Table of Contents

LIST OF PLATES............................................................................................3
LIST OF FIGURES.........................................................................................4
1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................6
1.1. Context and Background...................................................................7
1.2. Executive Summary..........................................................................9
1.3. Aim..................................................................................................12
1.4. Objectives and Scope......................................................................12
1.5. Need for Study................................................................................13
1.6. Methodology...................................................................................14
2. LITERATURE REVIEW..............................................................................15
2.1. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)................16
2.2 GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment)...............17
3. ANALYSIS...............................................................................................17
3.1. ASPECTS..........................................................................................17
Energy Efficiency.................................................................................17
Water Efficiency..................................................................................20
Material Efficiency...............................................................................22
Indoor Air Quality................................................................................23
3.2. BENEFITS.........................................................................................24
Other than the aspects, there are other intangible benefits of building
green, which is associated with it.......................................................24
Financial Benefits................................................................................24
4. CASE STUDY..........................................................................................25
4.1. WATER EFFICIENCY..........................................................................25
4.2 ENERGY EFFICIENCY.........................................................................29

4.3. MATERIAL EFFICIENCY.....................................................................31

4.4 INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.................................................33
5. CONCLUSION.........................................................................................33
5.1. SUMMARY........................................................................................33
5.2. CONSTRAINTS.................................................................................34
5.3. FUTURE NEEDS................................................................................37

LIST OF PLATES
1. Brochure: for the dual flush, being installed at EDS.
25
Source- Environmental Design Solutions Ltd.
2. Mechanism of reusing water for flushing
27
Source- Environmental Design Solutions Ltd.
3. Photo of toilet at EDS
27
Source- Environmental Design Solutions Ltd.
4. Task lighting at each work station
28
Source- Environmental Design Solutions Ltd.
5. LED, ambient lighting for corridor
28
Source- Environmental Design Solutions Ltd.
6. Conduits dismantled from site were reused for electrical works of new
interior

30

Source- Environmental Design Solutions Ltd.

7. Interior of EDS
31
Source- Environmental Design Solutions Ltd.

LIST OF FIGURES
1. Water Consumption of Conventional fixtures( table)
26
Source- Environmental Design Solutions Ltd.
2. Water Efficiency of Conventional fixtures( bar graph )
27
Source- Environmental Design Solutions Ltd.
3. Water Consumption of EDS (table)
28
Source- Environmental Design Solutions Ltd
4. Water Consumption of EDS (bar graph)
28
Source- Environmental Design Solutions Ltd
5. Electricity cost of EDS
31
Source- Environment Design Solutions Ltd

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Context and Background
Before we start with our research there are two most important terms
which need to be defined- Green Buildings and Conventional Buildings.
Green Buildings- A green building uses less energy, water and other
natural resources, creates less waste & Green House Gases and is healthy
for people during living or working inside as compared to a standard
building. Building Green is not about a little more efficiency. It is about
creating buildings that optimize on the local ecology, use of local
materials and most importantly they are built to cut power, water and
material requirements.
Conventional Buildings- A conventional building is the building which is
constructed using ordinary or stereotype techniques and materials. It has
no provisions for preserving the local ecology, power, or water and
material requirements.
One of the predominant reasons green building confuses some people is
because it can apply to so many different construction techniques and
materials. One objective of green building is to provide occupants with

clean air to breathe, while minimizing resources consumed by the building

during its construction and lifetime.
This means a green building may be as simple as building a conventional
house using best practices and positioning it to take advantage of the sun.
Or it could be a structure built from alternative or recycled materials. It
could have all of its energy needs met by alternative sources, such as
wind turbines and solar panels, or it could use an oil-fired heating system
but have a living roof. There is no single characteristic or material that
definitively categorizes a building as green.
Green building is an outcome of a design philosophy which focuses on
increasing the efficiency of resource use - energy, water, and materials while reducing building
Impacts on human health and the environment during the building's
lifecycle, through better citing, design, construction, operation,
maintenance, and removal.
A green building requires everlasting focus of the architect, is much
difficult to design, and requires high capital, materials, which may be very
expensive. But eventually reduces its maintenance cost by 30% to 40%. 1
A green design for a building results in
# Better health and productivity for building inhabitants
#increased occupancy rates
#higher property values
#low environmental impact
#sustainable development
Our planet faces challenges particularly climate change and sustainable
economic development. The growth and development of our communities
has a large impact on our natural environment, human health and the
economy. The manufacturing, design, construction, and operation of the
1
http://www.grihaindia.org/

buildings in which we live and work are responsible for the consumption of
many of our natural resources.
40% of global energy consumption is building related;
50% of global green house gas emissions are due to buildings;
50% of material resources taken from nature are building related; and
Over 50% of national waste production comes from the building sector.2
To overcome these issues, India has been participating actively in the
World race for sustainable development.
Though the bylaws of any State in India do not have green building as
mandatory, but there are a number of programmes launched in India
which certify the buildings and declare them as energy efficient buildings.

Background in India
The

Indian

green

building

movement

can

be

associated

to

the

Government initiatives to encourage sustainability in the society and the

acceptance of the green building guidelines by the corporate sector.
The green building movement in India has been divided into three phases1974-1996
Establishment

of

Institutions

by

the

Government

to

encourage

sustainability in India.
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) was established; Establishment
of National Hydro Electric Power Corporation; Establishment of National
Institute of Ecology; Environmental Act was passed in the Parliament.
2001-2003
This phase marks the formation of the Indian Green Building Council
(IGBC), TERI Business Council for Sustainable Development (BCSD), and
the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
2004-2007.
In this phase green buildings rating systems were launched- LEED-India
and TERI-GRIHA, Eco-housing, Pune.

2
http://www.grihaindia.org/

Certification Programs in India

LEED- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
GRIHA- Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment

1.2. Executive Summary

Green Buildings- A green building uses less energy, water and other
natural resources, creates less waste & Green House Gases and is healthy
for people during living or working inside as compared to a standard
building. Building Green is not about a little more efficiency. It is about
creating buildings that optimize on the local ecology, use of local
materials and most importantly they are built to cut power, water and
material requirements.
In today's date the need and importance of a green concept for buildings
is being over shadowed by its glamour and the hyped status. Builders and
architects are designing green buildings for gaining the fame and status
and not realising the actual need of it.
The following paragraph discusses about the actual need to build green.
There are some non-digestive facts which are still unknown to more than
80% of the India's population. These facts are not only important for
architects or real estate builders but also for common people of India.
People need to know that the existing buildings in India consume enough
resources to cause major problems in the future.
Global warming is an average increase in the temperature of the
atmosphere near the Earths surface and in the troposphere, which can
contribute to changes in global climate patterns. Global warming refers to
a slight but noticeable increase in temperature at the planetary scale. The

results are not just merely warmer weather, but an erratic climate that if
left unchecked could cause pervasive natural disasters and species
extinction.
The main aim of the dissertation is to know why should green buildings be
preferred over conventional buildings?
To find the answer to our aim, there are basic objectives that need to be
answered.
-

These would be- What is green Building

What makes a building green?

What do we gain building green?

There is always a methodology involved in any research and so, to solve

the problem in our dissertation, a very basic methodology has been
adopted.
History of Green Buildings in India:
The Indian green building movement can be mainly associated with the
government initiatives to encourage sustainability in the society and the
acceptance of the green building guidelines by the corporate sector.
The Government policies on sustainable development in India were not
under the pressure of realisation, or under the pressure of public demand,
unlike any other country. The main reason why the policies started to
build, was in response to the international events and growth taking place
in the other countries.
In today's date, there are mainly two certification programs running quite
successfully- TERI-GRIHA and LEED India.
GRIHA
GRIHA, an acronym for Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment, is
the National Rating System of India. GRIHA has been conceived by TERI
and developed jointly with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy,

Government of India. It is a green building 'design evaluation system', and

is suitable for all kinds of buildings in different climatic zones of the
country.
LEED India
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED-INDIA) Green
Building Rating System is a nationally and internationally accepted
benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high
performance green buildings.
LEED-INDIA provides building owners, architects, consultants, developers,
facility managers and project managers the tools they need to design,
construct and operate green buildings.
There are various aspects of green buildingEnergy Efficiency;
Water Efficiency;
Material Efficiency;
Indoor Air Quality.
These aspects mentioned above have been discussed in detail in the
dissertation which help us a lot to understand about green buildings.
The aspects mentioned above benefit us and our environment in many
ways. Benefits in brief have been mentioned below:
Energy Efficiency
Green buildings are around 2530% more energy efficient, with gold-rated
buildings as much as 37% efficient. On an average, green buildings obtain
2% of their energy from renewable or green sources.3
Water Efficiency

3
http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/national-rating-system-green-buildings-GRIHA.pdf

Green buildings use 2030% less water compared with similar

conventional buildings. This reduces the operational water expenses and
the pressure
on civic amenities.4
Waste Reduction
Green buildings reduce construction waste by approximately 50%
compared with that of similar conventional buildings, hence accruing all
the above-mentioned benefits.5
To prove all the above points and to make sure that these benefits are
real, we took a case example of Environmental Design Solution Ltd.,
Vasant Vihar, New Delhi (Commercial Interior, LEED) which is an
international Sustainable Building Design and Analysis Consulting Firm.
The office has been awarded as Gold rating CI, USGBC LEED.
After observing and analysing the data provided by the office, it has been
proved that the use of green techniques is beneficial in m any ways.
Even after observing the benefits of green techniques, it is still not being
practised in India at the pace that it should be. There are some constraints
to it namelyHigh Cost- The general sentiment among the developer community is that
green buildings cost higher than similar conventional buildings, and it is
difficult to get positive returns on this extra investment.

4
http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/national-rating-system-green-buildingsGRIHA.pdf

5
http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/national-rating-system-green-buildingsGRIHA.pdf

Technological Barrier- green technologies and products are not readily

available in the market or due to lack of economy of scale; their costs
remain out of bound for most buyers.
Informational Barrier- Lack of information influences end users in decision
making. Neither do they have the knowledge about how their daily
behaviour influences their energy consumption, nor is the link between
energy and the environment well understood so that they can take
actions.
Political Barrier- as far as the building sector is concerned, the market is
highly fragmented. Coordination between all the stakeholders is a major
challenge and there is inefficient enforcement of policies due to
inadequate enforcement structures and institutions and lack of qualified
personnel.

1.3. Aim
To know why should green buildings be preferred over conventional
buildings?

1.4. Objectives and Scope

-

What is green Building

What makes a building green?

What do we gain building green?

1.5. Need for Study

In today's date the need and importance of a green concept for buildings
is being over shadowed by its glamour and the hyped status. Builders and
architects are designing green buildings for gaining the fame and status
and not realising the actual need of it.
The following paragraph discusses about the actual need to build green.
Power Consumption

There are some non-digestive facts which are still unknown to more than
80% of the India's population. These facts are not only important for
architects or real estate builders but also for common people of India.
People need to know that the existing buildings in India consume enough
resources to cause major problems in the future.
Buildings in India consume about 20% of the countrys total electricity and
have a significant impact on the environment and resources indicating the
need to develop green buildings in India.
The construction industry in India is growing rapidly at a rate of 10%
compared with the world average of 5.2%. It is observed that buildings in
India consume about 20% of the total electricity in the country. Hence,
real estate activity in India has a significant impact on the environment
and resources. This indicates that there is a real opportunity to develop
green buildings in the country.6
Global Warming
Global warming is an average increase in the temperature of the
atmosphere near the Earths surface and in the troposphere, which can
contribute to changes in global climate patterns. Global warming refers to
a slight but noticeable increase in temperature at the planetary scale. The
results are not just merely warmer weather, but an erratic climate that if
left unchecked could cause pervasive natural disasters and species
extinction. The energy used by the buildings emits GHG's (Green House
Gases) which is a major cause of global warming. Global warming is
further causing irreversible damage to the global environment, which will
have an adverse impact on the future generations.
Real estate development uses about 40% of the energy and it is one of
the prime contributors to global warming due to the emission of Green
House Gas (GHG) caused by the energy used.

1.6. Methodology
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As discussed above the serious issues coming up because of not taking

care of the environment and not seeking a sustainable future, there is an
immediate need to look forward to think sustainably and follow the
practise of building green and improvise in the field. For this, in this
dissertation the methodology followed is such that we do literature review,
understanding how green buildings are classified. Further the aspects of
green building have been analysed. Studying how we benefit by making
green buildings. Further a LEED rated office as a case example is studied
in detail for its green features. In the end it has been summarised that in
spite of all the benefits, what are the constraints of building green and
how it can be taken further.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
Green building rating system is an evaluation tool that measures
environmental performance of a building through its life cycle. It usually
comprises of a set of criteria covering various parameters related to
design, construction and operation of a green building. Each criterion has
pre-assigned points and sets performance benchmarks and goals that are
largely quantify able. A project is awarded points once it fulfils the rating
criteria. Globally, green building rating systems are largely voluntary in
nature and have been instrumental in raising awareness and popularizing
green building designs.
Largely green building in India follow two rating systems LEED and GRIHA.
There are many other rating systems being developed in other countries,
like Green Mark, BREAM, GB Tool, LEED, etc with respect to their local
conditions.

2.1. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental

Design)
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an ecologyoriented building certification program run under the auspices of the U.S.
Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED concentrates its efforts on
improving performance across five key areas of environmental and human
health:
Energy efficiency;
Indoor environmental quality;
Materials selection;
Sustainable site development; and
Water savings.
LEED has special rating systems that apply to all kinds of building uses,
including schools, retail and healthcare facilities. Rating systems are
available for new construction and major renovations as well as existing
buildings.

To make it easy and sorted out checklist, LEED has generated a list of
points holding different credit points. This list is referred by the designers
while designing the building and points are achieved accordingly. The
number of points achieved decides the value of the rating certified to the
building. For most projects, there are four levels of LEED certification,
depending on how many points the project has earned: certified, silver,
gold or platinum.
These points are:

Sustainable sites credits encourage strategies that minimize the

impact on ecosystems and water resources.

Water efficiency credits promote smarter use of water, inside and

out, to reduce potable water consumption.

Energy & atmosphere credits promote better building energy

performance through innovative strategies.

Materials & resources credits encourage using sustainable

building materials and reducing waste.

Indoor environmental quality credits promote better indoor air

quality and access to daylight and views.7

2.2 GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat

Assessment)
GRIHA is a National Rating System first conceived by TERI then modified
to an independent system. It takes into account the provisions of the
National Building Code 2005, the Energy Conservation Building Code 2007
announced by BEE and other IS codes, local bye-laws, other local
standards and laws. The checklist of GRIHA is as listed below:
- Energy efficiency
- Site planning
- Water, waste water and solid waste management
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- Sustainable construction materials

- Health and well-being
The more points achieved fulfilling the above criteria, the better star
rating is certified to the building. Maximum one building can achieve are
100 points and can achieve a 5 star rating.

3. ANALYSIS
3.1. ASPECTS
As the definition of green building is vast, it is essential to study the
aspects which make the building green.

Energy Efficiency
Minimize the electric loads from lighting
In the case of developing countries, the energy sector assumes critical
importance in view of the ever-increasing energy needs, widening of
supplydemand gaps, and also huge investments required to meet them.
In the Indian context, the current peak demand shortage is 14% and the
energy deficit is 8.4%. In certain areas, this could be as high as 25%. In
such scenarios, efficient use of electricity necessitates persistent energy
conservation efforts.
Energy efficiency is achieved when energy usage in a specific product is
reduced without affecting output or user comfort levels.8
Energy efficient lighting is a very crucial aspect in reducing the
consumption of energy in a building. The lighting fixtures these days are
so efficient that they save a notable amount of energy. Some of the
measures listed below which can further reduce energy consumption:
8
http://www.permatrak.com/the-green-solution/leed-benefits/

Use of LED lamps for indicating lamps will reduce the energy
consumption.

Use of compact fluorescent lamps in place of incandescent lamps,

reduce the lighting energy by 70%.

Use of mirror optic fluorescent lamps increases the lighting level

considerably.

Use of HPSV lamps in place of MPSV lamps reduce the energy

consumption by 60%

As the lighting level is inversely proportional to square of the

distance, optimizing the height of lamp will aid in reduction of
lighting energy.

Use of electronic ballasts for discharge lamps, reduce energy

consumption by 20%

Installation of intelligent lighting controller will help in controlling

the lighting energy.

Use of photo sensor switch for street light controlling helps in

conserving the lighting energy.

Installation of auto cut-off switch to put off lights during lunch hours
at the office buildings will reduce the lighting energy.

At street lights, in many places, the reflectors inside the HPSV fitting
are damaged, it is suggested to replace the fittings with anodized
aluminum reflectors. This will improve the lighting level by 20-25%.

Lighting operations and maintenance practices can have a significant

effect on
a buildings energy use and the productivity of its occupants. A buildings
lighting Systemsilluminating offices, retail areas, laboratories, hallways,
reception areas,
etc.constitute the largest use of energy in most commercial buildings.
Initial purchasing costs for energy efficient lighting products are often
higher than Conventional non-energy efficient products, but the energy
savings over time return a pay back.

Envelope system to maximize insulation

A building envelope is the physical separator between the interior and
exterior of the building serving as the shell to help maintain the indoor
environment and facilitate its climate.
Now, Building Envelope System is the method of providing that physical
separator of known standard using insulating material in the facades of
the building.
Various kinds of materials are available in the market which should gain
attention so that their use is maximised. The overall insulation of a
building is done by covering the three aspects- walls, roof and windows.
Wall Insulation
The large surface areas of exterior walls of buildings are responsible for
annual transmission heat losses of up to 75 percent. Sunlight striking
exterior walls accounts for virtually negligible energy savings. A reduction
in the energy losses through exterior walls can only be achieved by
optimum thermal insulation.
A number of wall insulating techniques are practised these days in the
society. Namely(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)

Timber-framed wall insulation.

Steel-framed wall insulation.
Insulating concrete masonry.
Insulating pre-cast concrete walls.
Insulating polystyrene block walls.9

Roof Insulation
Roof insulation in a building is as important as any other process of
construction. The heat loss in a building accounts to addition of
uncomfortable indoor temperature. And also leads to increase in
electricity bills.
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Various techniques of roof insulation practised are(i)

(ii)
(iii)
(iv)

Using fibreglass
Using cellulose fibre
Foam insulation
Denim and cotton insulation

Window Insulation
The windows in a building to an extent allow the heat from outside to
penetrate inside. So insulating them is fairly important.
Types of window insulation(i)
(ii)
(iii)

Plastic insulating film.

Insulating drapes.
Insulating at window sashes.

Energy Efficient Mechanical System

Thermostat
A thermostat is

the temperature of

component
a system so

of
that

a control
the

system which

system's

senses

temperature

is

maintained near a desired set point. The thermostat does this by

switching heating or cooling devices on or off, or regulating the flow of a
heat transfer fluid as needed, to maintain the correct temperature.
Variable Frequency Drive (VFD)
A variable-frequency

drive

(VFD) (also

termed adjustable-frequency

drive, variable-speed drive, AC drive, micro drive or inverter drive) is a

type of adjustable-speed drive used in electro-mechanical drive systems
to

control AC motor speed and torque by

varying

motor

input

frequency and voltage.

Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF)
VRF uses refrigerant as the cooling / heating medium, and allows one
outdoor condensing unit to be connected to multiple indoor fan-coil
units (FCUs), each individually controllable by its user, while modulating
the amount of refrigerant being sent to each evaporator. By operating at
varying speeds, VRF units work only at the needed rate allowing for
substantial energy savings at part-load conditions. Heat recovery VRF
technology allows individual indoor units to heat or cool as required, while

the compressor load benefits from the internal heat recovery. Energy
savings of up to 55% are predicted over comparable unitary equipment.

Water Efficiency
There are three main methods to save water or to decrease water
consumption in a building. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. All these three
methods have different amount of savings and different installation
methods.
Reduce:
By Reducing we imply that there is reduction in water consumption. This is
possible by installing fixtures or following various techniques which have
been discussed below.
Installing low-flow fixtures- Low-flow fixtures and aerators use high
pressure and aeration to produce a comfortable, pleasing flow without
using nearly as much water. Commonly used fixtures include- Low-flow
faucets, low-flow sink aerators, waterless or low-flow urinals, low-flow
showerheads.
Low water consuming irrigation techniques- drip irrigation, sprinkler
irrigation, reduces the water demand for irrigation.
Drip irrigation- In drip irrigation, water is applied near the plant root
through emitters or drippers, on or below the soil surface, at a low rate
varying from 2 - 20 lit res per hour. The soil moisture is kept at an
optimum level with frequent irrigations. Drip irrigation results in a very
high water application efficiency of about 90-95 per cent.
Sprinkler irrigation- Sprinkler irrigation is a method of applying irrigation
water which is similar to natural rainfall. Water is distributed through a
system of pipes usually by pumping. It is then sprayed into the air through
sprinklers so that it breaks up into small water drops which fall to the
ground.
Reuse:
Reusing is a very wise method of decreasing water consumption. The
water being reused is either used directly without any treatment or after
being treated and recycled. Now there are a number of ways by which

water can be reused. One of them is rain water harvesting. Rain water
harvesting is a simple way of collecting the rain water in a tank and using
it for domestic purposes without polluting the water. The rain water
collected is also recharged into the ground to raise the underground water
level. The water can be collected from runoffs from rooftops or from local
catchments, from local streams where there is a flood.
Following are the benefits of rain water harvesting:

Provide drinking water

Provide irrigation water

Increase groundwater recharge

Reduce storm water discharges, urban floods and overloading of

sewage treatment plants

Reduce seawater ingress in coastal areas.

There are also some domestic ways to reuse water. Many commercial
buildings, private and Government offices, residences practice such
methods and save water at a small scale.
Recycle:
The most technical way of reducing water consumption is to recycle the
water using treatment plants. This method is usually followed in industries
and large scale office buildings or notable housing societies. The amount
of water recycled is most in this method.
Depending on the nature of the wastewater to be treated, wastewater
treatment plants can be classified as:
o

Sewage wastewater treatment plants

Sludge wastewater treatment plants

Industrial wastewater treatment plants

Agricultural wastewater treatment plants

Radioactive wastewater treatment plants

Material Efficiency
Material efficiency is a description which expresses the degree in which
usage of raw materials, construction projects or physical processes are

used or carried out in a manner which consumes, incorporates, or wastes

less of a given material compared to previous measures.
Material efficiency has many methods and techniques through which the
resources are less used. Many such methods are discussed below.
Reuse of material:
While re-construction or renovation of a building, the material obtained
from the previously existing building can be reused. Also, furniture or
decoration for aesthetics can be of already used material or waste
material.
Recycle material:
Recycled material can be classified into two categoriesPre-consumer; and
Post-consumer.
Pre-consumer-used goods include industrial waste or waste from factories.
For example fly ash produced by some factories can be used as it is for
making bricks. Waste material from industries can be used for aesthetic
decoration in houses.
Post-consumer-used goods include the goods made from all the waste
produced by us in everyday life. Proper disposal and sending to recycling
industries will ensure this.
Regional material:
Regional

materials

are

those

that

are

extracted,

harvested

and

manufactured within a decent distance of the project. The distance is

specified in different rating system, for LEED it is 800km. The use of
indigenous materials reduces transportation distances and the associated
environmental impacts. Transportation methods such as barging further
reduce environmental impacts.
Rapidly Renewable Material:
Rapidly renewable material, unlike wood, grows to full extent in a very
less time. Using such material will not harm the environment. Growing of
such material should be encouraged. The perfect example of rapidly
renewable material would be bamboo.

It grows fully within 10 years

whereas a tree takes much more years. So use of bamboo should be

encouraged instead of wood wherever possible.

Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality is the most important aspect of a green building. Energy
saving is an all together different aspect as compared to indoor air quality.
The building is made green for two reasons- to save resources for a
sustainable future, and for the comfort of the occupants of the building.
No mechanical system is installed or no such techniques are practised
while making a green building which hinders the comfort of the occupants.
The building creates such as a space to increase the occupant comfort,
their productivity and conditions to stay healthy. By adopting some of the
features listed below:
# using less toxic interiors, low-emitting adhesives, paints, carpets and
composite wood.
# illuminating 7590% of the space with natural light.

10

# Thermal comfort due to local control over air conditioning and better
ventilation.
These factors are most important in improving the quality of work life and
the efficiency of occupiers. It directly translates into improved productivity
and decreased ailments for occupants.

3.2. BENEFITS
Other than the aspects, there are other intangible benefits of building
green, which is associated with it

Financial Benefits
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1. Capital cost savings:

Green building design necessitates the adoption of a systems approach
that helps in substantial cost saving. For example, architectural project
that is well oriented and designed to the local climate can cut down the
need for heating/cooling substantially, thus helping to downsize the
heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, including the
bulky mechanical equipment and ductwork; the space saved can be sold
or leased to earn additional revenue.
2. Reduced construction time schedule:
Green buildings require an integrated and teamwork approach to
designing, resulting in minimized conflicts during the construction phase,
allowing the project to be commissioned ahead of schedule. Time saved
on the project allows the builder to lower the cost and gain higher benefit.
3. Improved marketability and enhanced value:
Green buildings can be considered as distinct products that can be used
for marketing purposes, attracting and retaining employees, and building
corporate image. As such buildings are conceived to provide an improved
indoor environment and increased productivity of employees, thus the
scope for selling or renting them is enhanced.
4. Reduced liability and risk:
As insurance companies get better aware of the positive contribution of
green
buildings in terms of lower operating costs and better indoor environment,
they are likely to link lower insurance premium to green buildings.

4. CASE STUDY
Environmental Design Solution (EDS), Vasant Vihar, New Delhi
(Commercial Interior, LEED). EDS is an international Sustainable Building
Design and Analysis Consulting Firm.
The Office space 240sqm, built in basement of Vasant Vihar, New Delhi,
office has been awarded as Gold rating CI, USGBC LEED.
Various methods and techniques have been adopted by EDS to reduce the
energy consumption, water consumption, to maintain material efficiency
while keeping in mind the indoor air quality and the comfort for the
employees. For water efficiency, fixtures in the washroom have been
installed which reduce the water consumption to a very notable
percentage. Reduce and Reuse both have been kept in mind and best
possible outcome is achieved.
For energy efficiency, measures like installation of thermostats in
appliances, low energy consuming lights, smart lighting, and energy
recovery ventilator have been installed. For material efficiency, already
used furniture has been used, waste product have been used for aesthetic
decoration. Reuse of material has been done very nicely.For maintaining
the indoor air quality, paints and adhesives have been thought over and
are non allergic. Thermostat is attached to the AHU's to regulate the
comfort temperature in the building.

4.1. WATER EFFICIENCY

Water efficiency in EDS office has been done by reducing and reusing of
water.
Reduce:
The water use reduction in the office space has been done by using low
flow fixtures and fittings. The flow fixture for the conventional office

building and the ones used by EDS office is compared. The flow of a
fixture is measured in units Gallons/ flush and flow rate of the fitting is
measured in units gallons/minute at a specific pressure of 8psi. The list of
fixtures and fittings used are:

3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0

Brochure: for the dual flush, being installed at EDS.

Flow rate
Column1

The volume of water reduced in a day by office occupants by using the

low flow fixtures used in the office:

4.2 ENERGY EFFICIENCY

EDS office has maximised the effort to reduce the energy usage, but being
an interior project they could not change in building envelope.
The Lighting load in the office has been reduced by using following
measures:
The office uses the separate lighting for the task and ambient lighting
system. Thus the task lighting is only used by office occupant when
needed. Otherwise only dim ambient lighting used to support the regular
working of the office.

Task lighting at each work station

LED, ambient

lighting for corridor

The office is all lighted by LEDs instead of tube lights or any other fittings
thus saving energy.
It has often observed in public places, that toilet lights are always put on,
in spite of the space being used or not. EDS office has put motion sensor
for lighting in toilets, too avoid the unnecessary use of lighting, thereby
saving on it.

The following systems for HVAC are installed in EDS office :

1. Thermostat as mentioned earlier is installed to maintain the
temperature.
2.Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system in AHU control will maintain
the flow of refrigerant according to the requirement of cooling in the
space, by maintaining the refrigerant in the coils of the AHUs the thermal
comfort condition is maintained. These control valves are connected with
the thermostats. The modulating valves through the actuators will
modulate the flow of chilled water after getting the signal from the
thermostats.

3. Energy Recovery Ventilator: All the fresh air taken from outside is
coming through the Energy Recovery Ventilator installed for the
Workstation. The temperature of the ambient fresh air decreases is it
passes by the heat exchanger in the ERV. Thus the load on the Refrigerant
Coils also decreases and maintains the desired comfort level easily.
4. Fan coil Unit with Variable speed Drive is installed, thus saving
energy.

Energy Savings:
As per the data provided by EDS, they claim to have saved total 27% of
energy against the base example as defined by ASHRAE.
Data from EDS:
Alternati

Lights

Heating

Cooling

Fans

Equipment

ve

Total

Total

Annual

Electrici

Energy

ty Cost

Use

ASHRA

( )

2,530

115

8,838

1,938

12,751

26,172

5,234

1,204

102

4,394

652

12,751

19,103

3,821

52%

12%

50%

66%

0%

27%

27%

E Base
Case
Averag
e
Propos
ed
Case
%
Saving
s

4.3. MATERIAL EFFICIENCY

At EDS their intent was to recycle 95% of the waste generated during
construction. A waste management plan was implemented and the list &
quantity of each of the waste generated was documented in the site on

Reused broken tile for flooring is used to create patterns at entrance too

regular basis. Waste was collected and sorted at the site and then taken
out for recycling or disposal to required locations.

While doing the interior of the building, implementing of reused material

Bamboo false ceiling and car from junk

Conduits dismantled from site were
reused
works of new
being
usedfor
forelectrical
aesthetics
interior.
has been specially kept in mind. Majority of materials used are reclaimed
i.e. purchased at subsidized rates from various junk dealers and other
construction sites. Reclaimed items involve broken tiles, old glass bottles,
old parts of car, and old doors and windows.Tiles on the floor, and
washroom flooring are made from reused broken tiles. All the interior walls
are mud walls, with half broken bottles mounted on them. Doors and
windows are made from reused material. The furniture used inside like
tables and chairs are brought from the previous office. An attempt has
been made to use rapidly renewable materials like bamboo ,which is a
rapidly renewable material.
Recycled material: Recycled steel from Rathi has been used, with
Product Name

% of Post Consumer

% of Post Industrial

Structural steel

recycled content
30

recycled content
70

4.4 INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Thermostat installed in the EDS office, are pre programmed device which
signals the regulation of heat in the space. It has a very important role in
maintaining the thermal comfort conditions in space. It is connected with

AHU controls. Thermostat is used to maintain the thermal comfort of the

occupants.
Small table fans are installed individually at each work station. Installation
of this system increases the velocity of air by around 0.4 to 0.6 m/s. By
this the cooling sensation on the occupant increases, thereby decreasing
2-4 deg F.
Following paints and adhesives with the setoff low volatile organic
component were used in the office: The low VOC paint and adhesive, used
prevents the occupants from getting irritation and allergies usually caused
by paints with high VOC.
Paint/adhesive

VOC g/ltr

Permissible VOC as

Burger Luxol Silk

30-65

/LEED (g/l)
100

emulsion
Fevicol SH 505
Dow corning sealant

1
81

50
100

5. CONCLUSION
5.1. SUMMARY
To conclude why and how green buildings do good to us, we can list out all
the benefits in short. Though all the benefits are not tangible but they also
contribute to the sustainable future. If it was made a rule to imply even
some percentage of points of a green building to the normal conventional
building, major changes in the environment can be noted in the future.
To summarize the benefits, below are listed the advantages:
Energy efficiency, which will ensure a safe and less problematic future;
Water efficiency, which will be better for the future generations to use
water;
Material efficiency, which will preserve our resources in the future;

Financial benefits, which will take care of the developers as well as the
occupants to spend less and affordability for all.

5.2. CONSTRAINTS
When the thought of constructing a green building comes to mind of an
architect or a developer, it doesn't seem quite easy for him to proceed
with the idea and build green.
There are a number of barriers which cause hinder to the easy
construction of the sustainable building. These barriers have been
accounted below:
FINANCIAL BARRIERS
Financial barriers put another hurdle in the realization of energy efficiency
and do not favour green buildings. Many companies face huge financial
barriers when improving energy efficiency of buildings, despite the
increasing recognition that such projects can deliver significantly longterm benefits. Purchasing energy efficiency equipment that are specified
according to standards increases the investment cost and that is why
consumers are reluctant to spend on such equipment. Furthermore, low
income consumers cannot afford higher investments due to limited
availability of capital and limited access to capital markets, especially in
developing countries.
In developing countries like India which face acute housing shortages,
actual or perceived upfront costs are often a key barrier. Companies tend
to avoid investments on green buildings unless the net benefit stream
starts flowing in within a couple of years. Longer-term commercial lending
is rare or nonexistent in many developing nations and poses one of the
biggest hurdles to overcome. For large scale green building programmes,
governments usually need to raise significant funds.
In green buildings, energy efficient architecture is a complex design
problem and thus it requires extensive assessment and expertise of
related disciplines allowing for alternatives and extended fees which can
rarely be justified in conventional projects. Investors are discouraged as
they do not have access to financing, because financing companies

misjudge them as high-risk investments. Moreover, there are no

incentives from the government to boost such investments, increasing the
challenges for investors and the market to develop.
The general sentiment among the developer community is that green
buildings cost higher than similar conventional buildings, and it is difficult
to get positive returns on this extra investment. This issue is mainly due
to:
#The still-evolving nature of green buildings;
#The lack of technical information;
#The incomplete/inefficient execution of green projects;
#The short-term view on returns, instead of focusing on lifetime return on
investment (ROI) of these buildings.
In mature markets the cost premium range from 1-6%. Cost 11 premium in
India is in the range of 618% (Table 2) depending on the level of rating.
This can be attributed to lack of technical know-how, immaturity of the
market and lack of resources. We foresee the cost premium in India to
realign to the mature markets with the increase in awareness and
availability of resources
TECHNOLOGICAL BARRIER
Neither new developers nor existing building owners are ready to pay for
the perceived high-cost of building components and technologies.
Interestingly, many manufacturers of building-related technologies and
products have regional or international outlook and may already be
manufacturing products that are suitable for green buildings. However,
when the energy efficiency market is not mature, equipment
manufacturers and suppliers tend to market less efficient products that
are affordable to their clients. As a result, green technologies and
products are not readily available in the market or due to lack of economy
11

of scale; their costs remain out of bound for most buyers. Government
intervention may therefore be required to trigger the market
transformation towards energy efficiency and make energy efficiency
more affordable. It is essential for the appropriate institution to favour
public and private cooperation so that the private sector participates
actively in programme implementation and the limited public funding is
leveraged by private sector investment to accelerate the process of
market transformation. It is a relatively inexpensive mechanism for
stimulating innovation and competition among potential manufacturers of
energy-efficient products by guaranteeing higher market share for their
products.

INFORMATION BARRIER
The building sector is subjected to various information barriers within the
industry and also among the end-users. Information regarding energy
efficiency options is often incomplete, unavailable, expensive and difficult
to obtain and verify. For example, there are misperceptions regarding the
cost of building and the cost of operating sustainable buildings, which
impede progress towards sustainability.
Lack of information also influences end users in decision making. Neither
do they have the knowledge about how their daily behaviour influences
their energy consumption, nor is the link between energy and the
environment well understood so that they can take actions. And even if
they are aware of it, they possess limited rights or abilities to change their
energy consumption features. There is no feedback received from the
utilities, appliance manufacturers or building owners about their behaviour
affecting energy consumption and costs.
Another problem of lack of information of the client or consumer pertains
to codes and regulations. With increasing complexity of codes and
standards, developers and consumers have difficulty assessing the cost
and requirements to comply with the regulations; so when regulations
require site plan or design changes, they believe green specifications

cause these costly delays. Thus improved communication of local building

codes and their implications for green process and product choices would
allow developers and end-users to make better choices among efficiency,
aesthetics, product choice, and cost that would satisfy regulators without
any compromises made.
POLITICAL AND STRUCTURAL BARRIER
Market alone may not be adequate to push for green decision-making and
it needs to be accompanied by strong government policies. There is
however a strong institutional bias towards supply-side investments in
many countries around the world. Political decision makers are less
interested in energy efficiency because they are not convinced in the
ability of demand-side efficiency measures that can offset the need for
new capacity in a more cost-effective manner. In the case of buildings,
energy costs constitute only a small share of the operating cost. As a
result, there is a greater political focus on creating the supply
infrastructure necessary for ensuring rapid economic growth. Moreover, as
far as the building sector is concerned, the market is highly fragmented.
Coordination between all the stakeholders is a major challenge and there
is inefficient enforcement of policies due to inadequate enforcement
structures and institutions and lack of qualified personnel.
In India, projections of electricity demand show the need for adding
40,000 MW of power generation capacity per year up to 2030 whereas the
current rate of addition is only of the order of 12,000 MW per year. There
is a huge challenge to mobilize resources, both financial and fuel, needed
for the purpose. About 70 percent of the infrastructure in 2030, including
buildings, will be added in the next two decades. If these new buildings
are constructed inefficiently, their inefficiencies will be locked in for
several decades and a large low-cost opportunity to reduce the energy
needs for operating these buildings will be lost.

5.3. FUTURE NEEDS

In India, any rule or law is not passed that easily unless the Government
sees and feels the need of it. After discussing the constraints in building a
sustainable building, we need to address this problem at national level
and make people realise the importance of it and the detriments of not
thinking about the future generations to come.
The economic condition of India at present day is not so well, and so yes,
affording a green building is a little problem. But, it is not only about the
present, financial needs of the future should also be considered. The
Government should make some schemes for the developers to show them
immediate benefits of building green. Following any technique, the rule
should be made mandatory at least in metro cities. For example, in
Greater Noida, a bye-law has been passed claiming that if the builders
build a green building they will get extra FAR.
Schemes like this encourage the developers to follow the path of
sustainability.

REFERENCES
Web pages
http://sustainablechoices.stanford.edu/actions/in_the_home/lowflowfixture
s.html
http://zerocarbonhouse.eu/types-of-wastewater-treatment-plantsj116_en.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Material_efficiency
http://www.cadman.com/section.asp?pageid=3145
http://www.permatrak.com/the-green-solution/leed-benefits/
http://www.leeduser.com/credit/NC-2009/MRc5
http://moef.nic.in/modules/recent-initiatives/NRCD/stp.htm
http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/whatiswh.htm
http://www.fao.org/docrep/S8684E/s8684e06.htm

http://greenliving.about.com/od/architecturedesign/g/What-Is-LEED-GreenBuilding-Certification.htm
http://www.grihaindia.org/index.php?
option=com_content&task=view&id=13
http://www.grihaindia.org/
http://www.igbc.in/site/igbc/tests.jsp?event=22869
http://www.igbc.in/site/igbc/testigbc.jsp?desc=22905&event=22869
Pdf's
PDF on spring irrigation
http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/agricultural_engineering/spring_irrigation.pdf
PDF on GRIHA
http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/national-rating-systemgreen-buildings-GRIHA.pdf
PDF on Nation Green Building Assessment Tool
in India
http://cesb.cz/cesb10/papers/5_assessment/040.pdf
PDF on Green Building Movement Timelines
http://www.cedbik.org/images/kaynak/CITC-V-FinalPaper1.pdf
PDF on Low-flow fixtures
http://greenmanual.rutgers.edu/newresidential/strategies/lowflowfixtures.
pdf