Tech Mailer Vol.

3 Issue 03
March 2017

Dear Reader,
Construction sector has a major impact on environment. It is estimated that about 12%
of the global fresh water consumption and more than a third of the global consumption
of raw materials are by building sector. Construction activities contribute about 50% of
the worlds air pollution, 50% of all water pollution, more than 40% of all solid wastes
generated

There is rapid growth in the residential sector in India to cater to the requirements of the
teaming millions. It is a well-established fact that green buildings approach has immense
potential to optimize resource consumption, generate resources from waste, utilise
renewable sources to offer win-win solution for user/owner and the environment. This
issue focuses on Various aspects of making your homes Green.

We hope you find the mailer informative and useful. Happy Reading!!

Issue Highlights

Green Building
Objectives
Benefits
Factors considered for
Green Building

Introduction
Buildings have major environmental affect over their entire life cycle, i.e. from construction till cessation of
its service life. Resources such as land, forests, water, and energy are being depleted to construct and operate
conventional buildings. Concrete, Bricks, Wood, etc. are used to form the shell of these buildings and thus
embody energy and resources which are non-renewable. Water is another vital resource for the occupants,
which gets consumed continuously during building construction and operation. Several building processes
and occupant functions generate large amounts of waste. These conventional buildings require energy-
consuming systems for lighting, air conditioning and water heating to provide comfort to its occupants.

Buildings are one of the major segments that affect and contribute to climate change. Hence, there is a need
to design and construct Green buildings, the essence of which would be to address all these issues in an
integrated and scientific manner.

Green Building
Green buildings are considered very important for sustainable development. Building built using green design
and construction processes significantly reduce or eliminate negative impacts on the environment and the
occupants.
It maximizes the use of efficient building materials and construction practices; optimizes the use of on-site
sources; uses minimum energy to power itself; uses efficient equipment to meet its lighting, air-conditioning,
and heating needs; maximizes the use of renewable sources of energy; uses efficient waste and water
management practices; and provides comfortable and hygienic indoor working conditions.

Objectives of Green Building

Conserve Natural Resources

Increase Energy Efficiency

Increase Water Efficiency

Improve Indoor Air Quality

Be Environment Friendly

Provide Healthy & Comfortable

Living

Benefits of Green Building

The Green building offers benefits to individual as well as society. Some of the benefits of Green buildings
as compared to conventional buildings are:

Less damage to environment by

design,
choice of material and process and
reduced construction waste.

Reduced energy consumption through

energy efficiency and
use of renewable energy

Mitigation of water scarcity through efficient water management.

Efficient use of resources by the use of recycled materials.
Better indoor air quality by use of Nontoxic materials.

Factors to be considered for Green Building

A. During Planning and Construction

Site Selection and Planning:

The site plan must be in conformity with the development

plan/master plan and should comply with the provisions of eco-
 sensitive zone regulations, coastal zone regulations and heritage area regulations, if any.
Landscape the open areas (Eg. Grass, Trees, Shrubs etc.) for at least 15% of the site area.
Prefer native species.
Minimize cutting of trees.
Preserve the excavated top soil and use it in landscaping.

Materials:

Use materials with recycled content like Portland Pozzolana Cement

(PPC), Portland Slag Cement (PSC), Fly ash, Ground Granulated Blast
Furnace Slag (GGBS), Fly ash bricks, Glass, Steel, Aluminum and
Composite wood.
Replace wooden door and window frames with concrete frames (thus
avoiding deforestation).
Replace burnt clay bricks with concrete blocks and/or fly ash bricks.
Use rapidly renewable building materials and products like bamboo, wool/cotton
insulation, agri-fiber, linoleum, strawboard, cork etc.
Use materials (viz. paints, adhesives, sealants etc.) with low volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) to reduce adverse health impacts on building
occupants.
Use better insulation in the walls, ceilings, and floor to reduce money spent
on heating and cooling. Better insulation leads to a quieter home in general
(options available are to use Aerated Concrete blocks for walls, foam
concrete for screeds etc.)
Use light colour tiles, paints and cements (like Portland Slag Cement-PSC)
for terraces to ensure maximum reflectance of solar rays/light and hence
thermal comfort
Use building materials available locally (if possible) thereby minimizing
the associated environmental impacts.
Wherever possible, use salvaged building materials such as
flooring, panelling, doors, frames, furniture, brick etc.,
Use of manufactured sand in place of river sand is an economical option.
It is eco-friendlier and does not impact quality.
Consider possibilities of reusing construction waste instead of dumping
it in land-fills outside.

Water Efficiency:

Provide rainwater harvesting or storage system for reuse.

Use water efficient fixtures to minimize water usage.
Plant the species that require less water for survival and growth
in landscaping.
 Energy Efficiency:

The orientation of the building, size and location of openings and fenestrations impact the
thermal comfort and ventilation within a building. Guidelines for each of the four climatic
zones are given below.

Climatic Zones Preferred Orientation Openings/Fenestrations

Hot and Dry
(Delhi, UP, Bihar, Rajasthan,
parts of Punjab and MP)
Hot and Humid
(interior peninsular areas - AP,
Karnataka and TN)
Warm and Humid
(Coastal regions of Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Karnataka,
Kerala, TN, AP, Orissa, WB)
Cold
(JK, HP, Uttaranchal, Northern
Eastern States and other Hilly
and Mountainous regions )
Large openings should be provided
Longer walls should on northern and western faces.
face North & South Window area should be 15-20% of
floor area.
Window area should be 15-20% of
Longer walls should floor area.
face North & South Sill height of windows should be
between 0.5 0.7 m
Provide glazing windows upto 25%
Longer walls should of Floor area.
face North & South Prefer double-glazing to avoid heat
losses during winter nights.

Provide Chejjas, Sunshades to the openings.

Place toilets, corridors, staircases, lifts and service areas along western and eastern faades.

Indoor Air Quality:

Fresh Air Ventilation: To avoid indoor pollutants affecting air quality it is advisable to provide
adequate outdoor air ventilation. Having adequate window openings will help in bringing in
fresh air into the building, thereby ensuring good air quality. The approach would be to have
large openings on at least two different directions so as to allow cross-ventilation.

B. During use of the Building

Use exhaust systems to ensure that kitchens and bathrooms are better ventilated to improve
indoor environment. It is important to install exhaust systems of adequate capacity.
Use CFC free air conditioning systems.
Use the appliances with 3star rating under BEE labelling or equivalent. Provide
solar water heating system with a capacity of 25 litres per person per day.
Install energy efficient internal and external lighting luminaries which are at
least 3 star rated under BEE labelling programme.
Use the energy efficient light fittings like Compact fluorescent lamps(CFL), LED
bulbs etc.,
Use solar lighting systems wherever possible.
Provide Level Controllers in overhead water tanks.
Use Sleep mode control for air conditioners in bedroom.
Follow efficient waste segregation and disposal methods to ensure hygienic conditions.
 Consider using grey-water (water from wash basins, kitchen and bathing areas) for
landscaping instead of just flushing it down the sewer.

Conclusion
Everyone including the construction worker, mason, contractor, engineer, architect and the house owner have
a role to play in reducing the environmental impact from housing sector. Green concepts and techniques in
the residential sector can help address national issues like handling of waste, water efficiency, energy
efficiency and conserving natural resources. Most importantly, these concepts can enhance occupants
health, happiness, wellbeing and give him the pride of being a responsible citizen.

References:
Indian Green Building Council www.igbc.in
IGBC Green Homes Rating System - Abridged Reference Guide- Confederation of Indian Industry
Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment - www.grihaindia.org

Tech Mailer Team -Dr. V Ramachandra, Dr. M R Kalgal and Mr. Prasad YTVV

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