Green buildings are on the forefront of sustainable development initiatives with a vision to reduce the environmental footprint of urban infrastructure. In India, where environmental consciousness is slowly on the rise, the Indian construction sector has finally turned towards greener practices, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and health of the occupants. This is the reason why such a shift to green buildings is a must for India today.
Intext Creative Solutions facilitates real estate developers with the simple steps on the pathway to a greener future for their projects. Our fabrication services follow the concept of green building design; that is, to reduce the environmental impact while adding value to modern buildings. Below, we have elucidated some key aspects of green building practices in India and why they matter.
What is a Green Building?
A green building is designed, constructed, and operated in such a way as to make its environmental overall impact lower while enhancing the well-being of its occupants. Some of the key features of green buildings are –
Energy Efficiency: The buildings would be powered by renewable energy sources like sunlight through solar panels or wind power through wind turbines. Energy-efficient lighting systems and smart designs and better insulation will lead the buildings to consume less energy.
Water Conservation Probably the biggest component of green building involves rainwater collection and the treatment and use of wastewater, as well as using an efficient plumbing system, ensuring that one makes use of much lesser water and reuses water resources.
Sustainable Materials: Green building typically employs natural or eco-friendly materials coming from local sources, which can potentially have less harmful impact on the environment. Materials include recycled steel, sustainably harvested wood, and non-toxic paints and finishes.
Improved indoor air quality through natural ventilation, non-toxic materials, and plenty of sunlight ensures that the occupants remain healthy and productive.
The environmental impact of building projects should be minimized by minimizing waste in construction and making sure that materials are recycled or composted properly.
Why Green Buildings are Important for India
The city population in India is growing at a rapid pace, and with this growth comes a variety of problems, from a raised energy demand to a strain on natural resources. Green buildings mitigate most of these issues and make the space within an urban area even more sustainable. Additionally, there is tremendous energy consumption for cooling in the climate of India, and hence, energy-efficient buildings would be very important for the country in terms of both cost reductions and greenhouse gas emission reductions.
Prominent Green Buildings in India
Suzlon One Earth, Pune The Suzlon One Earth, Pune is the best example of an energy efficiency house in terms of utilization because it covers most of its energy needs through renewable sources such as wind turbines and solar panels. Therefore, Suzlon One Earth can be taken as the epitome of a sustainable corporate office building of India.
CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre, Hyderabad: The building incorporates design strategies that are considered sustainable, such as passive solar heating, rainwater harvesting, and energy-efficient lighting. Given a LEED Platinum Rating, it is a benchmark for green building techniques in India.
Infinity Benchmark, Kolkata: It is the very first LEED Platinum-rated building in Kolkata, an optimization entity of resources. The building uses natural light illumination and utilizes good energy-efficient materials with superior HVAC systems that ensure sustainability as well as comfort for the inhabitants.
Green Building Certification in India
Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), established in the year 2001, aims for the adoption of green building practices across India. IGBC offers a set of rating schemes: Residential, Commercial, and Industrial ratings, all in its certified programs. Such certifications are undertaken from the Certified to Platinum levels of rating based on the amount of sustainability features integrated.
Apart from IGBC certification, ECBC prescribes minimum energy efficiency standards for commercial buildings in India. It becomes one of the key drivers of India’s efforts towards an energy-efficient building stock and applies to larger commercial premises.
Benefits of Green Buildings
Energy Savings: Green buildings can potentially conserve 30-40% more energy as compared to traditional buildings of similar kind because of their lighting, HVAC systems, and overall, well-insulated envelopes. Energy use through solar panels and other forms of renewable energy enhances and frees it further from dependence on grid electricity.
Water Conservation: Water management in green buildings saves 50% water; hence, it is a very important solution in water-scarce regions.
Health of the Occupant: Emphasis on fresh ventilation and air quality and non-toxic materials would result in healthier living spaces with decreased risks of adverse indoor environments.
Less Operating Cost: Although the initial investment on a green building may be more than what one has to spend on conventional buildings, in the long term, they tend to yield well-known savings from reduced energy and water consumption, lower maintenance costs, and a healthy working environment enhancing productivity.
Challenges and Opportunities of Green Building Movement in India
This is so even though the green buildings are gaining momentum in India. Still, there are challenges to the widespread spreading of green buildings:
Initial Costs are Higher: In most cases, the upfront investment of green materials and technologies is a little higher than usual conventional building options. Over the period of time, their cost can be compensated through the savings in the operational expense.
Unawareness: A majority of the developers and consumers are not aware of the benefits of green buildings. Educating the stakeholders of the advantage of sustainable construction can lead to an increase in demand.
Policy and Incentives: Though there are incentives from the government in terms of extra floor space, tax rebates, and fast-tracked approvals for green buildings, the policy framework still has to be strengthened. Further incentives from state and central governments can expedite the green building movement.
The Future of Green Buildings in India
Green buildings in India will be increasingly reliant on advanced technologies and innovative solutions in the near future:
NZEBs: Buildings that produce as much energy as they consume are now gaining popularity. They are enabled by coupling systems to reduce energy consumption with renewable energy sources to balance energy production and consumption to a nearly zero level.
Smart Buildings: IoT devices in combination with AI included in the building management systems allow, for example, the real-time monitoring and optimization of energy, water, and waste systems.
Circular Economy in Construction: More and more new designs are designed to be more sustainable because they consider building design-for-disassembly-aiming at reuse. Thus, waste reduction and thereby recycling improve construction sustainability.
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