Let's Build Green India | By :: Nikhil Pattani

 

A green building is one that uses less water, optimizes energy efficiency, conserves natural resources, generates less waste and provides healthier spaces for occupants, as compared to a conventional building. 

The idea of "green buildings" attempts to completely reduce any bad effects while maximizing any beneficial effects a structure has on both its surrounding environment and its human occupants. The principal features of a green building include valuable use of soil and landscapes, resourceful utilization of water, usage of energy efficient and Eco-friendly apparatus, operational control & building management systems, use of renewable energy, use of recycled or recyclable materials and most significantly, better indoor air quality and air circulation for health and comfort.

India has for the most part, two green building rating systems to abide by- viz., GRIHA and LEED-INDIA.  These certifying organizations have a series of decisive factors and there are points for each one of these factors. The structures in question that require the certification have to comply with the pre-set norms and accomplish an accurate number of points to be certified and be stamped as a green building.

GRIHA- Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment is the National Rating System of India. It has been envisioned by TERI [The Energy and Resources Institute] and built in cooperation with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. GRIHA is a green building ‘design evaluation system’, and is fitting for every type of building in different climatic zones across the country. While on the other hand, LEED-INDIA is the Indian chapter of United States Green Building Council’s LEED, short for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. In India, it is piloted by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).

GRIHA is a rating tool that aids builders and consumers determine the running and functioning of their building vis-à-vis specific standard yardsticks in the country. GRIHA assesses the Environmental execution of a building entirely over its life cycle, by this means offering a classic touchstone for what comprises a green building. It endeavors to measure characteristics for instance, energy consumption, waste generation and renewable energy adoption so as to manage, control and lessen the same to the maximum.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building certification program used worldwide. It includes a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings, homes, and neighborhoods, which aims to help building owners and operators be environmentally responsible and use resources efficiently. There are five key parameters that LEED-INDIA promotes to recognize performance. They are sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.