India’s new building model combines energy-saving designs with digital tools to help the country manage its growing demand for electricity and integrate more renewable energy. These structures, known as efficient grid-interactive buildings, function as flexible assets that can automatically adjust their power use to support the stability of the electrical grid, according to the authors of the newly released report.
“EGIBs unite energy efficiency, smart digital technologies and demand-side flexibility, allowing them to optimise energy use, shift or reduce peak demand and better align consumption with renewable energy generation.” “EGIBs are defined by four key attributes: they are efficient, smart, connected and flexible.”
In simple terms, these buildings act like a two-way street for electricity. Instead of just taking power from the grid, they use smart sensors and better building materials to keep electricity use low and talk to the power company in real time. This allows the building to automatically dial back its energy use when the city’s power grid is struggling or when there isn’t enough sun or wind to provide green energy.
The report “Efficient Grid-Interactive Buildings in India: Status and opportunities” was published by the International Energy Agency in March 2026. Authored by Ksenia Petrichenko and Simrat Kaur, the study provides a strategic roadmap for India to integrate energy efficiency with smart digital technologies to support the nation’s clean energy transition.
