1

Project report on green buildings

Project report submitted in partial requirement of
B.E Civil Engineering

Submitted by
Sharanjot Singh
(15BCE1514)
Batch: 2015-2019
Contact: 9780661061

Department of Civil Engineering

Chandigarh University Ghrauan, Mohali
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors are highly grateful to the Dr. Gurdeep Singh, Executive Director, &
Dr. S.S.Sehagl, Director Engineering, Chandigarh University Mohali, for
providing this opportunity to carry out the Project on Green Buildings.

The constant guidance and encouragement received from Prof. Sandeep Salhotra,
Head, and Department of Civil Engineering & Er. Puneet Sharma academic
coordinator, Department of Civil Engineering, has been of great help in carrying
out the project work and is acknowledged with reverential thanks.

The authors would like to express a deep sense of gratitude and thanks profusely to
_________________ without the wise counsel and able guidance, it would have
been impossible to complete the report in this manner.

The authors express gratitude to other faculty members of Civil Department,

Chandigarh University, and Mohali for their intellectual support throughout the
course of this work.

Name of Students: Sharanjot Singh

I have gone through the content of the synopsis submitted by ____________________

_________ and found it in order and fit to carry on the proposed studies.

Dated Signature of the guide

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INDEX

S.NO TITLE Page no.

1. Introduction 4-7

2. Green building objectives 8-9

3. Design of green building 10-22

4. Methodology 23-29

5. Cost analysis 30-35

6. Benefits 36-38

7. Limitations 39-40

8. Conclusion 41-42

9. References 43
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Introduction

The beginning of the twenty-first century has ushered in the era of green buildings. Normal buildings use
energy inefficiently, generate large amounts of waste in their construction and operation, and emit large
quantities of pollutants and greenhouse gases. In contrast to conventional buildings, green buildings seek
to use land and energy efficiently, conserve water and other resources, improve indoor and outdoor, air
quality, and increase the use of recycled and renewable materials. While green buildings still constitute a
tiny subset of existing buildings, their numbers are increasing rapidly. Green building (also known as
green construction or sustainable building) refers to both a structure and the application of processes that
are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planning
to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This requires close
cooperation of the contractor, the architects, the engineers, and the client at all project stages. The Green
Building practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility,
durability, and comfort. Green building brings together a vast array of practices, techniques, and skills to
reduce and ultimately eliminate the impacts of buildings on the environment and human health. It often
emphasizes taking advantage of renewable resources, e.g., using sunlight through passive solar, active
solar, and photovoltaic equipment, and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain gardens, and
reduction of rainwater run-off. Many other techniques are used, such as using low-impact building
materials or using packed gravel or permeable concrete instead of conventional concrete or asphalt to
enhance replenishment of ground water.
While the practices or technologies employed in green building are constantly evolving and may differ
from region to region, fundamental principles persist from which the method is derived: siting and
structure design efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiency, materials efficiency, indoor
environmental quality enhancement, operations and maintenance optimization and waste and toxics
reduction. The essence of green building is an optimization of one or more of these principles. Also, with
the proper synergistic design, individual green building technologies may work together to produce a
greater cumulative effect.
On the aesthetic side of green architecture or sustainable design is the philosophy of designing a building
that is in harmony with the natural features and resources surrounding the site. There are several key steps
in designing sustainable buildings: specify 'green' building materials from local sources, reduce loads,
optimize systems, and generate on-site renewable energy.

Definitions:
the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings and their sites use energy, water, and
materials, and reducing building impacts on human health and the environment, through better siting,
design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal—the complete building life cycle.
The practice of creating structures and using processes that is environmentally responsible and resource-
efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance,
renovation and deconstruction. This practice expands and complements the classical building design
concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Green building is also known as a sustainable or
‘high performance’ building.
Both of these definitions mention life cycle assessment (LCA). LCA is the investigation and valuation of
the environmental, economic, and social impacts of a product or service. In the context of green buildings,
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LCA evaluates building materials over the course of their entire lives and takes into account a full range
of environmental impacts, including a material’s embodied energy; the solid waste generated in its
extraction, use, and disposal; the air and water pollution associated with it; and its global-warming
potential. LCA is an important tool because it can demonstrate whether a product used in a green building
is truly green. The Most Important Element: The Efficient Use of Energy Buildings can incorporate many
green features, but if they do not use energy efficiently, it is difficult to demonstrate that they are truly
green. In fact, given that the term “green building” can be somewhat vague, some people prefer to use the
term “high performance building.” A high-performance building is a building whose energy efficiency
and environmental performance is substantially better than standard practice. Although green buildings,
on average, use less energy than conventional buildings, energy efficiency remains elusive. In fact, there
is a growing debate whether buildings that achieve some level of LEED certification are more efficient in
their use of energy than regular buildings. It suffices to say that if a building is not energy-efficient, it
cannot be said to be green.
The Reality of the Built Environment: The Problem of Existing Buildings although green buildings
represent the next phase of buildings, the reality is that the vast majority of buildings are not green, and
these buildings will continue to be used for many years to come. Improving the energy efficiency of
existing buildings typically involves a process called retrofitting, which can mean anything from
installing more energy-efficient fixtures to increasing the amount of insulation in a building. While
greening existing buildings does not receive the attention that new green buildings do, it is certainly more
important when looking at reducing the environmental impacts of buildings nationwide.

Impacts of Conventional Buildings That Green Buildings Seek to rectify the environmental impacts of
buildings are enormous. They are responsible for large greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as
emissions of other harmful air pollutants. They also generate large amounts of construction and
demolition (C&D) waste and have serious impacts on plants and wildlife. Energy Use in Buildings
Worldwide, buildings consumes massive amounts of energy. The United Nations Environment
Programme has reported that 30–40 percent of all primary energy produced worldwide is used in
buildings. In 2008, the International Energy Agency released a publication that estimated that existing
buildings are responsible for more than 40 percent of the world’s total primary energy consumption and
for 24 percent of global CO2 emissions.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Indoor Air Pollution Given that buildings use large amounts of energy,
and given that most of this energy comes from the burning of fossil fuels. Unfortunately, greenhouse
gases are not the only harmful pollutants that buildings emit. Indoor levels of air pollution may greatly
exceed outdoor levels. Indoor air pollution is particularly important given that we spend most of our time
indoors. It estimated that indoor levels of pollution may be two to five times higher, and occasionally
more than 100 times higher, than outdoor air pollution levels. This pollution can come from a wide
variety of sources. One way to reduce the presence of these toxins is to ensure that indoor air is frequently
replaced by outdoor air and to ensure that this outdoor air is properly filtered. Unfortunately, buildings are
often poorly ventilated and do not sufficiently filter the air that is recalculated, leading to air that is
potentially harmful to building occupants’ health. A primary consideration of green buildings is the health
and well-being of their occupants.
Further, wastewater from buildings typically goes into municipal sewer systems rather than being treated
on-site or used for non-potable purposes. Buildings also usually displace vegetation that can capture and
absorb precipitation. The net result is that municipal sewer systems are often overburdened. During
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rainfall events, billions of gallons of water flow into these sewer systems as runoff, carrying contaminants
with them. Many older municipalities have combined sewer systems that capture both storm water runoff
and wastewater from buildings. These combined sewer systems are not designed to treat the massive
amounts of water that flow into them during heavy rainfall events. Thus, they are equipped with
combined sewer overflows (CSOs), which act as safety valves and deposit much of this water, which
contains raw sewage and other contaminants, into waterways.
“Gray water” can also be used in building operations. Gray water is water drained from baths, showers,
washing machines, and sinks that can be captured and used again. Gray water can be collected and reused
for irrigating landscapes. Gray water may actually benefit plants because it often contains nutrients such
as phosphorus. A dual plumbing system is necessary for recycling gray water within a building.
Biological wastewater treatment can also be used to recycle gray and black water

Land Use and Consumption Many millions of acres of land in this country have buildings constructed on
them. Although buildings themselves use large amounts of land, this is not the primary issue. Rather, it is
the poor siting of buildings that leads to large amounts of land (and other resources) being consumed. For
example, buildings that are not built in existing residential or commercial areas require the construction of
new roads, sewer lines, utility poles, and other infrastructure to reach them, which can lead to, among
other things, habitat destruction. In addition, many buildings are not reachable by public transportation
and thus require the construction of parking lots or garages. Most significantly, buildings that are built on
the fringes of existing urban or suburban areas often contribute to the problem of sprawl. Although sprawl
can have many definitions, generally speaking, sprawl is the spreading of a city or, more typically, its
suburbs to previously undeveloped or lightly developed areas. Between 1982 and 1997, approximately 25
million acres (39,000 square miles) of rural land—which includes forest, rangeland, pastures, cropland,
and wetlands—were developed. From 1970 to 1990, the 100 largest urbanized areas expanded over an
additional 14,545 square miles. Green buildings can address the problems of sprawl.
Construction Materials Building construction is a multibillion-dollar industry and requires the constant
production and harvesting of millions of tons of a variety of raw materials to meet worldwide demand. By
any measure, the amount of raw materials used in buildings is mammoth. Worldwide, construction
activities consume 3 billion tons of raw materials each year, and it has been estimated that the
construction industry consumes half of all products produced by volume. A crucial part of green buildings
is the material that is used in their construction. Although definitions vary, green building materials are
generally composed of renewable rather than nonrenewable resources and are environmentally
responsible because their impacts are considered over the life of the product. In addition, green building
materials generally result in reduced maintenance and replacement costs over the life of the building,
conserve energy, and improve occupant health and productivity. Green building materials can be selected
by evaluating characteristics such as reused and recycled content, zero or low off-gassing of harmful air
emissions, zero or low toxicity, sustainably and rapidly renewable harvested materials, high recyclability,
durability, longevity, and local production.
According to some estimates, four tons of wastes are typically deposited into a landfill during the
construction of a new 2,000-squarefoot home. Construction waste consists primarily of lumber and
manufactured wood products (35 percent), drywall (15 percent), masonry materials (12 percent), and
cardboard (10 percent). The remainder is a mix of roofing materials, metals, plaster, plastics, foam,
insulation, textiles, glass, and packaging. Although much of this material is recyclable, most of it is
deposited into landfills. Green buildings generally seek to minimize the amount of C&D waste they
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generate. One way they do this is by recycling or reusing C&D waste, such as by using inert demolition
materials as base material for parking lots and roadways. For sites that include the demolition of existing
structures, plans can be developed early in the design process to manage and reuse as much material as
possible through the deconstruction, demolition, and construction processes. Demolition generates large
amounts of materials that can be reused or recycled—principally wood, concrete and other types of
masonry, and drywall. Rather than demolishing an entire building, all or part of a building can be
deconstructed. Building deconstruction is the orderly dismantling of building components for reuse or
recycling. In contrast to building demolition, deconstruction involves taking apart portions of buildings or
removing their contents with the primary goal being reuse.
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Green Building Objectives

A truly sustainable built environment re-integrates humanity into nature. In a natural system there is no
such thing as waste and each individual’s waste products become inputs for someone else. It is possible
for humanity to once again become part of these natural cyclical systems.
Buildings that take their cue from nature and their surroundings can support, strengthen and improve the
functioning of natural systems while also improving their own functionality.

CONSERVING THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Structures and infrastructure tend to disturb the natural environment and ecosystems significantly.
Topsoil, vegetation, water cycles, animal behavior and biodiversity in general are impacted on by the built
environment. All of these systems are necessary for the healthy functioning of the planetary systems that
are needed for our survival.

OPTIMUM USE OF BUILDING MATERIALS

Building materials utilize natural resources. Obtaining these materials requires timber harvesting,
cultivation, mining and quarrying. Many of these activities are currently degrading the environment. Once
obtained, these materials need to be processed, manufactured and transported. Using local materials as far
as possible is an easy way to be greener.
It is therefore imperative to specify the most sustainable building materials possible and to use them in the
most efficient way.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY
It is estimated that around 40% of the energy used on the planet is by buildings. By far the majority of
energy is generated using non-renewable sources such as coal, gas and oil. Being non-renewable, these
resources will get depleted and, as they become scarcer, become more expensive and more difficult to
extract. The process of converting these fossil fuels into energy in most cases produces greenhouse gases
(GHGs) which contribute to global warming.
Energy efficient buildings contribute significantly to lowering humanity’s overall energy requirements,
which in turn reduces the building sector’s carbon footprint.

WATER EFFICIENCY
Fresh water is increasingly being recognized as a scarce resource and water systems are becoming
increasingly polluted. It is estimated that buildings consume 40% of all fresh water that is used. This
water is used for drinking, cooking, sanitation, cleaning and for the industrial processes that take place in
many buildings.

Appropriate water harvesting, recycling and conservation can make a significant impact in preserving this
most precious commodity.
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WASTE MANAGEMENT
Buildings generate an ongoing amount of waste during their lifetimes and in their eventual
deconstruction. This waste can be liquid, solid or gas and places a burden on the environment because it
can’t be safely and healthily disposed of.
Recycling is one of the best ways of managing waste. Not only can the continuous waste generated by
the building be recycled but the actual building itself is able to be recycled when no longer required. In
effective recycling waste from one function becomes a resource for another.
The careful management of consumption, clever design and appropriate material choice can significantly
reduce waste output.

SOCIETY AND THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE

Buildings have a profound effect on their occupants and users – influencing and shaping the way in which
we live, learn, work, play, contemplate and relax.
The design, resolution and ongoing condition of buildings can either improve or detrimentally impact on
the wellbeing of the occupants.
A built environment that promotes human dignity, safety, security, hygiene, ease of use and sound
community values will promote wellbeing on an individual and collective level.
Well adjusted, balanced and cared about people and societies are sustainable. Dysfunctional ones are not.

HEALTH
Buildings effectively create an internal environment which profoundly affects its occupants. Air quality,
light quality, acoustics, temperature and hygiene can promote or hinder health, depending on how they
perform.
It has been found that buildings that are environmentally sustainable tend to promote health, which in turn
improves the wellbeing of its occupants as well their productivity. There are many case studies proving
that the increased productivity of occupants has been the most lucrative result of a greening process.

ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability includes financial and economic sustainability. Resource-hungry buildings are costly to
produce and use, and this places a strain on the overall socio-economic fabric of society.
The costs of energy, water and materials are going to continue to increase as they become rq1scarcer and
an efficient building can contribute hugely towards the financial sustainability of its users or owners.
Poverty and financial hardship in the world are increasing and a thoughtful and efficient built
environment could realize benefits for many levels in society.
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Design of green building

1. Program Planning and Site Selection

A. Set preliminary environmental perform

All the building owner sets preliminary performance targets at the outset of the project. These
should be appropriate to the site and program, and should cover the following areas:

i. Energy: Energy Use, Energy Source, Clean Energy Transport

ii. Water: Water Use, Water Filtration, Ground Water Recharge, Human Waste
iii. Landscape: Integrated Pest Management, Green Space, Native Plantings and Wildlife
Habitat
iv. Materials: Recycled Materials, Efficient Materials, Salvaged Materials, Local
Materials, Durable and Low Maintenance
v. Waste: Recycling and Composting Facilities
vi. Construction Practices: Construction Waste, Reuse Topsoil, Vegetation and
Watercourse Protection
vii. Indoor Environmental Quality: Air Pollutant Emissions, Ventilation Effectiveness and
Air Filtration, System Commissioning and Cleaning, delighting
viii. Economic Performance: Life-Cycle Assessment, Capital Cost Accounting

B. Research funding opportunities

There are many financial and supporting resources to support green buildings. The application to
these programs should be made as soon as possible.

C. Reuse existing buildings

Reuse an existing building as much as possible through renovation or redevelopment. Roughly

80% of an average building’s environmental impact is from its operations and maintenance over
its lifetime, and only 20% from the embodied energy of materials. Therefore, the trade-offs and
life-cycle costs of building new must be done carefully.
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D. Start early to source salvaged materials

Early on, look for appropriate salvageable materials from demolition contractors, specialty
suppliers, salvaged building material suppliers, or buildings that are being deconstructed. All
consultants should be ready to specify salvaged materials. When a source has been identified, the
availability, quality of material, timing and storage should be confirmed .

E. Select appropriate land

Select land that:

i. Is a short walk from public transit, pedestrian and bicycle routes

ii. Exists in an already-urbanized area
iii. Is walking distance from amenities
iv. Is already serviced by the requisite urban infrastructure (roads, utilities, etc.)

2. Stage in the Process: Selection of Design Team

A. Select a design team with experience or interest in green and

integrated design
Ensure that knowledge; skills and experience with green design are criteria for the selection of
architects, landscape architects, engineers and other members of the design team. All applicants
should be asked to provide proof of their knowledge of and / or previous experience with green
design principles and practices

B. Select appropriate professionals for the expanded design team

Ensure that the following skills are available among team members:

i. Facilitation: Having someone with experience in both green and integrated design can
help the team make the best use of time at the first few design meetings. An
experience facilitator can also help to steer the team in the right direction, and provide
information on green design issues.
ii. Energy Simulation: This is indispensable for significant building energy conservation.
Energy engineers specialize in analysis, research and engineering of energy
conservation and renewable energy methods. They are best involved early during
schematic and early design development and later at or near completion to verify the
actual energy performance.
iii. Green Expertise: A professional with expertise in green design practices will stimulate
the group to go beyond current practice. In addition, they will provide some
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reassurance to an inexperienced team about the best strategies to investigate given the
specifics of the project.
iv. Value /Cost Analysis: The role of this person (or people) is vital to the success of the
project. The cost consultant must be involved very early in the process and must
understand the process and the objectives / targets of the project. They must have the
tools to respond quickly as to the cost impacts of various design concepts and
variations to these concepts. They will need to be able to provide appropriate cost
information at various stages of the process.

C. Set environmental performance targets

The integrated design team sets performance targets. The team, including the owner, further
develops the performance targets set by the owner. These targets should be appropriate to the site
and program, and should deal with the all the sets of preliminary performance targets.

3. Site Design

A. Protect or enhance site’s ecological integrity and biodiversity

i. Minimize the development footprint: This includes parking, building, roads, and
Cluster buildings together.
ii. Locate building to preserve the site’s natural areas. Do an inventory of the site’s
ecology. If there are concerns, send in a map of the site to the Conservation Data
Centre to have it assessed for rare or endangered species. Avoid making major
changes to sensitive landscapes, wildlife habitat, or topography.
iii. Re-establish: damaged native ecosystems: Plant native species and take out
ecologically harmful non-native or invasive species. Plant native species along
streams to act as buffers. Use landscaping to control erosion.
iv. Preserve, establish, or re-establish native biodiversity (diversity of native plant and
animal species) during construction, salvage native plants to be replanted on the site
or elsewhere.
v. Make connections between the natural ecology of the site and natural systems both
within and beyond the site.
vi. Build support for urban greenways that can be used by wildlife, pedestrians, cyclists,
and others. This can be done by working with the relevant local or regional
government agencies to help you establish, connect with or further develop a
greenway.

B. Reduce or eliminate disturbance to water system

i. Minimize storm water runoff. Increase site infiltration where soil conditions allow by
maintaining the natural pervious landscape or designing a pervious landscape. Use
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pervious surfaces (e.g. ones which allow water to penetrate) for as much as possible of
the surfaces that are usually paved (e.g.: roads, parking, courtyards and pathways),
where soil conditions permit.
ii. Use organic storm water management features like vegetative swales, filter strips,
vegetative buffers, infiltration basins, or drywells instead of subsurface storm drains to
treat storm water runoff from fields, roofs and roads, where soil conditions permit.
iii. Celebrate these natural water management techniques by making them into attractive
landscape elements. Examples can be seen in many of the case studies.
iv. Install oil / water separators to treat run-off from parking lots (do not use them for run-
off from fields or roofs). On impervious areas that do exist, capture rainwater for site
or building use.
v. Design roads and parking lots without curbs or with curb cuts or openings that drain to
storm water treatment & infiltration measures.

C. Prevent or reduce the use of potable water for irrigation

i. Harvest rainwater or use recycled storm water, or site treated grey or waste water for
irrigation
ii. Use water-efficient plants. These are often native species, or species that have adapted.
iii. Use water-efficient irrigation, including: micro irrigation, moisture sensors, and
weather data based controllers.

D. Reduce urban heat islands

i. Maximize green space through use of native gardens, trellises, roof gardens, etc.
ii. Maximize pervious surfaces for parking areas, paths, courtyards, etc.
iii. Use light coloured, high-albedo materials for all nonpervious surfaces. Drawings and
specifications must record expected albedo requirements.
iv. Provide shade on impervious surfaces where high-albedo materials cannot be used

E. Design infrastructure to support alternative transportation

i. Locate building to have access to public transit, bike routes, and pedestrian routes.
ii. Encourage walking and bicycling by designing attractive, safe pedestrian and cycling
infrastructure. These features can be centrally located and grouped with landscape
features. Site features such as walking and cycling paths, public squares, and outdoor
seating can be located to optimize the solar access and access to attractive landscape
features. Internal infrastructure can also be important to encourage walking and
cycling. Central, attractive staircases can encourage the use of stairs over elevators.
iii. Maximize bicycle-parking spaces and minimize car parking spaces. Internal covered
bike parking may be appropriate in some cases, and can be designed to be an attractive
feature of the building. At other times, external bike parking, or a combination of both,
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will be more appropriate. Whether inside or out, bike parking can be made more
desirable by being covered from the rain and located centrally.
iv. Build changing facilities and showers for cyclists and joggers.
v. Give preferred parking to car pool cars.

4. Building Orientation and Configuration

A. Use site resources to reduce building loads and enhance indoor environmental
quality
i. Use existing and proposed trees & plantings to reduce heating, cooling and lighting
loads. Plantings can reduce summer solar gain, channel summer breezes, and block
winter winds, while still allowing daylighting. Deciduous trees, for example, let winter
sun through while shading summer sun, and therefore are useful in front of south- and
west-facing windows. Evergreen trees are particularly useful for blocking winter wind
on the North of the building.
ii. Orient the building to optimize prevailing winds and solar opportunities. Prevailing
winds should be used to create appropriate air pressures in the building if natural
ventilation is being used. However thermal loses due to infiltration of prevailing winds
should be minimized. The building should be sited and oriented to optimize the site’s
solar resources. Winter solar gain and summer shading are often important, but sun
studies and energy computer simulations will need to be done to develop strategies
appropriate for each building and site.
iii. Use existing and proposed topography to create thermal mass around the building.
Earth berms and other topographical features can be used to enhance the building’s
energy performance.
iv. Assess the feasibility of using on-site renewable or alternate energy. Consider
geothermal or ground source energy, co-generation, passive and active solar energy,
passive and active wind energy, and other energy sources .

B. Develop a project specific building form and massing

i. Narrow floor plates can be used to give greater access to daylight, views, and natural
ventilation. Windows in rooms with 8 or 9 foot ceilings typically bring light 15 to 25
feet into the building. Light shelves and other reflective glazing can extend natural
light to depths of 30 to 35 feet if narrow floor plates are not possible. Narrow floor
plates allow effective cross-ventilation. The benefits of greater views, natural light and
natural ventilation need to be balanced with the potential for heat loss through the
greater wall area.
ii. Interior temperature fluctuations can be moderated by thermal mass. Materials like
concrete and masonry store and release heat slowly.
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C. Configure internal layout to reduce loads and enhance IEQ

i. Reduce heating, cooling, lighting and ventilation loads through careful placing of
internal uses. This can be done in a number of ways.
ii. Locate internal spaces to optimize natural ventilation, daylighting, and site resources
like trees or topography for shading. Create operable windows where air quality is
good and where prevailing winds will create desired internal pressures. Locate highly
occupied spaces close to exterior windows.
iii. Uses that do not need windows can be located on the north side. Locating gyms,
theatres or other uses that do not require windows on the north face is useful as this
wall usually has the least potential for daylighting and passive solar gain. In addition,
the north exterior wall has the greatest heat loss from any windows located there, so
avoiding this is beneficial to the overall energy performance of the building. The
energy simulation should act as a check of whether this is the appropriate strategy for
your building.
iv. Create zones: Spaces with similar functions should be grouped together so that
heating and cooling demands can be combined into HVAC zones. The building’s
orientation and relationship to the outdoors should be taken into consideration when
selecting zones.
v. Use circulation areas as buffers: public areas and circulation areas can be design to
experience wider temperature ranges, because they are occupied less, and are
occupied when people are moving.
vi. Be as space efficient as possible. Building less space means using fewer materials and
maintaining and operating less space over time.

D. Select best concept design

i. The integrated design team should at this point select the best concept design,
including the orientation, configuration, massing and siting. There may be some
changes as the design progresses, but the basic concept should be chosen at this
stage.

E. Finalize all non-energy performance targets

i. As the design team enters the building systems design phase, they need to come to
consensus on all of the project’s performance targets except energy, which will be confirmed
after the building systems design. Finalizing no energy targets can be done at the same
meeting in which the design team meets to begin the energy design. The initial performance
targets should be modified in light of what is possible on this site and within the project
budget. The final targets should then be printed up and given to each design team member to
refer to throughout the design.
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5. Building Systems Design

A. Design and select all building systems to meet energy targets

i. Conduct an energy simulation. The energy simulation provides the energy and
cost information required to make the “best” selection of building systems. The
“best” selection will be the one that provides the lowest life-cycle cost within
approved cost budget. This is the most iterative phase of the overall design
process. The goal is to investigate energy and cost savings resulting from the
synergies between the various building systems and their components.
ii. Once energy loads are optimized through the selection of the best combination of
structural, envelope, ventilation, water, and lighting systems), the design team
will select the most appropriate mechanical system to meet this. This process will
generally lead to the selection of a smaller mechanical system than would
normally be the case

B. Choose environment ally sensitive structural materials

i. Design with salvaged, recycled and efficient materials as much as possible.
ii. Use locally harvested or manufactured materials. This will reduce the
environmental impacts of transportation.
iii. Use materials with low environmental impact over their life. Selecting materials
this way requires research, using software like BEES or ATHENA, or doing book
research.
iv. Use low-VOC materials. Use structures that do not require finishes that emit
VOCs.

C. Design for reuse

i. Design for flexibility. Design a structure that allows for changes in use over time.
This may include modular building materials, or flexible floor plans, with column
spacing and floor-to-floor heights that can be easily adapted to many uses, to ensure
long structural life.
ii. Design for disassembly. Select building systems that can be deconstructed at the end
of the building’s useful life.

D. Design envelope to reduce heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation load

i. Design an energy efficient envelope: appropriate insulation, tight construction and
high-performance, low-e windows (when this reduces life cycle costs).
ii. Avoid thermal bridges in walls (use continuous insulation, or eliminate metal studs
in outside walls, or otherwise ensure thermal break).
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iii. Optimize solar heat gain and reduce glare. The design options include: selecting
glazing with appropriate ratio of visible light transmittance to solar heat gain
coefficient; using trees &
iv. The Telus Office Building, above, uses 30% Less Energy than ASHRAE 90.1. The
third skin creates an air gap which keeps heat in during the winter and provides
shade in the summer.
v. Plantings to reduce summer solar gain; and ensuring windows have appropriate
exterior shading.
vi. Locate and size fenestration to capture the wind and fresh air available on site. This
can reduce the need to mechanically heat, cool, and move air

E. Optimize indoor environmental quality

i. Optimize daylighting and views. Design the envelope to bring in daylight and views
to as much of the inhabited floor area as possible.
ii. Design the envelope to provide adequate fresh air. In addition, users should be
provided with as much comfort and control as possible.

F. Reduce ventilation loads

i. Select an efficient mechanical or natural ventilation system. Buildings with access to
clean air and a quiet outdoor environment may benefit from use of natural ventilation
systems at least in swing seasons.
ii. Assess the potential for heat recovery systems. Heat can be recovered from both
sensible and latent heat.
iii. Consider using zones to group areas with similar occupancies and ventilation needs.
iv. Weigh the benefits of VAV (variable air volume) air distribution systems. When there
is reduced demand, reduce the system load.

G. Provide users comfort and control

i. Provide individual controls for ventilation. Operable windows, in addition to
individual controls for airflow, encourage users to turn off ventilation when needed,
and also allow a high level of comfort and control. Individual controls should
therefore be provided where feasible. See resources and case studies above.

H. Provide adequate fresh air

i. Separate air intakes from pollution. Trees, waterways, forested areas, fields and other
planting options can improve outside air quality. The intake must be far enough away
to eliminate exposure to contaminated air.
ii. Use carbon dioxide sensors to monitor ventilation rates and to provide ongoing
information concerning air quality.
 18

iii. With the help of building users and owner, reduce pollution sources. For pollution
generating sources that cannot be eliminated from the building, create isolated zones
that are separately ventilated.
iv. Ensure that indoor air is free of pollution.

I. Select water efficient fixture

Install the following where appropriate:
i. Lavatory and kitchen faucets with max 9.5 litres per minute.
ii. Public lavatory faucets with 2 litres per minute or less.
iii. Self-closing, time-activated (5 second shut off) or motion detecting public faucets.
iv. Showers with a maximum of 9.5 litres per minute.
v. Public showers self-closing time-activated (1 minute shut off).
vi. Dishwashers with a maximum of 27 litres on normal cycle (for non-industrial use).
vii. Clothes washers that are energy and water efficient (e.g. horizontal axis).
viii. HVAC water that is made up of recycled or storm water.

J. Reduce water-related energy use

i. Minimize energy use in water systems. Insulating water pipes, reducing pipe lengths,
reclaiming heat from water, choosing efficient dishwashers and washing machines
and other techniques and features can save energy.

K. Reduce lighting load

i. Install high-efficacy lamps & fixtures (e.g.: compact fluorescents and T-8 lamps).
ii. Maximize daylight to reduce the need for electric lighting.

L. Maximize daylight and views

i. Ensure occupied spaces have direct access to outdoor views. The use of interior
atriums, courtyards, clerestory windows, etc., can bring outdoor views and light into
the building. Ensure all occupied spaces have access to daylight. Using a smaller
footprint and narrower building depth allows light to penetrate better throughout the
building. If the building is broad, light shelves can be used to allow light deep into the
interior.
ii. Reduce glare and unwanted heat gain by using sun shading, interior or exterior
window treatments and or light shelves. Deciduous trees can provide excellent sun
shading, allowing light through in the winter and blocking unwanted lighting the
summer.
iii. Daylight and occupancy sensors in the CK Choi Building, UBC reduce the use of
artificial lighting. The lighting load is 0.9 w / sq. ft.
 19

iv. Consider consulting professionals like those at the Seattle Lighting Design Lab. The
Lab provides assistance to residential and to commercial lighting designers seeking
the most efficient lighting technologies and strategies, and it uses a 1,200 square foot
mock-up facility and a daylighting lab.

6. Interior Finishes and Appliances Selection

A. Reduce internal loads

i. Install high-efficiency appliances. Select energy efficient equipment, including: copy
machines, computers, printers etc. in offices; washing machines, dishwashers,
refrigerators, microwaves, ovens, etc., for domestic uses; and other energy efficient
equipment for other uses. Often the appliances are selected once the building is
complete

B. Reduce disposal of waste materials to landfills

i. Provide built-in recycling amenities that make it easier for occupants to recycle than
throw away. Create accessible areas for separating, collecting, and storing paper,
glass, plastics and metals.
ii. Provide built-in composting amenities, including storage and use areas for
composting.
iii. Select indoor finishes that are recycled or salvaged.

C. Ensure indoor air is free of pollution

i. Select indoor finish materials for minimal indoor air pollutant emissions. Strive to
make indoor finishes (paint, adhesives, surface coatings, and surface areas)
“Ecologo” Certified, “Zero VOC” certified, “Green Seal” certified (for paints and
coatings) or Carpet and Rug Institute Certified (for carpeting) or equivalent.
ii. Surfaces exposed to inhabited spaces, supply or return air should not trap or release
dust, mineral or glass fibre. The building design should ensure that acoustic duct
linings are protected, fibrous finishes are avoided and that ceiling plenums that
expose the airstream to artificial mineral or glass fibres are avoided.
iii. Locate air intakes distant from sources of outdoor pollution. Review site conditions
carefully to ensure that the air intake is placed to bring in fresh air. The proposed
ASHRAE standard 62 r (1997) is a good source for recommended separation
distances.
 20

7. Specifications / Construction Drawings

A. Specify the overall environmental intent of the project

i. Provide detailed spec and drawing information for the preservation of site ecology.
Site disturbances can be limited by delineating recycling and disposal areas, and by
establishing clear construction boundaries. Natural areas can be rehabilitated and
appropriate wildlife (butterflies, birds, etc) can be encouraged using native species
and ecosystems. A horticulturalist, landscape architect or native plant society can
assist in selecting the necessary plants and landscape features to be specified in the
construction contract.
ii. Provide detailed spec and drawing information for all site water features. Features
like the ones that follow will need drawings and specifications to describe them:
vegetative swales, filter strips, vegetative buffers, infiltration basins, drywells,
pervious paving, oil / water separators, curb-less roads, and roof gardens. Any
systems that are intended to be used to harvest rainwater use recycled storm water or
site-treated grey or waste water for irrigation should be specified and drawn. All
water-efficient plantings and irrigation systems need to be specified.

B. Specify energy efficient systems and products

i. Specify the package of energy conservations measures and other systems that were
selected through the use of energy computer simulation software. This will include
specifying the selected envelope, ventilation, water, lighting, and mechanical systems.
ii. Specify energy efficient equipment, including: copy machines, computers, printers
etc. in offices; washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, microwaves, ovens, etc,
for domestic uses; and other energy efficient equipment for other uses.

C. Specify green products and materials

i. Specify salvaged, recycled and efficient materials as much as possible. The GVRD’s
Directory of Resource and Efficient Building Products can be used to find appropriate
materials. See the glossary for definitions and standard examples of these materials.
ii. Specify local materials. Avoid the environmental and economic costs of
transportation by specifying local materials, products, services and systems as much
as possible.
iii. Specify rapidly renewable materials. See the glossary for definition and examples of
standard products to specify.
iv. Specify minimally processed products. Use materials that have not been highly
processed, as they will have less embodied energy, and there will be little risk of
chemical emissions from the manufacturing process. Examples include natural stone
 21

and slate shingles, wood products and plant products (agricultural or non-
agricultural).
v. Specify low-emissions products. This includes zero- and low-VOC paints, caulks, and
adhesives. It also includes other reduced-emissions materials or products, like
nonformaldehyde manufactured wood.
vi. Specify alternatives to ozone-depleting substances. Many building materials still
utilize HCFCs, including rigid and blown foam insulations, some carpet pad and
compression-cycle HVAC equipment. Alternatives should be specified.
vii. Specify alternatives to PVC, polycarbonates, and other hazardous components. There
are many alternatives available to vinyl, PVC cabling and PVC pipes. Other
alternatives to hazardous materials include low mercury fluorescent lamps and
chromium-free solar collectors.
viii. Specify durable and low maintenance materials and products. These include products
such as fiberglass windows, fibercement siding, slate shingles, and vitrified clay
waste pipe.

8. Construction and Commissioning

A. Prevent erosion during construction

i. Minimize site disturbance. There are a number of strategies that include:
ii. Maintaining or providing vegetated ground cover controlling erosion with mulch or
grass
iii. Controlling sedimentation by building silt fences, stabilized slopes, or sediment traps.
The prevention of erosion is important because properly done, it will also prevent the
accompanying air pollution, and sedimentation of streams and storm sewers.

B. Ensure protection of site ecosystem

i. Rare vegetation, large trees, and watercourses are protected during construction.
Requirements for landscape and watercourse protection should be written into
contract documents, and there should be follow-up during construction. For this to be
done properly, an inventory should have been completed at the initial design stage,
which can be referred to now. A wide area around the trees and other features to be
protected can be fenced off, and construction can be scheduled to minimize damage
to these protected areas. An area can be designated for washing down concrete trucks
etc., to ensure there is no erosion of site soils.
ii. Use a formal Site Sediment and Erosion Control Plan to ensure that stormwater does
not erode site soil and contaminate local water bodies. This may mean maintaining
site landscape throughout construction or providing ground cover, or it might mean
phasing construction, stabilizing soils, or using other measures. Creating and
 22

following a plan should prevent loss of site soil as well as and the sedimentation of
storm sewers, streams and the local air.

C. Minimize the disposal of construction waste

i. Construction and demolition waste is reused, recycled or salvaged for later reuse.
This can be achieved through using a project waste management specification.
ii. Ensure that the contractor follows a formal Waste Management Plan. This WMP shall
ensure construction-site recycling of: corrugated cardboard, clean dimensional wood,
palette wood, concrete, brick, concrete block, asphalt, metal, drywall, land clearing
debris, paint. For demolition projects, this WMP shall encourage the salvaging of:
dimensioned lumber; heavy timbers; wood siding; structural steel; wood panelling;
moulding; trim and wainscoting; heritage architectural elements; cabinets and
casework; brick and block; electric equipment and light fixtures; plumbing fixtures
and brass; windows, doors and frames and hardwood flooring.

D. Commission all major systems

i. All major building systems are commissioned. This is so that they are installed and
calibrated to operate as the design indented. An independent commissioning authority
should be hired to verify the installation, performance, training and documentation.
Consider making contractor payments dependent on the commissioning agents’
verification of system performance that complies with design and construction
documents.

E. Protect and conserve topsoil

i. All topsoil removed during construction is saved and reused. Even if it not used on the
same site, it can be sold for use on another site.
 23

Methodology
A green building is an environmentally sustainable building, designed, constructed and operated
to minimize the total environmental impacts. To measure the impact of the building on the
environment, rating tools are available. The evaluators evaluate the building with the help of
these rating tools and rate the building accordingly. In India, most commonly used rating tools
are GRIHA and LEED India.

i. GRIHA
Most of the internationally devised rating systems have been tailored to suit the building industry
of the country where they were developed. TERI, being deeply committed to every aspect of
sustainable development, took upon itself the responsibility of acting as a driving force to
popularize green buildings by developing a tool for measuring and rating a building’s
environmental performance in the context of India’s varied climate and building practices. This
tool, by its qualitative and quantitative assessment criteria, would be able to ‘rate’ a building on
the degree of its ‘greenness’. The rating shall evaluate the environmental performance of a
building holistically over its entire life cycle, thereby providing a definitive standard for what
constitutes a ‘green building’. The rating system, based on accepted energy and environmental
principles, seeks to strike a balance between the established practices and emerging concepts,
both national and international. The guidelines/criteria appraisal may be revised every three
years to take into account the latest scientific developments during this period. On a broader
scale, this system, along with the activities and processes that lead up to it, will benefit the
community at large with the improvement in the environment by reducing GHG (greenhouse
gas) emissions, improving energy security, and reducing the stress on natural resources. The
rating applies to new building stock – commercial, institutional, and residential – of varied
functions. Endorsed by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India as of
November 1 2007, GRIHA is a five star rating system for green buildings which emphasizes on
passive solar techniques for optimizing indoor visual and thermal comfort. In order to address
energy efficiency, GRIHA encourages optimization of building design to reduce conventional
energy demand and further optimize energy performance of the building within specified
comfort limits. A building is assessed on its predicted performance over its entire life cycle from
inception through operation. GRIHA was developed as an indigenous building rating system,
particularly to address and assess non-air conditioned or partially air conditioned buildings.
GRIHA has been developed to rate commercial, institutional and residential buildings in India
emphasizing national environmental concerns, regional climatic conditions, and indigenous
solutions. GRIHA stresses passive solar techniques for optimizing visual and thermal comfort
indoors, and encourages the use of refrigeration-based and energy-demanding air conditioning
systems only in cases of extreme thermal discomfort. The GRIHA rating tool consists of 34
various criteria divided under 7 different categories, such as sustainable site planning, health and
well-being during construction, material management and so on. GRIHA integrates all relevant
 24

Indian codes and standards for buildings and acts as a tool to facilitate implementation of the
same.

ii. LEED India

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) was developed and piloted in the US in
1998 as a consensus based building rating system based on the use of existing building
technology. The rating system addresses specific environmental building related impacts using a
whole building environmental performance approach. The Indian Green Building Council has
adapted LEED system and has launched LEED India version for rating of new construction. In
addition, Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) has launched several other products for rating
of different typologies of buildings including homes, factories, among others. The following are
key components of the LEED system.

1. Sustainable sites (construction related pollution prevention, site development impacts,

transportation alternatives, storm water management, heat island effect, and light pollution)

2. Water efficiency (landscaping water use reduction, indoor water use reduction, and waste
water management strategies)

3. Energy and atmosphere (commissioning, whole building energy performance optimization,

refrigerant management, renewable energy use, and measurement and verification)

4. Materials and resources (recycling collection locations, building reuse, construction waste
management, and the purchase of regionally manufactured materials, materials with recycled
content, rapidly renewable materials, salvaged materials, and FSC certified wood products)

5. Indoor environmental quality (environmental tobacco smoke control, outdoor air delivery
monitoring, increased ventilation, construction indoor air quality, use low emitting materials,
source control, and controllability of thermal and lighting systems)

6. Innovation and design process (LEED accredited professional and innovative strategies for
sustainable design).

METHODOLOGY

To generate the weights, first the criteria have to be decided. In order to do that, rating tools has
to be studied and then, the criteria which are suitable has to be short listed and then needs to be
verified from the accredited experts of the respective rating tools. Once criteria have been
verified, comparison between these criteria has to be made to generate weights according to the
relative importance. In order to do that, we shall the use the AHP (Analytic Heirarchy Process)
technique to make comparison between the criteria.
 25

A questioner shall be issued to the respective experts for the comparison and generating relative
importance of the criteria. After collecting the data, using the AHP technique, we can generate
the weights for the criteria.

CRITERIA FRAMEWORK

After studying the rating tools, a criteria framework has to be prepared by selecting the criteria
which are most suitable criteria have been selected under 7 different categories, after the
studying the rating tools. The following table shows a comparative study of the three rating tools
under each column. This gives us a brief idea about the criteria covered under each of these
rating tools. It also helps us to know which criterion has been missed out under a particular rating
tool.

List of criteria

Serial Criterion Details Source

number Number of
criterion

Group A – Sustainable site planning (SSP)

1. A1 Site selection GRIHA

2. A2 Preserve and protect the landscape during GRIHA

construction/compensatory depository forestation.

3. A3 Soil conservation GRIHA

4. A4 Design to include existing site features GRIHA

5. A5 Reduce hard paving on site GRIHA

6. A6 Enhance outdoor lighting system efficiency GRIHA

7. A7 Plan utilities efficiently and optimize on-site circulation GRIHA

efficiency

8. A8 Storm water design LEED

Group B- Health and well-being (HW) during construction

9. B1 Provide, at least, minimum level of sanitation/safety facilities for GRIHA

construction workers

10. B2 Reduce air pollution during construction GRIHA

 26

Group C - Material Management

11. C1 Utilization of fly-ash in building structure GRIHA

12. C2 Reduce volume, weight and time of construction by adopting GRIHA

efficient technology, for example pre-cast systems, ready-mix
concrete and so on

13. C3 Use low- energy materials in interiors GRIHA

14. C4 Renewable energy based hot-water system GRIHA

15. C5 Use of low VOC paints/adhesives/sealants GRIHA

16. C6 Materials Reuse LEED

17. C7 Regional Materials LEED

18. C8 Rapidly Renewable Materials LEED

Group D – Water

19. D1 Reduce landscape water requirement GRIHA

20. D2 Reduce building water use GRIHA

21. D3 Efficient water use during construction GRIHA

22. D4 Waste water treatment GRIHA

23. D5 Water recycle and reuse (including rainwater) GRIHA

24. D6 Ensure water quality GRIHA

25. D7 Water use reduction LEED

Group E – Energy

26. E1 Optimize building design to reduce conventional energy demand GRIHA

27. E2 Optimize energy performance of building within specified GRIHA

comfort limits

28. E3 Renewable energy utilization GRIHA

29. E4 Energy audit and validation GRIHA

Group F – Health and well-being (HW) post construction

 27

30. F1 Minimize ozone depleting substances GRIHA

31. F2 Acceptable indoor and outdoor noise levels GRIHA

32. F3 Tobacco and smoke control GRIHA

33. F4 Universal accessibility GRIHA

34. F5 Operations and maintenance protocol for electrical and GRIHA

mechanical equipment

35. F6 Thermal comfort LEED

36. F7 Daylight and views LEED

Group G – Waste Management

37. G1 Reduction in waste during construction GRIHA

38. G2 Efficient waste segregation GRIHA

39. G3 Storage and disposal of waste GRIHA

40. G4 Resource recovery from waste GRIHA

41. G5 Construction waste management LEED

Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), since its invention, has been a tool at the hands of decision
makers and researchers; and it is one of the most widely used multiple criteria decision-making
tools. Many outstanding works have been published based on AHP: they include applications of
AHP in different fields such as planning, selecting best alternative, resource allocations,
resolving conflict, optimization, etc., and numerical extensions of AHP. The specialty of AHP is
its flexibility to be integrated with different techniques like Linear Programming, Quality
Function Deployment, Fuzzy Logic, etc. This enables the user to extract benefits from all the
combined methods, and hence, achieve the desired goal in a better way. Analytic Hierarchy
Process is a multiple criteria decision-making tool. This is an Eigen value approach to the pair-
wise comparisons. It also provides a methodology to calibrate the numeric scale for the
measurement of quantitative as well as qualitative performances. The scale ranges from 1/9 for
least valued than, to 1 for equal and to 9 for absolutely more important than covering the entire
spectrum of the comparison. Some key and basic steps involved in this methodology are:
1. State the problem.
 28

2. Broaden the objectives of the problem or consider all actors, objectives and its outcome.
3. Identify the criteria that influence the behavior.
4. Structure the problem in a hierarchy of different levels constituting goal, criteria, sub-criteria
and alternatives.
5. Compare each element in the corresponding level and calibrate them on the numerical scale.
This requires n (n-1)/2 comparisons, where n is the number of elements with the considerations
that diagonal elements are equal or 1 and the other elements will simply be the reciprocals of the
earlier comparisons.
6. Perform calculations to find the maximum Eigen value, consistency index CI, consistency
ratio CR, and normalized values for each criteria/ alternative.
7. If the maximum Eigen value, CI, and CR are satisfactory then decision is taken based on the
normalized values; else the procedure is repeated till these values lie in a desired range.
AHP helps to incorporate a group consensus. Generally this consists of a questionnaire for
comparison of each element and geometric mean to arrive at a final solution. The hierarchy
method used in AHP has various advantages.

DEVELOPMENT OF QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY

A survey questionnaire has to be developed based on AHP method. This step of the methodology
requires the criteria identified to be weighed against one another. In an AHP model, researchers
can assume that although there might be multiple criteria when making a decision, not all the
criteria may have the same impact on the final decision. It is then the task in this step to
determine the criteria weights as perceived by the respondents.
A comparison between the two criteria has to be made over a scale on 1 to 9. This scale is known
as Saaty scale.
The following table shows what the score on the saaty scale mean. By studying the table, the
expert respondent can mark the relative importance of the category and its criteria.

The comparison scale

Value Meaning Importance

1. Equal

2. Between Equal to moderate

3. Moderate

4. Between Moderate to strong

5. Strong
 29

6. Between Strong to Very

7. Very strong

8. Between Very strong to

Extreme

9. Extreme

An example is shown below to give a clear understanding of the comparative method of the
criteria.

Sustainable site planning Health and well-being during construction

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Similarly a comparison has to be made of the sub criteria

Site selection Preserve and protect landscape during construction

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Likewise the questionnaire shall contain a comparison between all the 7 main categories and then
comparison between the sub criteria shall also be made on saaty scale to determine their relative
importance on the saaty scale of 1-9.
After getting the responses from the experts, matrices shall be generated and the weights of each
criteria, based on the relative importance, could be generated. These weights shall be utilized for
the development of score points for the Green Building Rating Tool.
 30

Cost Analysis

This study will enlist the parameters responsible for cost incremental or decremental factors
which are additionally associated due to a green rating. The post occupancy or operational stage
is not considered for study.

Environmental parameters

A brief: 2000 – 2013 The parameters for environment friendly constructional practices have been
always a part of the bye laws and the literature of corporations. The environmental status reports
have been a strong proof for the same. The parameters were never highlighted as a separate
entity but always a part of the integrated construction process. The need for a recognized
methodology and degree of greenness was realized and so the concept of green ratings was
introduced in the country. International protocols and growing awareness in the global scenario
also created the need in the Indian market. The rating tool offered a similar concept which was
associated with project branding and measurement of green status. The concept of green
buildings picked up pace after year 2000 in India. The authority organizations presented their
voluntary assessment systems to the citizens which were propagating the green construction
practices from design to operational phase. For its proliferation several offers and benefits
including monetary benefits were attached to the rating systems. The globally recognized rating
LEED made a way in India with its Green Homes rating which was further modified to Indian
context by Confederation Of Indian Industry [CII]. The rating was termed as IGBC Green
Homes, where IGBC is Indian Green building Council clearly highlighting the localized sense.
Eco Housing India, IGBC Green Homes and Griha are the ratings that were presented to the city
of Pune during the past decade. Environmental parameters influence the distribution, abundance
and activity of animals and plants. Local meteorological conditions such as air temperature,
rainfall or sunlight may affect the behavior of terrestrial organisms, and water current, dissolved
oxygen, suspended material and river bed topography may influence aquatic species.
Green building rating systems In India, there are rating systems like LEED, IGBC, Eco Housing
and GRIHA. They have a predefined set of criteria that have intent towards direct applicable
environment aspect with points against each of them. Few points are mandated while others are
voluntary as per the choice of the project. Buildings are required to fulfill the defined criteria and
achieve a certain number of points to be certified. In addition to these rating systems, there are
codes that are applicable to defined projects. These codes are not mandated till date but might be
a mandate to go with in near future. Energy Consumption Building Code [ECBC] has a direct
implication with measurable energy savings. With all these guidelines there is National Building
Code [NBC] which provide instructions on the energy consumption of buildings. All buildings in
India need to comply with the guidelines set up by ECBC and the NBC.
 31

We can define Green Buildings as structures that ensure efficient use of natural resources in
construction. Use of ecofriendly building materials, savings in water & energy and other
resources with minimal generation of non-degradable waste are key parameters for green
buildings. Further to the basic systems in the defined green way, technology support enhances
the greenness quotient of the project. Technologies prove very helpful to help measure the actual
savings that reflect in the system. Examples like efficient cooling systems with sensors that can
sense the heat generated from human body and automatically adjust the room temperature, prove
much more beneficial than only limiting to system installations, further saving energy. The same
applies to the lighting systems too resulting in saving of energy against lighting. Green buildings
have a smarter lighting system that automatically switches off when no one is present inside the
rooms. Simple technologies like air based flushing system in toilets that avoids water use by
100%, use of energy efficient LED’s and CFL’s instead of conventional incandescent lamp, new
generation appliances that consume less energy, and many other options help in making the
buildings green and make them different from conventional ones. In Pune city, all the four rating
systems are predominantly noted. Due to the applicable benefits to the region, the city
experiences a large green building footprint in the country with LEED, IGBC and GRIHA
combined footprint.

i. Green building parameters: There are several parameters on which a building is evaluated
before being awarded with a final certification. The overall parameters can be categorized as
following major heads:
ii. Efficiency of site selection and planning: The site selection and planning section addresses
the ecology and environment concerns related to residential construction and site
development activities including the design of landscape.
iii. Water management: Efficient water and waste water management for reducing water usage
demand on fresh water sources is the prime focus. The residential sector is one of the
significant water consumers, after agriculture. The certification parameters encourage water
usage in a self-sustainable manner through reduce-recycle-reuse concept.
iv. Energy efficiency: Reducing demand of conventional energy by optimization of building
design and structure is the prime focus. Incorporating renewable sources of energy and
renewable energy based systems such as solar water heater to reduce the use of conventional
energy are evaluated and applied in the project under this head.
v. Materials: Efficiency in selection of sustainable materials for construction and the
technologies considered is evaluated.
vi. Indoor environmental quality: Enhancement of indoor environment quality like indoor air
and thermal quality is evaluated including daylight parameters.
vii. Innovation: The credits that are performing exemplary in few of the above criteria can avail
additional points under innovations. Also if the project attempts any beneficial activity that is
not mentioned in the rating but that can help to prove positive benefit to the environment they
can claim additional points under this head.
 32

viii. Audit & maintenance Optimization of operation and maintenance:

To compare green and conventional buildings, major parameters that will be under consideration
include those areas where the Green element shall make an impact. There are many parameters
which will have common considerations as per the sanctioning mandates or by the environmental
committee suggestive mandates. Only those parameters that are additional for green building will
be accounted for this study.

ix. Case study analysis: A brief survey was carried out for a sample of 150 where the
preference of the developers and buyers was asked for the rating to be opted for while doing
a green building. Looking at the popularity of the ratings in the building sector in private and
government sector both, IGBC and GRIHA prove to make a mark in the Indian industry.
Similarly for the city of Pune both these ongoing ratings are prominent and exceed the
footprint than other ratings. We can thus study the two prominent ratings in Pune, i.e. IGBC
and GRIHA; for the preferential weight age catered to each of the criteria as defined by
Green norms. As per the defined categories of the ratings, the following table is identified
with the weight age in terms of points given to each criterion under that category. From the
above tables it can be realized that the prevalent rating systems in India give most priority to
the Building design and comfort parameters. Average high priority is for the materials and
water and waste management is given considerable weight age. Significant points lie with the
 33

main credits but the supporting credits are designed in such ways that they have great
influence on main points. With their minor number they can assume greater impact on main
points further adding green quotient to the project. Further detailed analysis for these
parameters is carried out on the basis of their cost impact against each of the criteria. Cost
impactive parameters for green and conventional buildings.

In residential sector for most preferred ratings of IGBC & GRIHA many projects can be
identified that have reached a benchmark for study. Considering the parameters of conventional
and green buildings, a detailed study is carried out for GRIHA and IGBC criteria to understand
the impactive credits for the entire project. The cost impact shall only be considered for first
costs impact, either increasing or decreasing cost for conventional against green building. The
overall study has been divided in two parts. The first part of the study is the identification of the
variables of the cost parameters for conventional against green. Whilst the second part is the
actual set of certified buildings are studied for the impacted cost. Here the detailed checklist for
both rating systems is analyzed for the first cost impact that is probable for both the conventional
and green. Below analyses helps us to identify how the cost increment or decrement is impacting
the green against the conventional case. This analysis is made against each sub part of the criteria
for both ratings and segregated under heads as mentioned in the figures below. It is noted that the
parameters related to site and energy show a significant increase in cost parameters with green
attempted criteria whilst there is also a significant decrease observed with the parameters of
materials specifically under the structural head. With the increase in cost there is a high scope for
cost decrease also with the attempt of right technology and correct material selection.
Simultaneous decrease is also observed under the water and site credit with the responsible
parameter of landscape.
 34

x. Cost analysis Case studies: The identified variables in the above study were further
applied to a group of certified buildings which were studied for comparison of their own
conventional and green case for cost impacts. As a standard the conventional case was
considered as the case without the green implication for the same project in similar situation.
Thus cost impact was taken nullified for that particular credit and the cost for conventional
was considered less than the value against the green case. Similarly the cost positive areas
were considered for the value which was reduced from the conventional case. The overall
impact is the resultant value that is notified in the table. The cost data collected for 15 sites
were analyzed in great detail to understand the difference in conventional and green cost of
the construction. Also, the activities which contribute in these differences were studied and
presented in the following section. Table 2 presents the details of the cost data based all 15
sites under study. The conventional cost of the sites ranged 1,021 – 1,402 Rs./sq.ft. with the
mean Rs. 1,238 [± 113]. Whereas, the mean green cost of the sites were Rs.1,253 [±117] per
sq.ft. It was observed that the green cost of the sites were higher than the conventional cost.
On an average there was an increase of 14.80 Rs./sq.ft in green cost, which accounted for 1.2
% increase over conventional cost. However, the mean percent increase in green cost over
conventional cost was highest for medium projects [1.6 ± 0.6] followed by small projects
[1.3 ± 0.2]. Percent increase in green cost for large projects was only 0.6 [± 0.3], which was
less than half of the increased observed in small and medium projects [Figure 5]. The
difference in green cost of projects across the groups was statistically significant as indicated
by the test statistics of non-parametric Kruskal Wallis Test.
 35

Average building conventional cost and green cost

xi. Factor Analysis:

The opinions of the buyers about the green buildings were collected using 24 items
questionnaire. The response format for each statement was the standard Likert 5-point scale.
A factor analysis with varimax rotation was used to create the factor structure of the 24 items
included in the questionnaire. Factor analysis was carried out using the maximum likelihood
method with pair wise deletion. Data adequacy for the spiritual climate inventory was
checked with the KMO test, the value of which is 0.675. A value is higher than 0.5 which
indicated that the data is sufficient for factor analysis. Chi square value 2798.714 at 276
degrees of freedom was significant at less than 0.0001 level of significance. The significant
value of Chi Square test indicates the acceptability of eight factor solution. The eight factor
solution proposed by them holds valid on the current sample. The factors were rotated by an
orthogonal transformation [varimax] to achieve a simpler structure with greater
interpretability. Data were aggregated in three factors with Eigen values greater than 2 and
explained about 47.7 % of the variance. Items with Factor loadings > 0.55 were used to
define factors. The factor score coefficients were estimated by the regression method, which
produces uncorrelated scores with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1.
 36

Benefits
Environmental and economic performance: Green construction methods when integrated while
design and construction provide most significant benefits. Benefits of green building include
many of the following.

Environmental Benefits:
i. Reduce wastage of water
ii. Conserve natural resources
iii. Improve air and water quality
iv. Protect biodiversity and ecosystems

Economic Benefits:
i. Reduce operating costs
ii. Improve occupant productivity
iii. Create market for green product and services.

Social Benefits:
i. Improve quality of life
ii. Minimize strain on local infrastructure
iii. Improve occupant health and comfort

Energy Efficiency & Water Conservation

i. Optimizing energy and water resources will not only decrease the use of natural resources
but will also decrease your water and electric bills.
ii. Improved Indoor Air Quality

Breathe easy with fresh air indoors. We believe in helping to bring refreshing breaths of air to
you, your children, employees, as well as elderly or sick members through upholding our mantra
of separate, ventilate and filtrate.

Reduced Carbon Footprint

i. Keep your project and the environment clean and green by producing less waste and
reducing the release of harmful gasses.
ii. Increased Property Values

Green built properties are in demand for their sustainable components that lower maintenance
costs and keep those within it smiling, feeling guilt-free, and healthy. So go green, and then get
the green in return!
 37

Increased Employee Productivity

With clean air to breath, natural light flowing in, and energy resources being put to good use,
those working in green built properties can better focus on their work and become more
productive.

Improved Employee Attendance

An environmentally friendly workplace creates positive vibes, while the natural resources
increase the health benefits for those within the property. Employees stay happy, healthy, and
excited to go to work every day.

Environmental
One of the most important types of benefit green buildings offer is to our climate and the natural
environment. Green buildings can not only reduce or eliminate negative impacts on the
environment, by using less water, energy or natural resources, but they can - in many cases -
have a positive impact on the environment (at the building or city scales) by generating their own
energy or increasing biodiversity.

At a global level:
i. The building sector has the largest potential for significantly reducing greenhouse gas
emissions compared to other major emitting sectors – UNEP, 2009.
ii. This emissions savings potential is said to be as much as 84 gigatonnes of CO2 (GtCO2)
by 2050, through direct measures in buildings such as energy efficiency, fuel switching
and the use of renewable energy – UNEP, 2016.
iii. The building sector has the potential to make energy savings of 50% or more in 2050, in
support of limiting global temperature rises to 2°C (above pre-industrial levels) – UNEP,
2016.
iv. At a building level:
v. Green buildings achieving the Green Star certification in Australia have been shown to
produce 62% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than average Australian buildings, and
51% less potable water than if they had been built to meet minimum industry
requirements.
vi. Green buildings certified by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) results in energy
savings of 40 - 50% and water savings of 20 - 30% compared to conventional buildings
in India.
vii. Green buildings achieving the Green Star certification in South Africa have been shown
to save on average between 30 - 40% energy and carbon emissions every year, and
between 20 - 30% potable water every year, when compared to the industry norm.
 38

viii. Green buildings achieving the LEED certification in the US and other countries have
been shown to consume 25 per cent less energy and 11 per cent less water, than non-
green buildings.

Economic
Green buildings offer a number of economic or financial benefits, which are relevant to a range
of different people or groups of people. These include cost savings on utility bills for tenants or
households (through energy and water efficiency); lower construction costs and higher property
value for building developers; increased occupancy rates or operating costs for building owners;
and job creation. Since the publication of World GBC’s groundbreaking 2013 report, The
Business Case for Green Building, we have sought to strengthen the link between green
buildings and the economic benefits they can offer.

At a global level:
i. Global energy efficiency measures could save an estimated €280 to €410 billion in
savings on energy spending (and the equivalent to almost double the annual electricity
consumption of the United States) – European Commission, 2015.
ii. At a country level:
iii. Canada’s green building industry generated $23.45 billion in GDP and represented nearly
300,000 full-time jobs in 2014 – Canada Green Building Council / The Delphi Group,
2016.
iv. Green building is projected to account for more than 3.3 million U.S. jobs by 2018 – US
Green Building Council / Booz Allen Hamilton, 2015.
v. At a building level:
vi. Building owners report that green buildings - whether new or renovated - command a 7
per cent increase in asset value over traditional buildings – Dodge Data & Analytics,
2016.
 39

Limitations
The majority of our experts do not look at going green as something that limits a homeowner.
65% of our experts believe there are an equal number of eco-alternatives for any home project.
Some even went as far to say that green options offer new opportunities, rather than hinder
existing options. These experts believe manufacturers are creating eco-alternatives at a fast pace,
so there should be no limitations on what green options homeowners can use in their homes.
Some manufacturers are even creating new possibilities as they uncover more sustainable ways
to build and maintain our homes.

“In the past, going green meant sacrificing design, function and price,” explained Jennifer
Dusina of freedom Rail closet solutions. “But today builders are reacting to the new demands of
home buyers for greener choices. They’re working towards making green homes more
obtainable for the masses.”

One of the main concerns our experts have is that the phrase “going green” is becoming trendy,
and, as a result, devaluing the reasons for joining the green movement in the first place. A few
experts even claimed the term “green” should be eliminated from homeowners’ vocabulary.

”The term green should seriously be banished; we’re far too into the mixed messaging for
society to ever get on the same page,” said Kelly Fallis, interior designer and owner of Remote
Stylist, a website offering online interior design services.

Regardless of how the terminology evolves, most of our experts think going green is here to stay.
Some even said sustainability has been around for centuries, but it was in the form of reusing
pass-alongs and hand-me-downs. The “newness” associated with the green movement has to do
with the fact that manufacturers are catching on and starting to make new products that are
sustainable.

“Saving the planet is no longer thought of as a fringe movement, but rather a way of life for all
of us,” said Valorie Hart of the interior design blog Visual Vamp.

The Expert Opinion: Going Green Imposes Limitations

Among the 35% of responses that indicated going green requires a sacrifice from the
homeowner, there was a predominant theme in what exactly was considered a limitation. Though
some experts said there were limitations when it comes to choices and availability, all of them
mentioned price as a restraining factor. “I do believe going green constrains homeowners, but not
because of design or product limitations,” said Chris Rodenius of Tool Rank, a site dedicated to
tool reviews. “I believe the constraint has to do with the price of going green. If you want to go
100% green, it is going to cost you big time.
 40

Major limitations
1. Cost: Sustainable options will cost more because they cost manufacturers more to
produce. Thus, there will always be a large initial investment when choosing a green
component for your home.
2. Materials: Sustainable materials are not always as readily available as their less eco-
friendly alternatives. Thus, green materials may need to be custom ordered for a
remodeling project. That is, if a sustainable material is even an option (in terms of both
affordability and availability).
3. Options: Some experts believe there are still not enough green alternatives for the endless
remodeling possibilities available to homeowners. They see limitations in colors, fixtures,
fabrics, and more.
4. Time: Going green usually takes time. Time to pay off the investment, time to redeem tax
rebates, time to gather the appropriate materials required.
 41

Conclusion
This research identified the exciting developments taking place on the technology front and
analyzes their implications for intelligent and green buildings, highlighting examples of “best in
class” buildings employing green and intelligent technologies. These buildings are dynamic
environments that respond to their occupants‟ changing needs and lifestyles. This research
provided documented evidence to educate and influence end-users, building owners,
architects, and contractors that a “greener building” can be achieved using intelligent
technology and that this “greening” will provide a tangible and significant return on investment.
Green buildings have greater payoffs than the cost to construct them making them a good
investment over using standard building sites and materials. Many components play into the
construction and design of a green building including location and building materials.
Green buildings, whether they are homes, offices, or schools, are built to reduce pollution,
conserve energy used, and to more efficiently use renewable resources. Several practices that
are now used by those “going green” were used long ago. Ancient Greeks built homes
structured to attract solar heat during the winter months. Green buildings (aka sustainable
buildings) ideas became much more popular during the 1990s. In 1992 the first green building
program began in Austin, Texas, the following year the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) was
founded and in 1998 they launched the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
which is a green building rating system and certification program that is nationally accepted.
Location is important when constructing a green building and many factors are to be
considered when choosing a construction site. Environmentally sensitive areas are not most
desirable when searching for a location. The most beneficial spots to build upon are former
parking lots, shopping centers, and/or factories. Buildings should be constructed within easy
walking distance from public transportation, schools, and stores so that bicycles or walking can
be used as opposed to driving your car (which emits pollution into the air). Also the building
should be placed where it can receive great amounts of natural daylight to reduce lighting
requirements, and make the most of what can naturally be used. Windows should also
strategically be placed to bring in daylight. A new technology that is now used frequently
instead of standard windows is dual glazed windows (they reduce heat gain in the summer and
heat loss in the winter). This research identified the exciting developments taking place on the
technology front and analyzes their implications for intelligent and green buildings, highlighting
examples of “best in class” buildings employing green and intelligent technologies. These
buildings are dynamic environments that respond to their occupants? Changing needs and
lifestyles. This research provided documented evidence to educate and influence end-users,
building owners, architects, and contractors that a “greener building” can be achieved using
intelligent technology and that this “greening” will provide a tangible and significant return on
investment .to all of the above going ‘GREEN’ IS THE ONLY. Green Buildings can be made cost
 42

neutral with the right implementation of strategy at the correct aspect. Maintaining the
balance between the cost raise and cost decrease a neutral approach can be attained where in
a premium rating at no additional cost can be realized. The benefits on the life cycle
performance are the added advantage for the project with long terms savings. Every activity
associated with green is for the wider cause of the sustainable parameter and always proves
beneficial to every stakeholder directly or indirectly. A sufficient economic return on energy-
efficiency investments is crucial for the sustainable development of the green building industry.
The concern of environment and sustainable development has been increased recently. These
problems force the countries to adopt a number of policies that enhance energy efficiency and
apply baseline parameters in accordance with international standards. Green building has now
become a forefront of sustainable development in this century that takes the responsibility for
balancing long-term economic, environmental and social health. It offers an opportunity to
create environmentally efficient buildings by using an integrated approach of design. Further,
this research article provides a systematic methodology for the generation of the criteria and
then the procedure for the development of the criteria weights based on the responses of the
experts. These weights can be utilized for the development of Green Building Rating Tool.
 43

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