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ITC Sonar Bangla
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.

 

 Green buildings:

  1. Use energy, water and other resources efficiently
  2. Creates an environment which keeps in mind the inhabitants health and 
  3. Are designed in such a way which helps in reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation.

ITC Royal GardeniaThere are various economic as well as environmental advantages of a green building:

  • Green building process helps in increasing the life of the building
  • Demolition and construction wastes are minimalised
  • Incorporate water and energy efficient technologies
  • Indoor air quality is better
  • Include renewable energy as a source of energy in the building besides the conventional energy
Some of the examples of the science used behind green building are:
  • Designing in such a way that it uses energy close to the source in order to minimize energy conversion loss.
  • Heat transmissions to be considered in all its forms convection, conduction and radiation while selecting the building material and building practices.
  • High Noise decreased using various technological advances available
  • Having the best possible airflow throughout the construction and fixing exhaust fans and vents at strategic points to ensure air moisture/humidity is properly vented out of the building.
ITC Green CentreThe 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 for New Construction (LEED® India NC): LEED® India for New Construction the eligibility for Commercial buildings include (but are not limited to) offices, retail and service establishments, institutional buildings (libraries, schools, museums, etc.,) hotels and buildings of four or more habitable stories.
  • LEED® India for Core and Shell (LEED® India CS): LEED® India for Core & Shell is a set of performance standards for certifying the design and construction of Core and Shell buildings. Core & Shell buildings are those where the owners or developers do not control all aspects of the building's design and construction.
  • LEED® for Commercial Interiors : Applicable for both tenant or self occupied spaces ·
  • LEED® for Existing Buildings: Applicable for existing buildings occupied for at least two years.
LEED® India Green Building Rating System Certification Levels

Rating
New Construction (NC)
Core & Shell (C & S)
LEED® Certified
26 - 32
23 - 27
LEED® Certified Silver Level
33 - 38
28 - 33
LEED® Certified Gold Level
39 - 51
34 - 44
LEED® Certified Platinum Level
52 - 69
45 - 61









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
 

Sl. No
Credits
New Construction
Core & Shell
 
Prerequisites (Mandatory for all projects)
7
7
1
Sustainable Sites
13
14
2
Water Efficiency
6
6
3
Energy and Atmosphere
17
14
4
Materials and Atmosphere
17
14
5
Indoor Environment Quality
15
11
6
Innovation and Accredited Points
5
5
 
Total
69
61


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

Building Name
Location
Robert Redford Building: The National Resources Defense Council
Santa Monica, CA, USA
Bank of America Tower
New York City, USA
Confederation of Indian Industry�s Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Center
Hyderabad, India
Queens Botanical Garden Visitor and Administration Center
Flushing , New York, USA
Alberici Corporate Headquarters
Overland, Missouri, USA


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

Project Name
Location
Applicable Rating
Rating Achieved
CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre
Hyderabad
LEED® for New Construction
Platinum
ITC Green Center
Gurgaon
LEED® for New Construction
Platinum
Wipro Technologies
Gurgaon
LEED® for New Construction
Platinum
Grundfos Pumps India Pvt Ltd
Chennai
LEED® for New Construction
Gold
NEG Micon India Pvt Limited, (Vestas India)
Chennai
LEED® for Existing Buildings (EB)
Gold
Technopolis
Kolkata
LEED® for Core & Shell
Gold
L&T EDRC 1
Chennai
LEED® for Existing Buildings (EB)
Silver
Olympia Technology Park
Chennai
LEED® for Core & Shell
Gold
Hiranandani BG Building
Mumbai
LEED® for New Construction
Platinum
IGP Office
Gulbarga
LEED® for New Construction
Gold
ABN Amro Bank - Central Enterprises
Chennai
LEED® for Commercial Interiors (CI)
Gold

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                   
 
 
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