Today the word Green associated with anything tangible or intangible implies sustainability of that entity. Sustainability is the ability to cater to the current needs of the human race without compromising the future generations ability to meet their needs. Green buildings are one such example which is constructed, keeping in mind the impact of the building to the surrounding environment.

Green Building is a science which follows the concept of constructing buildings using processes which are environmentally and economically responsible throughout a building's life cycle right from the construction to the maintenance and later on its demolition as well.

 

Some of the examples of the science used behind green building are:

The global energy crisis of 1970s was a period when major industrial countries faced substantial shortages in petroleum which was the fuel of their growth. The oil crisis was a major wake up call for all fuel intensive countries and corporations, which initiated the thought process of conserving energy in any form. Green building as a concept has its origin in the 1970s when globally the dependence on oil as a fuel and the rate of its depletion was realized.

The concept of green building started in India by way of solar energy being utilized to substitute for energy produced from fossil fuel. India is a developing country and its dependence on energy to fuel the development is increasing with the wide scale increase in its production capacity. This increase has made the corporate and individuals realize the need for energy efficient development and green buildings is one such initiative.Green building as a concept is catching momentum in India. As per a study conducted by property consultant DTZ The supply of green space has seen substantial jump from 20,000 sq ft in 2002 to 6.8 million sq ft in 2009. Green buildings are designed to have a longer life cycle, and help conserve natural resources like water, while consuming minimal power and energy.

There are various certifications available to certify a construction "green" based on the points it earns for various parameters . In India the recognized evaluating and certifying bodies are GRIHA and LEED® India.

 

IGBC (Indian Green Building Council)

Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), part of confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was formed in the year 2001. As per Indian Green Building Council a green building is one which uses less water, optimizes energy efficiency, conserves natural resources, generates less waste and provides healthier spaces for occupants, as compared to a conventional building.

IGBC offers various certifications:

IGBC Green Homes Certification Services:

Certification of residential buildings which include individual homes, gated communities and high rise residential buildings.

IGBC-Green Factory Building Certification Services: Certification of existing and upcoming industrial buildings across all the sectors

LEED®-India Certification Services: Certification of commercial and institutional green buildings registered under LEED®-India

GRIHA

GRIHA or Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment is the National Rating System for India. The Energy and Research (TERI) conceived and developed the rating jointly with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India.

GRIHA offers following benefits of green rating: up to 30% reduction in energy consumption, limited waste generation due to recycling, less consumption of water and less pollution load and liability. GRIHA is a rating tool that helps people assess the performance of their building against certain nationally acceptable benchmarks. GRIHA rating system consists of 34 criteria categorized under various sections such as site selection and site planning, conservation and efficient utilization of resources, building operation and maintenance, and innovation points.

In the GRIHA rating system different levels of certifications are awarded (one star to five stars) based on the number of points earned on the basis of the number of criterion achieved by the building under four categories site selection and site planning, building planning and construction, building operation and maintenance and Innovation. In GRIHA the minimum points required to get a certificate is 50 and the total number of points which can be awarded is 104. The various ratings based on the total points earned are awarded as follows:

Points Scored	Rating
50-60	One Star
61-70	Two Star
71-80	Three Star
81-90	Four Star
91-100	Five Star

 

LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)

is available in silver, gold and platinum and is a worldwide known and acceptable certificate for sustainable buildings. David Gottfried is the founder of the rating system. LEED® certification in India is awarded by the Indian Green Building Council and the certification request form is submitted to CII � Green Business Center in Hyderabad.

LEED®-INDIA rating system provides a roadmap for measuring and documenting success for every building type and phase of a building lifecycle and is awarded by a third party IGBC. LEED®-INDIA promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in Sustainable Site Development, Water Savings, Energy Efficiency, Material Selection and Indoor Environmental Quality.

Specific LEED®-INDIA programs include:  

LEED® India Green Building Rating System Certification Levels

LEED® India Green Building certification is given on the points earned for individual credits. The maximum number of points which can be earned for LEED® India New Construction is 69 and for Core and Shell it is 61. It is mandatory for all the LEED® India projects to comply with the prerequisites credits.

LEED® India Green Building Rating System
 

A few buildings with LEED® Platinum ratings across the world are:

As per IGBC following are few of the LEED® certified buildings in India: