Empowering Rural India through Edu-Hub, a project by ReNew Power Ltd., India’s largest renewable energy IPP in terms of total energy generation capacity, near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh has been awarded the coveted Five Star SVAGRIHA Rating by the Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) Council.
The rating plaque was handed over to the ReNew Power team at a ceremony on the 11th of December in New Delhi by Mr. Laurie Pearcey, Pro VC, Univ. of New South Wales & Dr. Winfried Damm, Head of Indo German Energy Programme in the presence of Dr. Ajay Mathur, DG, TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) & Mr. Sanjay Seth, CEO, GRIHA Council.
Edu-Hub is an initiative undertaken by ReNew Power to support talented rural children and youth, by promoting digital literacy, encouraging sports talent through scholarships & imparting skill training to villagers besides disseminating vital community information. Speaking on this occasion, Ms. Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Chief Sustainability, CSR & communication Officer, ReNew Power said, “This rating is a testimony to ReNew Power’s consistent efforts for ensuring environmental sustainability. We believe that economic growth and sustainability must go hand in hand for holistic development. Edu Hub was conceived as a model project, to make a lasting impact in the lives of the rural youth, with minimal damage to the environment. This recognition will motivate us to replicate this model in more villages across India in the near future”.
The GRIHA Council is an independent platform for interaction on scientific and administrative issues related to sustainable habitats in the Indian subcontinent, founded jointly by TERI & MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India). It administers GRIHA which is the national rating system for green buildings in India.
SVAGRIHA (Simple Versatile Affordable Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) is a simplified design cum rating tool with guiding parameters, applicable for small standalone buildings. It measures how buildings have performed in reducing their environmental impact, using 14 different criteria with points assigned to each. Edu–Hub, which is completely powered by solar energy, secured a Five Star rating (maximum possible) for complying with the various benchmarks & submitting documentation in prescribed format, after rigorous review by the Council.
