PEOPLE & THEIR PROBLEMS

New Delhi, 7 December 2007

Promoting Green Buildings

VITAL NEED FOR CHANGE

By Radhakrishna Rao

Following widespread concern over global warming brought about by unchecked environmental abuse, there is a growing awareness now of the need to popularize the construction of energy efficient and eco-friendly buildings across the world.

India’s first internationally certified green building that houses the Confederation of Indian Industry-Sohrabji Godrej Business Centre spread over 16,000sq ft was set up in Hyderabad in 2003. Today, the country has over 25 million sq ft of registered green building expanse which is all set to touch a 100 million sq ft by 2010-12.

Importantly, India has all the potentials to emerge as a hub of green building construction and play a significant role in encouraging eco-friendly construction. Green buildings now save on at least a third of the power and water. Moreover, they emit 35 per cent less carbon dioxide.

Though the green buildings cost three per cent more than the conventional buildings, in the long run, they contribute to an average energy savings to the tune of 30 per cent and are a substantial savings on waste handling.

Green builders have stressed the need to reach out to the 100 million people involved in the construction sector the world over. A classic example of an eco-friendly building complex is the Tata Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) at Gopahari village in Haryana, showcasing how green construction makes for higher energy efficiency and recycling of the wastes.

Further, green buildings should generate as much energy as they emit. For instance, a building can produce electricity through solar cells. The design and use of material too would make a difference depending on the geography, weather and local conditions. Be it glass, concrete or wood. But it needs to be underscored that one model won’t suit all

In fact, it is imperative that the country usher in a green building revolution and facilitate India emerging as one of the world leaders in green buildings by 2010. Students need to come up with effective and innovative ideas that could be easily implemented in their school campuses to make them green.

Incidentally, for quite sometime now the industry lobby groups have been in the forefront of the campaign aimed at popularizing the green building concept in the country. More so, as software and multi-national corporations are keen on having green campuses-cum-office complex, making the green building movement in the country good business sense.

In addition to green corporate complexes, eco-friendly individual houses are also becoming a part of the Indian landscape. The green houses allow house owners to not only significantly save on electricity and water but also generate lesser waste. Studies show that a house that is fitted with CFL lamps, solar water heater and recycling facilities saves around Rs.2.560 lakh over a period of six years. Solar water heaters alone will save around Rs.71,000 over six years.

But going green is not just about costs. It is about using resources wisely, as well as a shift in the professional attitude of architects, managers, corporates and all those associated with the green buildings movement.  But a change in the way both architects and their clients envisage their houses and buildings is needed for the green concept to really catch on.

However, a section of Indian architects stated that a lot of the green concept propagated by the industry is on predicted western needs and hence does not make much sense in the Indian context. On the other hand, they lay emphasis on falling back on the local materials and local needs to popularize the green building concept.

Not many are aware that the magnificent concrete and glass buildings in the booming urban centres spread across the globe account for a third of the carbon dioxide emission that contributes to global warming. Thus, the need to promote green building architecture has assumed added significance

But then initial capital investment in regard to green buildings continues to be a major impediment in the way of popularizing the green architecture. A way around this is to bring eco-friendly products into the mainstream and subsidize sustainable technologies, the concept would become more economically feasible.

According to a Professor of the Department of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, the approach from the construction industry towards sustainability for development must include a thought on using renewable energy and alternate technology — reusing and recycling materials during the design, manufacture, construction and maintenance. Attention should be given to producing less waste and recycling more, producing less toxicity, noise and spatial pollution.

Sadly, despite the ever-rising construction activity, awareness of the green building concept and sustainable architecture in India has significantly lagged behind the countries in the West. Given the fact that the overall sustainable building movement has significant business implications and is an opportunity to make real contribution to the efforts towards curbing India’s growing environmental crisis.

All in all, it needs to be remembered that the green houses are not just about getting appliances such as solar panels. It is much more. Starting from the design of the shell of the construction which should take into account the climatic conditions. True, in an urban area one does not always have the opportunity to incorporate every aspect. But even within fixed parameters, climatic consideration can be taken into account while designing a green building complex or an individual house. Specially, as the business advantages that sustainable buildings create are enormous. ---- INFA

(Copyright India News & Feature Alliance)