Two Element of Green Building Index

1.1 What is a Green Building?

A Green building focuses on increasing the efficiency of resource use energy, water, and
materials while reducing building impact on human health and the environment during the
buildings lifecycle, through better siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and
removal. Green Buildings should be designed and operated to reduce the overall impact of the
built environment on its surroundings.
1.2 Green Building Strategies
The main strategies to achieve a green building include:
i.
ii.
iii.

reduced energy consumption

water conservation
recycling waste

Well designed green buildings will save money, increase comfort and create healthier
environments for people to live and work, using improved indoor air quality, natural daylight,
and thermal comfort.
Energy use by depleting natural resources as well as CO2 emissions is one of our most
important environmental impacts. Volatile energy markets, rising energy costs and increasing
environmental awareness about issues such as global warming make energy efficiency and
conservation a high priority.
Build Green's focus is on reducing building energy usage and increasing occupant comfort.
1.3 Element Water in Green Building Index
According to the EPA, "water efficiency is the smart use of our water resources through
water-saving technologies and simple steps we can all take around the house. Using water
efficiently will help ensure reliable water supplies today and for future generations."

As residential, commercial, industrial, and other development expands, so does the use
of the limited potable water supply, water that is suitable for drinking. Most buildings rely on
municipal sources of potable water to meet their needs, from flushing toilets to washing
dishes and landscape irrigation. High demand strains supplies and under extreme conditions
necessitates water rationing.
Furthermore, large amounts of wastewater can overwhelm treatment facilities, and the
untreated overflow can contaminate rivers, lakes, and the water table with bacteria, nitrogen,
toxic metals, and other pollutants. To avoid this damage to the ecosystem, additional
municipal supply and treatment facilities must be built, at public cost. Water pumping and
treatment, both to and away from the project, also require energy, whose production generates
additional greenhouse gas emissions.
Green building encourages innovative water-saving strategies that help projects use
water wisely. Project teams can follow an integrated process to begin assessing existing water
resources, opportunities for reducing water demand, and alternative water supplies. Effective
strategies include:
i. Install efficient plumbing fixtures.
ii. Use non-potable water.
iii. Install submeters.
iv. Choose locally adapted plants.
v. Use xeriscaping.
vi. Select efficient irrigation technologies.
1.4 Element Energy in Green Building Index
Using less energy to accomplish the same amount of work. Getting the most work per
unit of energy is often described as a measure of energy intensity. Common metrics for
buildings and neighborhoods include energy use per square foot and use per capita.
Energy has emerged as a critical economic issue and top priority for policymakers.
Unsustainable energy supply and demand have serious implications for everything from
household budgets to international relations. Buildings are on the front line of this issue

because of their high consumption of energy. Studies have repeatedly shown that efficient
buildings and appropriate land use offer opportunities to save money while reducing
greenhouse gas emissions.
The current worldwide mix of energy resources is weighted heavily toward oil, coal,
and natural gas.In addition to emitting greenhouse gases, these resources are nonrenewable:
their quantities are limited or they cannot be replaced as fast as they are consumed.Though
estimates regarding the remaining quantity of these resources vary, it is clear that the current
reliance on nonrenewable energy sources is not sustainable and involves increasingly
destructive extraction processes, uncertain supplies, escalating market prices, and national
security vulnerability. Accounting for approximately 40% of the total energy used today,
buildings are significant contributors to these problems.
i.

Address the envelope. Use the regionally appropriate amount of insulation in the
walls and roof and install high-performance glazing to minimize unwanted heat
gain or loss. Make sure that the building is properly weatherized.

ii.

Install high-performance mechanical systems and appliances. Apply life cycle

assessment to the trade-offs between capital and operating costs, and evaluate
investments in energy efficiency technologies. Appliances that meet or exceed
ENERGY STAR requirements will reduce plug load demands.

iii.

Use high-efficiency infrastructure. Efficient street lighting and LED traffic signals
will reduce energy demands from neighborhood infrastructure.

iv.

Capture efficiencies of scale. Design district heating and cooling systems, in which
multiple buildings are part of a single loop.

v.

Use energy simulation. Computer modeling can identify and prioritize energy
efficiency opportunities.

vi.

Monitor and verify performance. Ensure that the building systems are functioning
as designed and support the owners project requirements through control systems,
a building automation system, and commissioning and retrocommissioning.