Sustainable Development
Content
India’s green building footprint is slowly gaining ground. From 20,000 sq ft in 2004, India’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified green building footprint has increased to 23 million sq ft in 2009. This upward trend is expected to continue as 45 million sq ft of additional green building space is projected to be completed by 2012, said a Jones Lang LaSalle study. India currently has two major rating systems: LEED India, run by the Indian Green Building Council; and Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA), a system developed by TERI and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The GRIHA rating system is slowly strengthening its impact alongside LEED India. Currently there are only two GRIHA rated completed projects and about 40 registered projects, said the study. Some of the corporates like Wipro, Microsoft, Cognizant, ABN AMRO, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and other international and domestic corporate occupiers have either developed, or are developing, energy efficient office spaces or large-scale campuses. For instance, LEED certification norms are being implemented to manage Wipro’s building infrastructure as part of Wipro’s EcoEye charter (their ecological sustainability program). Microsoft has decided to adopt green building techniques to renovate or construct new buildings in India. Other occupiers such as Infosys, CA (Computer Associates) and Oracle are also planning to develop green office spaces to leverage the financial and environmental benefits that they provide. It is not just the information technology sector but firms from
other sectors such as manufacturing, education, hospital and hotels are also demanding green spaces. Green DHNS landmarks
The Green Building Council has 800 registered sustainable building projects. Well-known among them are CII-Godrej GBC, Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu Assembly Building, ITC Green Centre, Gurgaon, Wipro, Kochi and ITC Royal Gardenia, Bangalore. Hall of Fame the Wipro Kochi office. Energy-efficient green buildings are all the rage across the country. The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) which is part of CII- Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre is actively involved in promoting the concept of green buildings in the country. Stakeholders of the construction industry comprising corporate, government and nodal agencies, architects, product manufacturers and institutions are all part of the IGBC. The council operates on a consensus based approach and member-driven. The vision of the council is to usher in the green building revolution in India to ensure that the country becomes one of the world leaders in green buildings by 2015. What’s a green building?
A green building is one which uses less water, optimises energy efficiency, conserves natural resources, generates less waste and provides healthier spaces for occupants, as compared to a conventional building. In terms of the number of green buildings in the country, Maharashtra ranks as the leading state with over 221 projects creating a footprint of over 154 mn sq ft. Mumbai is the leading city with over 143 projects creating a footprint of over 102 mn sq ft. Till date, the IGBC has 800 registered green building projects amounting to over 500 million sq. ft of green building footprint, of which 125 buildings are certified and fully functional. Some of the landmark green buildings in Bangalore include: * * * ITC Hotel, T-ZED The Royal Gardenia, Homes, IMTMA, Bangalore Bangalore Bangalore
Today, Bangalore has over 65 green building projects amounting to a footprint of over 33 mn sq.ft The most wellknown green buildings in the country include: * * * * * CII-Godrej GBC, Hyderabad Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Building, Chennai ITC Green Centre, Gurgaon Wipro, Kochi ITC Royal Gardenia, Bangalore
Ratings The two key ratings for green buildings are LEED-India (The
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System and GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) LEED-India is a nationally and internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. This rating recognises performance in the following five key areas: * * * * * Sustainable Water Energy Materials Indoor selection environmental site development savings efficiency and quality
GRIHA was introduced by TERI and later used by the government too, to rate green buildings. Among the key certified projects developed by GRIHA include the Centre for Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building, IIT Kanpur; and Suzlon One Earth, Pune. Delta India Electronics Pvt Ltd. has announced its Rudrapur plant has achieved LEED certification as "Gold-rated" green building and received the honor from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). LEED certification is an international standards system for green building design based on the U.S. Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) system. The Rudrapur plant was built in 2008 to support Delta's commitment to the environment. Yancey Hai, Vice Chairman and CEO, Delta Electronics, Inc., said, "With our corporate mission: "To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow," Delta continues to develop eco-friendly, energy-efficient manufacturing and products and we are committed to constructing all future Delta facilities as green buildings. The
LEED certification of the Rudrapur plant not only serves as significant recognition for our green practices, but also demonstrates Delta's dedication to a green and sustainable Earth environment." Delta India says the Rudrapur factory consumes 35% less energy compared to a conventional building of the same size and is designed using energy efficient architecture, natural sky-lighting and ventilation, rain water harvesting and water re-cycling, as well as using eco-friendly building materials that provide a clean, healthy and safe workplace for employees.For harmony with nature and the local community, every detail of the factory is in sync with the green building spirit. For instance, approximately 60% of the total area of the factory has been kept open and green. Dalip Sharma, Managing Director of Delta India Electronics, said, "The LEED certified green factory in Rudrapur incorporates Delta's renewable energy technologies and solutions. The certification recognizes all of our efforts in reducing the environmental impact of our business operations, daily processes, products, buildings and R&D. We are committed to energy savings and environmental protection that helps diminish the serious threat of global warming. In addition, it also confirms our efforts to go beyond mere compliance with ecological guidelines." Delta India says it has three manufacturing units located in Rudrapur, Gurgaon, Pondicherry and two R&D centers in Gurgaon and Bangalore. Among them, the new corporate office in Gurgaon has also applied for platinum rating in accordance with the guidelines of the U.S. LEED and IGBC standards. Over the past few years, Delta has become a renowned name in telecom power solutions, uninterruptible power systems (UPSs), display solutions, industrial automation, and
components, and has many top-tier clients for its various product lines in the Indian market. The Indian Railways' centralised training institute IRICEN ( Indian Railways Institute of Civil Engineering) is developing a first-of-its-kind building which will be environment friendly, energy efficient and will implement the concept of heat management. The five-storied building in the city will comply with green building norms and will strive for 'platinum' rating which is an internationally recognised green building certification system developed by the . Being built in Koregaon Park on a plot of 7,000 sq mt, the building will have a museum, seminar and lecture halls, wellstocked library, auditorium, laboratory and a computer centre. Around 40% of the construction has been done, while IRICEN is hoping to complete the remaining 60% work by December 2012. IRICEN director C P Tayal said, "The project is unique, with a focus on efficient use of energy, water and other resources. The building will use natural light and ventilation, while also implementing power conservation concepts. The structural design is diagonal to ensure maximum use of natural light. The use of reflective paint and double wall glass panels will ensure less heat absorption." India is facing increasing energy challenge as a result of increasing urbanization and growing urban-rural divide. Energy security and access are two critical issues that define the policy landscape in power sector, while environmental sustainability agenda remains crucial in the urban development process. Over the past decade, India has been trying to address these challenges through a national action plan on climate change
and associated initiatives such as energy conservation, environmental impact assessments and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
Environmental concerns from left) A file photo of the Unilever House at Chakala, Andheri, Mumbai (Kedar Bhat/Mint); Fortis Hospital at Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi. Both the buildings have applied for energy efficiency rating schemes (Pradeep Gaur/Mint). It is almost globally acknowledged that large buildings and real estate construction projects are key contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and has a large environmental and energy footprint. A typical office building may consume between 180kWh to 200kWh per sq. m per annum in India, compared with a green building that may consume about 3040% less energy. As much as 168,000 tonnes of CO2 emission could be avoided a year per million sq. m of properly rated projects. It is in lieu of this that environmental clearance for large construction projects is mandatory and a related set of compliance measures such as the energy conservation building code, which specifies energy performance requirements for all commercial buildings, is expected to become law soon. Often state-level committees do not have enough expertise to evaluate building and construction projects on environmental parameters. Usually, there are long delays in granting
clearances, which are not acceptable to builders and developers. Absence of benchmarks, guidelines and common minimum criteria for evaluation is a major drawback of the system. Green ratings of buildings, on the other hand, provide a measurable framework in which all projects can be evaluated on all critical environmental parameters and given relative grading. Green rating for integrated habitat assessment (GRIHA) is an evaluation tool to help design, build, operate and maintain a resource-efficient built environment. It emphasizes end-use energy optimization (within specified comfort levels) and integration of renewable energy; thereby providing a framework, which looks at long-term policy options, both on the supply and demand sides, consistent with aspirations of economic growth. The ministry of new and renewable energy has endorsed GRIHA, compliance with which is mandatory for buildings of the Central government and public sector undertakings. The Central public works department has also adopted and integrated GRIHA into their standard operating procedure. To further provide an impetus to the green buildings movement, the ministry has launched a host of financial incentives on registration fees, awards and incentives. The environment ministry recently said that green buildings would be given priority in the environmental impact assessment process. This is a welcome step that would not only reduce the time taken for such clearance, but also add value by quantifying environmental benefits that are measurable and can be monitored. However, more needs to be done by the government. Implementation should be strong; capacity building across all stakeholder group should be enhanced; curriculum at college
and schools should be inclusive of environmental education in much greater detail; schools of architecture should introduce course on green buildings; suitable incentives for green products should be given; residential building energy codes should be developed; next Five-year Plan should give impetus to greener constructions; new upcoming cities should follow green norms; municipal bye-laws should be revised; research and development budget on green buildings techniques and technologies should be provided and encouraged; laboratories and testing facilities for green products should be set up; and energy efficiency retrofit of public buildings should take off in a big way. It is also now time to move into rating buildings in the residential space, which can eventually function as a designcum-rating tool. This would help architects to not only get their building rated but also would also guide them on green design. There are rating systems designed specifically for projects with built-up area of less than 2,500 sq. m. The rating comprises of 14 criteria and the interface comprises of simplified calculators. These calculators can be filled using information from construction drawings and estimates. The calculators reveal the overall points and the rating that a particular project can achieve. Mili Majumdar is director, sustainable habitat division, at The Energy and Resources Institute.
other sectors such as manufacturing, education, hospital and hotels are also demanding green spaces. Green DHNS landmarks
The Green Building Council has 800 registered sustainable building projects. Well-known among them are CII-Godrej GBC, Hyderabad, Tamil Nadu Assembly Building, ITC Green Centre, Gurgaon, Wipro, Kochi and ITC Royal Gardenia, Bangalore. Hall of Fame the Wipro Kochi office. Energy-efficient green buildings are all the rage across the country. The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) which is part of CII- Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre is actively involved in promoting the concept of green buildings in the country. Stakeholders of the construction industry comprising corporate, government and nodal agencies, architects, product manufacturers and institutions are all part of the IGBC. The council operates on a consensus based approach and member-driven. The vision of the council is to usher in the green building revolution in India to ensure that the country becomes one of the world leaders in green buildings by 2015. What’s a green building?
A green building is one which uses less water, optimises energy efficiency, conserves natural resources, generates less waste and provides healthier spaces for occupants, as compared to a conventional building. In terms of the number of green buildings in the country, Maharashtra ranks as the leading state with over 221 projects creating a footprint of over 154 mn sq ft. Mumbai is the leading city with over 143 projects creating a footprint of over 102 mn sq ft. Till date, the IGBC has 800 registered green building projects amounting to over 500 million sq. ft of green building footprint, of which 125 buildings are certified and fully functional. Some of the landmark green buildings in Bangalore include: * * * ITC Hotel, T-ZED The Royal Gardenia, Homes, IMTMA, Bangalore Bangalore Bangalore
Today, Bangalore has over 65 green building projects amounting to a footprint of over 33 mn sq.ft The most wellknown green buildings in the country include: * * * * * CII-Godrej GBC, Hyderabad Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Building, Chennai ITC Green Centre, Gurgaon Wipro, Kochi ITC Royal Gardenia, Bangalore
Ratings The two key ratings for green buildings are LEED-India (The
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System and GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) LEED-India is a nationally and internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. This rating recognises performance in the following five key areas: * * * * * Sustainable Water Energy Materials Indoor selection environmental site development savings efficiency and quality
GRIHA was introduced by TERI and later used by the government too, to rate green buildings. Among the key certified projects developed by GRIHA include the Centre for Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building, IIT Kanpur; and Suzlon One Earth, Pune. Delta India Electronics Pvt Ltd. has announced its Rudrapur plant has achieved LEED certification as "Gold-rated" green building and received the honor from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC). LEED certification is an international standards system for green building design based on the U.S. Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) system. The Rudrapur plant was built in 2008 to support Delta's commitment to the environment. Yancey Hai, Vice Chairman and CEO, Delta Electronics, Inc., said, "With our corporate mission: "To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow," Delta continues to develop eco-friendly, energy-efficient manufacturing and products and we are committed to constructing all future Delta facilities as green buildings. The
LEED certification of the Rudrapur plant not only serves as significant recognition for our green practices, but also demonstrates Delta's dedication to a green and sustainable Earth environment." Delta India says the Rudrapur factory consumes 35% less energy compared to a conventional building of the same size and is designed using energy efficient architecture, natural sky-lighting and ventilation, rain water harvesting and water re-cycling, as well as using eco-friendly building materials that provide a clean, healthy and safe workplace for employees.For harmony with nature and the local community, every detail of the factory is in sync with the green building spirit. For instance, approximately 60% of the total area of the factory has been kept open and green. Dalip Sharma, Managing Director of Delta India Electronics, said, "The LEED certified green factory in Rudrapur incorporates Delta's renewable energy technologies and solutions. The certification recognizes all of our efforts in reducing the environmental impact of our business operations, daily processes, products, buildings and R&D. We are committed to energy savings and environmental protection that helps diminish the serious threat of global warming. In addition, it also confirms our efforts to go beyond mere compliance with ecological guidelines." Delta India says it has three manufacturing units located in Rudrapur, Gurgaon, Pondicherry and two R&D centers in Gurgaon and Bangalore. Among them, the new corporate office in Gurgaon has also applied for platinum rating in accordance with the guidelines of the U.S. LEED and IGBC standards. Over the past few years, Delta has become a renowned name in telecom power solutions, uninterruptible power systems (UPSs), display solutions, industrial automation, and
components, and has many top-tier clients for its various product lines in the Indian market. The Indian Railways' centralised training institute IRICEN ( Indian Railways Institute of Civil Engineering) is developing a first-of-its-kind building which will be environment friendly, energy efficient and will implement the concept of heat management. The five-storied building in the city will comply with green building norms and will strive for 'platinum' rating which is an internationally recognised green building certification system developed by the . Being built in Koregaon Park on a plot of 7,000 sq mt, the building will have a museum, seminar and lecture halls, wellstocked library, auditorium, laboratory and a computer centre. Around 40% of the construction has been done, while IRICEN is hoping to complete the remaining 60% work by December 2012. IRICEN director C P Tayal said, "The project is unique, with a focus on efficient use of energy, water and other resources. The building will use natural light and ventilation, while also implementing power conservation concepts. The structural design is diagonal to ensure maximum use of natural light. The use of reflective paint and double wall glass panels will ensure less heat absorption." India is facing increasing energy challenge as a result of increasing urbanization and growing urban-rural divide. Energy security and access are two critical issues that define the policy landscape in power sector, while environmental sustainability agenda remains crucial in the urban development process. Over the past decade, India has been trying to address these challenges through a national action plan on climate change
and associated initiatives such as energy conservation, environmental impact assessments and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
Environmental concerns from left) A file photo of the Unilever House at Chakala, Andheri, Mumbai (Kedar Bhat/Mint); Fortis Hospital at Shalimar Bagh, New Delhi. Both the buildings have applied for energy efficiency rating schemes (Pradeep Gaur/Mint). It is almost globally acknowledged that large buildings and real estate construction projects are key contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and has a large environmental and energy footprint. A typical office building may consume between 180kWh to 200kWh per sq. m per annum in India, compared with a green building that may consume about 3040% less energy. As much as 168,000 tonnes of CO2 emission could be avoided a year per million sq. m of properly rated projects. It is in lieu of this that environmental clearance for large construction projects is mandatory and a related set of compliance measures such as the energy conservation building code, which specifies energy performance requirements for all commercial buildings, is expected to become law soon. Often state-level committees do not have enough expertise to evaluate building and construction projects on environmental parameters. Usually, there are long delays in granting
clearances, which are not acceptable to builders and developers. Absence of benchmarks, guidelines and common minimum criteria for evaluation is a major drawback of the system. Green ratings of buildings, on the other hand, provide a measurable framework in which all projects can be evaluated on all critical environmental parameters and given relative grading. Green rating for integrated habitat assessment (GRIHA) is an evaluation tool to help design, build, operate and maintain a resource-efficient built environment. It emphasizes end-use energy optimization (within specified comfort levels) and integration of renewable energy; thereby providing a framework, which looks at long-term policy options, both on the supply and demand sides, consistent with aspirations of economic growth. The ministry of new and renewable energy has endorsed GRIHA, compliance with which is mandatory for buildings of the Central government and public sector undertakings. The Central public works department has also adopted and integrated GRIHA into their standard operating procedure. To further provide an impetus to the green buildings movement, the ministry has launched a host of financial incentives on registration fees, awards and incentives. The environment ministry recently said that green buildings would be given priority in the environmental impact assessment process. This is a welcome step that would not only reduce the time taken for such clearance, but also add value by quantifying environmental benefits that are measurable and can be monitored. However, more needs to be done by the government. Implementation should be strong; capacity building across all stakeholder group should be enhanced; curriculum at college
and schools should be inclusive of environmental education in much greater detail; schools of architecture should introduce course on green buildings; suitable incentives for green products should be given; residential building energy codes should be developed; next Five-year Plan should give impetus to greener constructions; new upcoming cities should follow green norms; municipal bye-laws should be revised; research and development budget on green buildings techniques and technologies should be provided and encouraged; laboratories and testing facilities for green products should be set up; and energy efficiency retrofit of public buildings should take off in a big way. It is also now time to move into rating buildings in the residential space, which can eventually function as a designcum-rating tool. This would help architects to not only get their building rated but also would also guide them on green design. There are rating systems designed specifically for projects with built-up area of less than 2,500 sq. m. The rating comprises of 14 criteria and the interface comprises of simplified calculators. These calculators can be filled using information from construction drawings and estimates. The calculators reveal the overall points and the rating that a particular project can achieve. Mili Majumdar is director, sustainable habitat division, at The Energy and Resources Institute.
