Green buildings: India
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Contents |
Definition
What is a "green building"?
A structure that uses less resources than others. How many buildings in India meet that standard?
A RATING system has assessed that less than 2% of India’s buildings are “green buildings”, but underlined an opportunity to improve on this as new infrastructure is put in place. The assessment comes from Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) Council, a not-for-profit society jointly set up by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to promote green buildings in India. Green buildings are structures that are designed to utilise less resources than conventional buildings. Buildings account for up to 40% of the total energy consumption in India, the Environment Ministry’s ENVIS Centre says in a web post. It stresses the need for sustainable construction and operation strategies during design and planning stage itself. Objectives include minimising water demand and promoting recycling, besides air pollution control measures. “Green buildings are much more healthy entities in terms of designing but the air that is going to come inside would be something that is present outside but to a certain extent you could minimise or reduce the damage through a green building. A green building can reduce the interference from outside pollutants,” PTI quoted GRIHA Council chief executive officer Sanjay Seth as saying. While less than 2% of India’s buildings are green, Seth told PTI that there is a huge opportunity to increase that number as about 60% of infrastructure for the next 20 years is yet to be put in place. —
Rating system
2018: Net Zero Energy Buildings rating system launched
V RISHI KUMAR, ENS & PTI, November 2, 2018: The Hindu Business Line
The Indian Green Building Council has come out with Net Zero Energy Buildings rating system in collaboration with the World Green Building Council and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The rating system, launched during the 16th Green building Congress 2018 here, seeks to complement the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency and the National Solar Mission.
‘Net Zero’
IGBC plans to promote the concept of ‘Net Zero’ in India. Under this initiative, the focus is reducing the annual energy consumption by 40-50 per cent with respect to national baseline and cut down energy cost by about 30 per cent.
On October 31, IGBC launched ‘Green Building Rating System for Hill Habitas.
Focus on 4,500 cities, towns
“By 2030, 40 per cent of our population will be living in cities and by 2050, this will rise to 50 per cent. Therefore, it becomes imperative to plan and conceive these cities as green, right from the initial stages.” Lisa Bate, Chair of the Board, World Green Building Council, said: “On a global scale, buildings today produce 33 per cent of GHG emissions and consume 40 per cent of energy. Two to five times more pollutants are found inside buildings compared to the outdoors. The World Green Business Council is working on creating better places for people, shifting the spotlight from buildings to occupants. This approach can lead to tremendous benefits in the productivity and health of people.”
V Suresh, Chairman, IGBC said: “IGBC has facilitated 6.33 billion sq ft of green footprint, which has put India tall amongst nations pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals. The Council would work to achieve 10 billion sq ft by 2022, when India turns 75.”
Prem C Jain, the immediate past chair of IGBC, was recognised with the ‘Hall of Fame Award’ for his contribution to the green building movement.
2018: the best Indian states
June 22, 2019: The Times of India
From: June 22, 2019: The Times of India
Maharashtra ranks no. 1 in LEED-certified spaces in India
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a symbol of sustainability excellence that signifies a building is lowering carbon missions, conserving resources and cutting costs, while prioritising sustainable practices and creating a healthier environment. Buildings that are LEED-certified create healthier spaces for people, as well as use less energy and water. They also reduce air pollution, provide cleaner air indoors and save money for businesses and families. In the second edition of the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) list of India’s top ten states. Maharashtra bagged the top slot, followed by Karnataka.
