
2023), allowing us to test and validate our findings against empirical evidence. Likewise,
we encourage researchers and practitioners in other parts of the world to also explore
indigenous knowledge about sustainable living (e.g., the Māori culture in New Zealand,
the Amish communities in the USA, and the usage of wind catchers or Badgirs in Iran) and
think of ways to make it relevant for novel ways of imparting climate education in their
socio-cultural context.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, B.K. and J.D.; methodology, B.K.; validation, J.D., P.A. and
V.V.; formal analysis, B.K, J.D. and V.V.; resources, P.A.; data curation, B.K. and P.A.; writing—original
draft preparation, B.K., V.V., P.A. and J.D.; writing—review and editing, B.K., V.V., P.A. and J.D.;
visualization, B.K., J.D. and V.V.; supervision, J.D.; project administration, J.D. All authors have read
and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: The data presented in this study are available on request from the
corresponding author.
Acknowledgments: The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of chatGPT in paraphras-
ing the Introduction section of this article. Also, thanks to Avasara Academy, Pune, India for the
guided walk.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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