Energy

Comfort

Water
Storm water
Sewage
Solid waste management
Pollution
Ecology and geology
Building materials
visual, thermal, noise level, air quality
Energy
Comfort

Water
Storm water
Solid waste management
Pollution
Ecology and geology
Building materials
visual, thermal, noise level, air quality)
Sewage
e nvi r onme ntal
building guidelines
for Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority
An abri dged manual on
Building materials
Solid waste management
Sewage
e nvi r onme ntal
building guidelines
for Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority
An abri dged manual on
TheEnergyandResourcesInstitute,2009
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means
without prior permission of The Energy and Resources Institute, Terra Viridis Partnership Ltd, and
Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority.
Publishedby
TERIPress
TheEnergyandResourcesInstitute Tel. 24682100or41504900
DarbariSethBlock Fax 24682144or24682145
IHCComplex India+91 Delhi(0)11
LodhiRoad E-mail teripress@teri.res.in
NewDelhi110003,India Web www.teriin.org
PrintedinIndia
CONTENTS
Messages v
Project team viii
Foreword ix
Preface xi
Abbreviation xiii
Introduction xv
Energy....................................................................... 1
Comfort...................................................................... 15
Water........................................................................ 21
Stormwater................................................................ 27
Sewage...................................................................... 33
Solidwastemanagement................................................. 39
Pollution..................................................................... 45
Ecologyandgeology....................................................... 49
Buildingmaterials.......................................................... 53
Glossary.................................................................... . 55

CHIEF MINISTER
ANDHRA PRADESH
I am glad to know that the HyderabadMetropolitan Development
Authority is releasing an educational booklet on Environment Building
Guidelines for sustainable development of the historic city of Hyderabad.
Hyderabad has become a global city, the best place to do business
and to live. Our beautiful city is prospering and growing at an enormous
rate. However we cannot continue to grow in the present manner without a
detrimental impact on our environment. We no longer have abundant
availability of water. We cannot generate limitless levels of energy. Ever
changing weather patterns due to climate change are playing havoc in our
daily lives. It is time we start preparing ourselves to face the consequences
of climate changes on one hand while helping to reduce our contributions
to it on the other. The solution is not to curtail development but to develop
sustainably.
The foresight of HMDA in developing Hyderabad specific building
guidelines will ensure not only a higher quality of life for us but also for
our children. Following these guidelines will be the gr t gift we can
bestow upon our future generations.
r C V.S.K. SARMA,IAS
Principal Secretary to Government &
Chairman, Hyderabad Metro Rail
Municipal Administration &
Urban Development Department
Government of Andhra Pradesh
L-Block, A.P.Secretariat
Hyderabad - 500 022.
(() : Off : + 91-40- 2345 2499
Tele/Fax: + 91-40- 23450622
Res: + 91-40- 2355 0256
e-mail: prlsecy_maud@ap.gov.in
There is currently no end in sight to our daily power and municipal water
shortages. There will be no respite from the flooding of our roads during
the monsoon and the over flowing of garbage on to our streets. The air
we breathe and the lakes we utilise are getting more and more polluted.
The loss of Hyderabad's unique rock formations and corresponding
biodiversity is accelerating.
These problems will only get worse unless each one of us make a
conscious effort to change the way the city operates, the buildings we
build and our behavioural patterns within our own gamut, be it the
government, corporate bodies, institutions or individuals.
The set of environmental building guidelines developed specifically for
Hyderabad by HMDA along with their consultants TERI and Terra
Viridis will assist each of us to make a positive contribution. Written in a
form that either a professional or layman can utilise, following these
guidelines will help in correcting the problems that the rapid, haphazard
development of Hyderabad has resulted in.
Going green does not mean a reduced standard of living. Quite the
opposite, it not only enhances your current quality of life but also
ensures an enhanced quality of life for your children and the future
generations.
Project team
TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute)
Pradeep Kumar, Mili Majumdar, Hina Zia, Minni Mehrotra,
Priyanka Kochchar, Apoorv Vij, Rana Pratap Poddar, Sudipta
Singh, Nitish Poornia, Tarun Garg, Siddharth Tampi, and
Shraddha Mahore
TVPL (Terra Viridis Pvt. Ltd)
Swati Puchalapalli, Srikumar Sattaru, and Pallavi Damodaran
TERI Press
Richa Sharma, R Ajith Kumar, Chandni Sengupta, and
T Radhakrishnan
FOREWORD
I
ndia heads for an economic growth of about 8 per
cent with cities contributing a major portion to this
growth. Meeting the infrastructure requirements of
these cities is of fundamental importance to Indias
economic growth aspirations and its efforts to raise
thelevelofhumandevelopment.
HyderabadMetropolitanRegion(HMR),thecapitalcity
ofAndhraPradeshstateiswitnessinghigheconomicgrowth
especiallyinITsector,biotechnology,entertainmentindustry,
manufacturingandservicesector.Buildingandrealestate
sectorislikelytogrowalongwiththiseconomicgrowth.The
existing status of various infrastructure facilities related
to construction, operation and maintenance of buildings
including water, energy, and waste management all
demonstrateseriousgapsatpresent,whichareexpectedto
increase in the future. However, the building sector holds
a lot of potential to conserve and reduce the pressure on
depletingresourceslikeenergyandwaterbesidesimproving
environmentalqualityinHyderabad.
Considering immense challenges on climate change
andglobalwarming,HyderabadMetropolitanDevelopment
Authority (HMDA) initiated a study in the year 2007 on
EnvironmentalBuildingRegulationsandGuidelines(EBRGs)
for a sustainable development of Hyderabad Metropolitan
Region.ThebroadvisionbehindtheEBRGprojectistoassess
thepresentandfutureenvironmentalissuesinthebuilding
industry, specifcally with respect to urban development
and propose guidelines for environmental sustainable
buildingdesign,constructionandoperationtopromoteand
integrate sustainable practices and provide an affordable
andhigherqualityenvironmentfortheresidents.
This is an unique initiative and Hyderabad is one of frst
cities in India to take up this initiative, which forcefully
reinstates HMDAs commitment towards sustainable
developmentofHyderabadMetropolitanRegion.
TheEnergyandResourcesInstitute(TERI),NewDelhiin
associationwithTerraViridisPartnershipLimited(TVPL)are
theconsultantsfortheproject.
During the study, the builders, planners, architects,
engineers, resident welfare associations, GHMC, APPCB,
APCPDCL, HMWS&SB, GoAP, academicians and various
stakeholders in HMR were actively involved. The EBRGs
proposedbytheconsultantswereplacedforfurtherextensive
stakeholders dialogues and fnally a set of Environmental
Building Guidelines (EBGs) were frmed up covering various
aspectsofurbandevelopmentlikeenergy,comfort,water
andstormwater,sewage,solidwastemanagement,building
materials,ecologyandgeology.
The detailed guidelines and other information are
provided at HMDA website <www.hmda.gov.in>. The
websitehaseasytousetools,calculatorsandlinkstoother
resources.
This booklet summarises the guidelines and can be
usedbyoneandallasareadyreckonerforbothnewand
existingbuildings.TheEBGscanbefollowedbyarchitects,
engineers,developers,buildingownersandcommonmanto
enable design, construction and operation of environment
friendlybuildingsanddevelopments.
Abookofthismagnitudeandcomplexitycouldnothave
beenbroughtoutwithouthelpofallthestakeholdersand
theircontributionsaregratefullyacknowledged.
TERIandTVPLmadeacommendableworkinproviding
the research content in simple and lucid manner with
attractiveillustrationsforeasyunderstanding.
We encourage everyone to read and derive beneft of
the knowledge resources that have been provided in this
contents,practiceandspreadthespiritofgreenconcepts.
Dr K S Jawahar Reddy, IAS
MetropolitanCommissioner
HMDA
PREFACE
T
he EBRG (Environmental Building Regulation
Guideline) educational booklet is an attempt
to create environmental awareness in the
built environment available to all. The booklet
is a concise version of the EBRGs developed
for the HMDA (Hyderabad Metropolitan Development
Authority).DuetorapidgrowthintheGreaterHyderabad
region, HMDA decided to develop environmental building
regulations,whichcanbeusedasguidelinesforallfuture
developments,keepinginmindtheenvironmentalimpacts
of construction. The EBRGs attempt to provide model
parameters to adopt and follow in order to minimize the
negativeimpactsofconstruction.Thisistoensurethatthe
pressureoninfrastructuralfacilitieslikeelectricity,sewage
disposal,andsoon,fortheupcomingsub-urbanregionsis
minimized.
TheEBRGslookatvariousaspectsofbuildingslikeenergy
consumption, water requirements, ecology and geology
on site, building materials, sewage disposal, comfort,
storm water management, solid waste management, and
pollution control. The Guidelines look at these aspects at
theneighbourhoodlevelaswellasthebuildingslevel.The
neighbourhood level interventions and the building level
interventionstogethercreateasustainablehabitat.
Thebooklethasonepagedescriptionofvariousaspects
ofeachGuidelinealongwithtipsandeasysolutionsforthe
userstounderstandandadopttheconceptseasily.Various
aspects of each Guideline, have been explained in the
simplest possible way in order to ensure that even a non-
technicalpersonisabletoreadandunderstandthem.
ABBREVIATIONS
ASHRAE AmericanSocietyofHeating,RefrigerationandAirconditioningEngineers
BEE Bureau of Energy Effciency
BIS BureauofIndianStandards
CPCB CentralPollutionControlBoard
ECBC EnergyConservationBuildingCode
HMDA HyderabadMetropolitanDevelopmentAuthority
HVAC Heating,ventilationandairconditioning
LED Light-emittingdiode
MoEF MinistryofEnvironmentandForests
NBC NationalBuildingCode
RCC Reinforcedcementconcrete
RO Reverseosmosis
SEGR Specifc Energy Generation Ratio
SHGC Solar heat gain coeffcient
SUDS Sustainableurbandrainagesystems
TDS Totaldissolvedsolids
VOC Volatileorganiccompounds
INTRODUCTION
U
rban centres across the world face major
challengesintheformofincreasingpopulation
andinfrastructurepressures.Asaresult,major
shortagesofnaturalresourcesoccurasdemand
increases alongside population, even while
suppliesdecrease.Buildingsalonearemajorcontributorsto
energy and resource consumption and, therefore, provide
many possibilities for reduction in resource consumption.
Hyderabad, the capital city ofAndhra Pradesh, is one such
fast growing urban centre facing enormous population and
infrastructure pressure with buildings contributing to the
variousenvironmentalhazardsinthearea.
Recognizing these concerns and challenges, the HMDA
(Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority) is
committedtoputinplacebuildingregulationsandguidelines
to.
Assess present and future environmental issues in the
buildingindustrywithafocusonurbandevelopmentin
GreaterHyderabad;
Provide an affordable and higher quality environment
forhabitantsofGreaterHyderabad;
Promoteandintegratesustainablebuildingpractices,as
it benefts both current and future generations;
Formulate guidelines and regulations in building
design,construction,andoperationforabalancedand
sustainablebuiltenvironment;
Facilitate guidelines and regulations in building
design,construction,andoperationforabalancedand
sustainablebuiltenvironment;
Educate people in environmental building design and
remove the false notion that environmental building
designequatestohigherbuildingcosts;and
Create awareness among public utility agencies,
buildingprofessionals,andusersinmakingdecisionsto
introduce sustainable building features in design and
construction.
Environmental building regulations and
guidelines
The existing system of guidelines and building regulations
werepreparedwithapiecemealapproachandastrongneed
wasfelttoimprovethebuildingguidelinesinanintegrated
manner, keeping it at par with the best international
practices. The HMDA has taken this initiative to draw a
vision for a sustainable Hyderabad. The development of
EBRGs (environmental building regulations and guidelines)
P
P
P
P
P
P
P
for Hyderabad is a frst move towards this direction.
Thecurrentsystemofguidelinesforbuildingsdonotcover
all the aspects such as energy effciency, comfort conditions,
on-site water and waste management, consideration of
specifc topography, site conditions, and other ecological
issues. It is also observed that the connectivity, between
individualbuildingsanditssurroundings,iscurrentlylacking
intheexistingsystemofguidelines.Asaresult,theareais
fast growing into a concrete jungle with complete dismay
toitsrichheritageandnaturalbounty.Ithas,therefore,
become essential to redraw our vision and frame guiding
principles to drive Hyderabad towards a greener and
healthierplaceinlinewithitsbeautifulpast.
Thebroadvisionbehinddevelopingthenewframeworkof
guidelinesistoassessthepresentandfutureenvironmental
issues in the building industry, specifcally with respect to
urban development in the Hyderabad Development Area
and propose guidelines for environmentally sustainable
building design, construction, and operation in a wider
contexttopromoteandintegratesustainablepracticesand
provide an affordable and higher quality environment for
theresidents.
Relevance of EBRGs for a green habitat
Environmentalbuildingregulationsandguidelinesencompass
awiderangeofissuesbothattheneighbourhoodscaleandat
theindividualbuildingslevel.Theseguidelinestrytobuilda
greenerhabitat,byconsideringvariousenvironmentalissues,
atboththesescalesandattemptstoincorporatethegreen
buildingsconcept.Greenbuildingisthepracticeofincreasing
the effciency through which buildings use resources, viz.,
energy,waterandmaterials,whilereducingbuildingimpacts
onhumanhealthandtheenvironmentduringthebuildings
lifecycle, through planned design, construction, operation,
maintenance,resourcerecycle,andreuseinawidercontext
ofitslocality.
Greenbuildingsaretheones,whichencompassseveral
environment-friendlyproductsandfeatures.Theyshowcase
concern for extending life span of natural resources;
provide human comfort, safety, and productivity. This
results in reduction of operation and maintenance costs,
conservation of energy and water, health, social benefts,
and other intangible benefts.
These guidelines are, thus, designed to reduce the
overall impact of the built environment on human health
andthenaturalenvironmentby
Effciently using energy, water, and other resources
Protecting occupant health and improving employee
productivity
Reducing waste, pollution, and environmental
degradation
They are designed to use the least amount of non-
renewableenergyandnaturalresources,andtousethese
resources in the most effcient manner. Further, such
buildingsproduceaminimumamountofpollutionandcost
less as compared to conventional buildings. In addition to
these, such a habitat creates a healthy and comfortable
placeforpeopletoliveandwork.
Scope of the booklet
This booklet is an attempt to give a concise summary of
the aforementioned building guidelines and regulations to
the common man in an easy-to-understand format. These
guidelineswillintroducethecommonpeopletothewhat
andhowofvariousissuespertainingtoconstructinganew
building or retroftting an existing building at neighbourhood
scale, as well as the individual building level with the
primeobjectiveoflivingahealthierlifestyle.Thebooklet
contains simple solutions and tips to improve the energy
and resource performance of new and existing buildings
residentialandnon-residential.
Kindly visit the website of HMDA for further detailed
informationonanyoftheguidelinesandthelegalprocess
todoso.
List of EBRGs
The developed guidelines have been classifed under three
broadsectorsandsub-sectorswithinasfollows.
a) Energyandindoorcomfort-energy,comfort
b) Waterandwastewaterwater,sewage,stormwater
c) Quality of built environment solid waste, pollution,
ecologyandgeology,buildingmaterials
Following gives a list of all these guidelines under the
varioussub-sectors:
Energy
1. Layoutanddesignaspersolargeometry
2. Planforenvironment-friendlytransportationonsite
3. Provide for energy-effcient site lighting and use
renewable-energy-based(solarPV,biomass,wind,fuel
cells)lightingsystem
4. Minimum local amenities to reduce use of private
vehicles
5. Controllightpollution
6. Solarpassivedesignfornewbuildings
7. Providerooftreatmenttocutheatgains
8. Window design for day lighting, solar control, and
ventilation
P
P
P
9. Design energy-effcient lighting in all new residential
and commercial buildings and retroft external and
common area lighting with effcient fxtures and apply
lighting controls in existing residential complexes/
buildings
10. Design energy-effcient space conditioning in commercial
buildings
11. ReplaceexistingequipmentbyBEElabelledappliances
/equipmentanduseBEElabelledappliances/equipment
inallnewbuildings
12. Providesolarwaterheatingsystemstomeetminimum
20% of service hot water requirement for new
commercialandresidentialbuildings
13. Performmandatoryenergyauditforexistingcommercial
buildingswithconnectedloadincasesof500kWor600
kVAandreduceenergyexpenditureby20%overprevious
year. Follow prescriptive/mandatory requirements of
lighting,HVAC,electrical,andhotwatersystemsasper
theECBC(EnergyConservationBuildingCode)2007for
allnewcommercialbuildings,asstipulatedbytheECBC
2007
Comfort
14. Provide thermal comfort (for air conditioned and
naturally/mechanically ventilated spaces) as per the
NBC(NationalBuildingCode)forallnewresidentialand
commercialbuildings
15. Provideadequate daylighting asperthe NBCandthe
ECBC
16. Use internal fnishes with no or low VOC (volatile organic
compound)content
17. IndoornoiselevelsaspertheNBC,2005
18. Maintainindoorairqualitystandards
Water
19. Water conserving fttings
20. Drinkingwaterqualityrequirements
21. Waterconservinglandscaping
22. Waterauditstoassesswaterconservationpotentialin
existingbuildings
Storm water
23. Adherence to neighbourhood catchment area and
drainagepattern
24. An integrated approach for SUDS (sustainable urban
drainagesystem)
25. Reducing storm water runoff and heat island effect
through permeable paving and infltration trenches
26. Rainwaterharvestingandcollectionfromroofs
Sewage
27. Dualplumbingsystemsandwastewatertreatment
28. Decentralized STPs - Operation and maintenance
requirements
Introduction xvi
29. Safe disposal of treated unused grey water and
wastewater
30. Safesludgedisposalmethods
Solid Waste Management
31. Waste management of municipal solid waste at
neighbourhoodlevel
32. Wastemanagementofresidentialwaste
33. Waste management for commercial buildings (also
caterstoe-waste)
34. Wastemanagementofbiomedicalwastefromhospitals/
healthcarefacilities
35. Reductioninwasteduringconstructionandconstruction
anddemolitionwastemanagementplan
Pollution
36. Controllevelsofairpollutionduringconstruction
37. Ensureambientoutdoornoisestandards
Ecology and geology
38. Conserving site vegetation through design and during
construction
39. Soil conservation and erosion control during
construction
40. Conserving site geology through design and during
construction
Building materials
41. Useofsustainablebuildingmaterials
Introduction xvii
ENERGY
T
he prime intent for developing energy-related EBRGs (Environmental
BuildingRegulationsandGuidelines)istoenablethereductionofenergy
consumed by buildings, through proper transport planning in large
neighbourhoods, site planning, and adopting climate-responsive design
for buildings, in addition to using effcient lighting and space cooling.
Integrationofrenewableenergyforwaterheatingisalsosuggestedintheregulations.
There are also a number of existing buildings that need to be made energy effcient.
AnEBRGonconductingenergyauditofexistingbuildingshasalsobeenincluded.
The EBRGs have been divided into two sections. The frst section comprises
guidelinesthatspecifytheactionsthatneedtobetakenattheneighborhoodandsite
levelsduringtheplanningstage.Theseincludelayoutandplanningasperthesolar
geometry, planning for eco-friendly transportation on-site, energy-effcient and solar-
basedsitelighting,makingavailablefacilitieswithineasilyapproachabledistances,
and controlling light pollution. The next set of EBRGs is tailored for building-level
interventionsfornewandexistingbuildings.Thebasicapproachtowardsdeveloping
EBRGs is based on three fundamental strategies adopted to optimize energy
performanceinabuilding.
1 Reducingenergydemand
2 Maximizing system effciency
3 Optimizingtheusageofrenewableenergy
2
Correct orientation and shading helps
reduce energy consumption by almost 15%
Guideline
Layout and design of buildings should be as per solar geometry
P Longerdimensionsofbuildingsshouldfacenorthandsouth(withamaximumdeviationof5offnorth)
andshorterdimensionsshouldfaceeastandwest.Inmultistoriedapartments,thesideshavingopenings
shouldfaceeithernorthorsouth.
P Thesouthernsidesoftheplotsshouldbeshadedbydeciduoustrees.Incaseofhigh-risestructures,
windowsorfaadeshouldbeshadedbyin-builtshadingdevices.
P Theeastandwestfaadesshouldbeprotectedbyusingshadingdevices,vegetationorbufferspaces.
P Courtyardsshouldbeorientedalongeastwestaxisto
capturemaximumwind.Tocreatecoolermicroclimateconditions,
waterelementsshouldbeprovidedalongthewindpaths.
Orientation of buildings
P Abuildingcanbelaidoutanddesignedonthebasisofsunpathandwinddirection.
P Abuildingdesignedaccordingtosolarpathremainscomparativelycoolinsummersandwarmin
winters, thus obviating the need for artifcial heating or cooling.
P Iforientedproperly,abuildingreceivescomparativelylessradiation,whichresultsinlesserheatgains.
Thisreducesoverallairconditioningrequirement,which,inturn,savesenergy.
P Solarangleandaltitudewithrespecttoaparticularsurfacevarywithtime,followingadistinct
geometry.Thisgeometrycanbefollowedwhiledesigningabuilding.
P Proper layout and design of a building ensure that the building benefts the maximum from the wind so
that there is no need for artifcial ventilation and cooling.
P Plannedlayoutanddesignofabuildingmakethebuilding
getjustenoughsunlight,withoutanyglare.
P Incorporationofshadingdevicescanbeplannedintheinitialstagesoflayoutanddesign,whichwill
lead to energy effciency and add to the aesthetic appeal of the building.
P Asthesunmovesfromeasttowestandsunpathismoreinclinedtowardssouth,thenorthfaadesof
thebuildingdonotreceivedirectradiation.
P Solaranglesarelowineastandwest,whilehighinsouth.
P In effcient buildings, the longer faade faces north and south, while the smaller faade faces east and
west.
P Theradiationcanbecut-offbyusingshadingdevices.
P Shadingdevicesprotectthebuildingbyobstructingtheverticalshadowangleandhorizontalshadow
angle,whicharecalculatedfromsunpathdiagram.
3
Guideline
Eco-friendly transportation on-site
P Eco-friendlymodeoftransportationshouldbeprovidedforintra-sitetransportation,withadequate
provisionforbicycletracksandshadedfootpathsforsites50acresormoreinarea.
P Linearlayoutsleadingtolargevehicularlengthsshouldbeavoided.Clusterlayoutsshouldbepreferred.
P Batterychargingfacilitiesshouldbeprovidedforprojectsofsize50acresoraboveonefor50parked
cars.Thesechargingpointsshouldbeplacedatconvenientlocationsandshouldbespacedequally.
P For basement parking, provision for minimum daylight and ventilation should be made for the frst
basement.Toensureaminimumofthreeairchangesperhour,aminimumverticalopeningarea
equivalent to 10% of foor area should be provided on the basement wall (on both windward and leeward
sides).
Advantages of using eco-friendly modes of transportation
P Eco-friendlymodesoftransportationdonotcauseenvironmentalpollutionlikeconventionalmodesof
transportation.
P Usingeco-friendlyvehiclessavesontheconventionalfuel.
P Thereisnocarbonfootprintwheneco-friendlyvehiclesareused.
P Walkingandcyclingarethehealthiestmodesoftransportation.
P Plantingshadytreeson
footpathsandcycling
tracksenhancesthenatural
environment.
Guidelines for
ensuring eco-friendly
transportation
P Cluster layoutClustersreduce
thelonglengthsofroadandalso
thevehicularspeed.Parking
spacesinclusterdevelopment
canbeprovidedoutsidethe
cluster.
P Facilities for cyclists and
pedestriansPedestriansand
cyclistsshouldbeprovided
withamenitieslikedrinking
waterfountains,benches,cycle
parking,andsoon.Cycling
tracksandsidewalksshouldbeplantedwithshadytrees.
P LandscapingLandscapingplanshouldbeincorporatedinroadsystemstoenhancetheaesthetics.Green
beltshouldbemaintainedaroundroads.
P VisibilityLandscapingshouldbedoneinsuchawaythatitdoesnotobstructthevisibilityand
movement.
P Public transportation Public mode of transportation should be encouraged to make travelling effcient
andconvenient.
P Electric vehicleElectricvehiclesareleastpolluting,sotheiruseshouldbeencouraged.Facilities
shouldbeprovidedforchargingthebatteriesusedforsuchvehicles.
Trees shade walking paths and cycling tracks
4
Bollard
P Up lights Usedtohighlighttheceiling.Installedinplaceslikeunder-
foliageornearbiggerplantstocreateaglowingeffect.
P Path lights Usedtolightupwalkways.
P Ornamental lights Usedtoenhancelandscapefeatures.
P Electriclamps
vHigh pressure mercury vapour lamps Lightisproducedbypassingan
electric charge through gaseous mercury. Though the effcacy of mercury
lamps is less compared to fuorescent lamps, they are very popular for
outdoorlighting.
vHigh pressure sodium vapour lamps Lightisproducedbypassingan
electricdischargethroughthecombinedvapoursofmercuryandsodium.
Theyhaveadistinctyelloworgoldenyellowappearance.
vMetal halide lamps Alsoknownasmetalarclamps,thesearemercury
vapourlampswithmetalcompoundslikehalides.Theseareusedincar
parkingareasandcitycentres.Theyhavearelativelyshorterlife.
P Solar energy-powered lights Theselightsdonotrequireanywiringand
arepoweredbyaphotovoltaicpanel.Thispanelchargestheinverter,which
suppliespowertolamps.
Guideline
Energy-effcient and renewable-energy-based external lighting
P Horizontal average illuminance should be equal to or more than that defned in IS:1944 (Parts I&II
1970, as per classifcation of road).
P 50%100%ofoutdoorlightingshouldbebasedonsolarphotovoltaicsaloneorincombinationwithother
renewablesourcesofenergylikebiomass,fuelcell,wind,andsoon.
P Luminous effcacy of external light sources used for outdoor lighting shall equal or exceed 60 lm/W in
case of compact fuorescent lamps, 75 lm/W in case of fuorescent lamps, 50 lm/W
incaseoflight-emittingdiodes,and90lm/Wincaseofhigh-pressuresodiumvapour
lamp.
Effcient lighting
P Effcient lighting ensures visual comfort and utilizes energy optimally and
effciently.
P Theswitchesusedforoutdoorlightinggenerallydonottakeseasonal
variationintoaccount,whichresultsinthewastageofenergy.Therefore,
adeviceoratimershouldbeusedthatissensitivetoseasonalvariations
andadjustsonthebasisofactuallengthofday/night.
P Microcontroller-basedtimeswitchhasinputslikerealtime,date,month,
year,andplusandminusoffset.Duetoitsversatileconceptofswitching
atsunsetandsunrisetimingsthroughouttheyear,itsavesonelectrical
units,resultinginreducedelectricbills.
P Solarenergyandothersourcesofrenewableenergycanbeusedforoutdoor
lighting,whichrequiresminimummaintenanceandoperationcost.
Criteria for choosing outdoor lighting
Thechoiceofsourceforexternallightingisguidedbyfollowingconsiderations.
P Luminous fux
P Economy(determinedbylumens/wattandlife)
P Colourcharacteristics
Types of outdoor lighting
Solar PV panel powered outdoor
lighting
5
Guideline
Providing basic amenities in order to reduce the use of private vehicles
Benefts
P Facilitieslikegrocerystores,healthcare,communityhalls,ATMs,parks,andrecreationalfacilitiesneed
tobelocatedwithina500-metreradiusfromwherethepeopleliveorresidentialcomplexescomeup.
P Thiswillensurethatthepeopledonothavetotravellongdistancesintheirprivatevehiclestoprocure
thingsofdailyuse.
P Therewouldbeminimaladverseimpactsontheenvironment,astherewouldbelimitedemissionof
pollutinggreenhousegases,particularlycarbondioxide.
P Provisionofbasicfacilitiesinnewandupcomingresidentiallocalitiesensuresthattheselocalities
developintobuzzingcentres.
P Peoplearesavedfromthedrudgeryofgoinglongdistancesandhavemorequalitytimetospendasthey
wishto.
Variousfacilitiesforwhichguidelineshavebeenprovidedareasfollows.
P Schools Ideally,thereshouldbeapre-primary/nurseryschoolforapopulationof200people,aprimary
schoolforapopulationofabout5000people,andaseniorsecondaryschoolforapopulationof7500
people.Thiswillensurethatchildrendonothavetotravellongdistance.
P Hospitals Aclinicshouldbeavailableforapopulationcomprising15000people,andanursinghome
withchildcarefacilitiesshouldbeavailableforapopulationof50000people.
P Recreational facility Peopleneedcommunityhallstoorganizevariousfunctionslikemarriagesorto
simplyplayorrelax.Thereshouldbeacommunityhallfor5000people,andforapopulationofabout
15000people,thereshouldbeacommunityhallandalibrary.
P Petrol pump Thereshouldbeatleastonepetrolpumpfor150hectaresofgrossresidentialareas.
P Milk booths Milkboothsoffervariousdairyproductslikemilk,curd,buttermilk,andsoon.There
shouldbeamilkboothforevery5000people.
P LPG (liquid petroleum gas) godowns LPGfacilitiesshouldbemadeavailablefortheresidentialareas.
Thereshouldbeagasgodownfor40000to50000people.
P Police post Anyresidentialareaneedstohaveafoolproofsecuritysystem.Thereshouldbeapolice
postfor4000050000peopleandapolicestationforapopulationof90000.
P Fire station There should be at least one fre station or a sub-fre station for a population of 200 000
people,within13kilometres.
P Fruit and vegetable market Informalactivitiestakeplaceinafruitandvegetablemarket.Sosucha
market needs to be planned and designed keeping the specifcations of the residential areas in mind.
Close proximity of various
services to the building
helps in reducing the need
for transportation
6
Guideline
Reduction of outdoor light pollution
Source of light pollution
Lightpollutioncanoccurinoneofthefollowingways.
P Outdoor illuminationThereisexcessiveandwastefulscatteroflight,whichcontributestolight
pollution.Thisalsoleadstounwantedilluminanceandglare.
P Advertising displayTheattractivelightsusedbycompaniestopromotetheirproductsalsocauseslight
pollution.Theyalsodistractmotorists.
Impacts of light pollution
P Light refected from buildings at night-time helps
pedestrians,butexcessivelightcanalsocause
discomfortanddistractmotorists.
P Night-timeskyvisibilitygetsreducedduetoexcessive
artifcial lighting, which hampers the work of
astronomers.
P Lightpollutionalsoaffectsoperationsatairports,
wherepilotsmayfaceproblemsduetoexcessive
artifcial lighting.
P Light pollution impacts the biological cycles of fora
and fauna in the vicinity of artifcial lights and also
affectstheecosystemsoperationalinthearea.
P Behaviourialpatternsofanimalsandbirdsget
affected due to artifcial lighting.
P Excessivespillageoflightisaformofelectricitywastage.
Zone classifcation
TheCommissionInternationaledelEclairgehasdividedareasintofourbroadcategoriesorzonesandhas
setstandardsforthedegreeoflightpollutionpermissibleintheseareas.
Eachzonehasbeengivenacertainluxlevelrestriction,themaximumbeing6luxforasubjectlighting
inzoneE4duringnighttime,whileinzoneslikeE1andE2,amaximumof1luxispermittedforsubject
lighting.
P E1 (intrinsically dark) Thiszonecomprisesareassuchasnationalparks,wherelifethrivesinevery
form. Artifcial lighting may interfere with the natural activity of fora and fauna. Astronomical
observatoriesalsofallunderthiscategory.
P E2 (low ambient brightness) Thiszonecomprisesruralandsub-urbanareas,androadlightinginthese
areasisbrighterthanusual.
P E3 (medium ambient brightness) Thiszonecomprisesareaswherenight-timeactivityisslightlymore
thanE2zone.So,herecomparativelybrighterlightispermitted.
P E4 (high ambient brightness) Brightestofallzones.Comprisesurbandowntownareas,wherealotof
commercialactivitytakesplace,especiallyatnights.So,highambientbrightnessispermittedinthis
zone.
Reducing light pollution
P Careshouldbetakenwhiledesigningexternallightingsothatthedifferencebetweenlitandunlitareas
isnotverystark.
P Externallightingshouldbeturnedoffwhennotrequired,soastoconserveenergy.
P ForE1andE2zones,fullcut-offluminairesshouldbeused.Forotherzones,semicut-offornoncut-off
luminairesshouldbeused.
P Sensorsshouldbeused.
P Renewablesourcesofenergylikesolarpanelsshouldbeused.
P Use of effcient lamps ensures energy saving.
Full cut-off and semi cut-off luminaires used to
control outdoor light pollution
7
Solar passive architecture design strategies
P Landscaping Microclimateofaplacecanbealteredbygrowing
treesandvegetation.Roofgardensalsoreduceheatload.
P Waterbodies Waterhasamoderatingeffectonairtemperature.
Ithasahighthermalstoragecapacity.Waterevaporationhasa
coolingeffectonsurroundings.
P Orientation Theamountofsolarradiationfallingonasurface
varieswithorientation.
P Building form Buildingformaffectssolaraccessandwind
exposureaswellastherateofheatgainandlossthroughthe
externalenvelope.
P Building materials and construction techniques Theenergycontentofabuildingcanbereducedby
usingbuildingmaterialsthatuselowenergyinmanufacturing.
P Building envelope Building envelope components like walls, roof, windows, foor, and surface
fnishes are the key determinants of the amount of heat gain or loss and wind entering the building.
P Thermal storage/thermal capacity Theheatstoringcapacityofbuildingmaterialshelpsto
moderate fuctuation in the indoor temperature by providing a time delay.
P Thermal insulation Insulationshouldbeplacedontheexternalsideofwallandroofcomposition.
Heat gain through roofs could be reduced by external insulation, green roof or use of high refective
materialonrooftop.
Advanced passive cooling
techniques
P Evaporative cooling Waterbodieslike
ponds,lakesorfountainshelpreduceair
temperature.
P Radiative cooling Heatlossfromthehotter
elementwilloccuruntilequilibriumis
reached.
P Ventilation Itistheexchangeofairbetween
theinsideofabuildingandoutside,whichcanbe
attainedbycross-ventilationandstackeffect.
Guideline
Solar passive design
P Buildingsshouldminimizetheirdependenceonconventional
systemsofheating,cooling,ventilation,andlighting,whichutilize
electricityproducedfromnon-renewableenergysources.
P Solarpassivebuildingsaredesignedtoprovidethermalandvisual
comfortbyusingnaturalenergysourcesandsinkslikesolar
radiation,outsideair,wetsurfaces,vegetation,andsoon.
Objectives of solar passive buildings
P Solarpassivebuildingsaimatprovidinghighqualitythermaland
visualcomfortusingnaturalelements.
P Thesebuildingssaveenergyanddonotpollutetheenvironment.
Theyprovideahealthyatmospheretoliveandwork.
P Theyhaveapotentialtoreduceenergydemandby5%20%.
P Thesebuildingscanalsofunctionindependentofmechanicalsystems,whichmeanthatincaseofpower
failure,theyarewelllitbynaturaldaylightandarethermallycomfortable.
Designing a solar passive building
Courtyard planning is a recommended passive
feature for hot and dry climate
Landscaping for modifying the micro-climate
Cross-ventilation and stack effect
8
Guideline
Roof treatment to reduce heat gains
Roofisthelargestsourceofheatgain,especiallyinlow-risebuildings.Hence,propertreatmentofroofis
necessarytoreduceheatgainsduringdaytime.
Roof treatment: facts and benefts
P Treatmentofroofsprovidescomfortlevelsandreducescoolingloadsinsideabuilding.
P ThermallyinsulatingtheroofreducestheU-value(thermalconductivity)fortheroofsection.
P Adark-colouredroofabsorbsmoreheatandsunlight,increasingthecoolingdemandofthebuilding.
P A refective roof absorbs less heat and refects incident radiation. High albedo (or solar refectance,
which is a measure of a materials ability to refect sunlight) roof coatings or paints can be applied to
roofs.
P An ideal exterior surface coating would have, on a scale 0 to 1, refectance near 1 and absorptance near
0.Whiteplasterverynearlyachievesthis.
P Byapplyingroofinsulationina24-hourfullyair-conditionedresidentialbuilding,anannualenergy
savingsof14%isachieved.Paybackperiodisalmostsixyears.
Specifcations recommended by the Energy Conservation Building Code of
India, 2007
P AllexposedroofshallhaveamaximumU-factorof0.261W/m
2
CoraminimumR-value(themeasure
of its resistance to heat fow. The higher the R-value, the more the material insulates. It is the
reciprocalofU-factor)of3.5m
2
C/W.
P Roofs with slope less than 20 shall have an initial solar refectance, on a scale of 0 to 1, of no less than
0.70andaninitialemittance(abilityofamaterialtoreleaseabsorbedheat)nolessthan0.75orshall
have100%shadingbyusingsolarwaterheatingpanelsorsolarphotovoltaicpanelsorshallhavegreen
roofbyintegratingroofgardenventilation.
Roof insulation
Roofinsulationprotectsthebuilding
against the infow of heat during the day.
InIndia,constructionpracticesmainly
involveusingRCC(reinforcedcement
concrete) as a roofng element, which
hasahighthermalconductivity.Various
insulationmethodsarediscussedbelow.
P Overdeck insulationInthissystem,
athermalbarrierisprovidedover
theRCC,sothattheheatofthe
sundoesntreachtheRCCslabof
theroofatall.Overdeckinsulation
iscarriedoutbyeitherpreformed
insulationmaterials,whichare
adheredtotheroofwiththehelpof
aprimerandanadhesivecoat,orin
situapplications,whichareapplied
directlyovertheroofbyspraying.
P Conventional practicesExamplesarefoamconcrete,mudphuska,andbrickbatcoba.However,these
arequiteheavyandadddeadloadtotheroofslab.Thesealsohaveatendencytodevelopcracks.
P Using higher albedo materials/cool roof Higher albedo paints and coats can signifcantly reduce the
heat island effect. These are highly effcient, energy saving, non-toxic, and environment friendly.
Roof insulation for reducing heat gains
9
Guideline
Window design for daylighting, solar control, and ventilation
For air-conditioned buildings
P Window-to-wallratioshouldberestrictedtomaximum60%ofthegrosswall
area. U-factor value and SHGC (solar heat gain coeffcient) value should be
lessthanthatrecommendedbytheECBC.
P Skylightareashouldbelimitedtoamaximumof5%ofthegrossroofarea.
U-factorvalueandSHGCvalueshouldbelessthanthatrecommendedby
theECBC.
P WindowsshouldbedesignedtomeetdaylightrequirementsaspertheBIS.
For naturally ventilated non-air-conditioned buildings
P Windowsshouldbedesignedtoachievemaximumventilation.Normally,
window areas having 15%20% of foor area are ideal for both ventilation and daylight in hot and dry
climatezones.
P Windowsshouldbecompletelyshadedtoavoidsolarexternalheatgainsthroughtheopenings.
P Whiledesigningwindows,daylightrequirementsoftheBISshouldbemet.
Windows
P Windowscanachievenaturaldaylightandnaturalcoolingthroughventilation.
P Windowscanbeproperlydesignedtocutdownsolarheatgains.
P Windowscanbedesignedtoprovideglare-freediffusenaturaldaylightinsidethebuilding.
P Optimizedwindowdesignsreducetheannualenergyconsumptionforlightingandairconditioning.
Window design
Window size and placement
P Thehigherthewindowhead,thedeeperwillbethepenetrationofdaylight.
P Stripwindowsprovidemoreuniformdaylight.
P Bigwindowsshouldnotbeplacedclosetoworkarea,astheymaycause
thermaldiscomfort.
P Viewandlightwindowsshouldbeseparate.
P Window-to-wallratioshouldnotbemorethan60%ofthegrosswallarea.
Glazing
Glassisthemostcommonglazingmaterialused,althoughrecently,
polycarbonatesheetsarebeingusedforskylights.
P Glasswithhigherlighttransmittanceshouldbeselected.
P Refective glazing refects a large portion of solar radiation incident on it and thereby restrict heat gains
fromwindow.
P Thermaltransmittance,orU-value(affectingconductionheatgains),shouldbelower.
Frame
The type and quality of window frame affects a windows air infltration and heat gain/heat loss
characteristics.Themostcommontypesofframingmaterialsusedaremetal,wood,andpolymers.
Shading devices
P External shadingItisthemosteffective,asitcutsoffdirectsunlightduringsummerandallowswinter
sunlighttoenterinsidethespace.
P Internal shading deviceByadjustingtheseproperly,diffusesunlightcanbeallowedtoenter.However,
theydonotkeepsolarheatout.
Light shelf-cum-window shade
Shading projection factors
10
Guideline
Design energy-effcient lighting in all new residential and commercial
buildings and retroft existing lighting systems with effcient ones
Norms and standards to be followed
P The illuminance levels on working plane should confrm to the levels recommended by the NBC (National
BuildingCode),2005.
P Theuniformityratio(minimumilluminancedividedbyaverageilluminancelevels)ofanarea,whichis
entirelybeingutilizedasaworkplace,shouldnotbelessthan0.7,aspertheNBC,2005.
P Lightpowerdensity(W/m
2
) of each space in the building and for the whole building should confrm to
theECBC(EnergyConservationBuildingCode),2007.
P Lightingsystemsintheinteriorspacesofbuildingsandexteriorbuildingfeatures
likefaade,roofs,entrances,exits,ground,andsoonshouldcomplywiththe
provisionsoftheECBC.Someoftheexceptionsareasfollows.
v Displayoraccentlightingusedingalleries,museums,andsoon.
v Lighting specifcally designed for medical or dental procedures.
v Lightingintegraltofoodwarmingandfoodpreparationequipment.
P Daylightcontrolstrategies,aspertheECBC,2007,forperimeterareasshould
beintegratedwithaccesstodaylighting.
P MandatorylightingcontrolsaspertheECBC,2007,shouldbeapplied.
Good lighting tips
P Lampswithhighcolourrenderingindexshouldbeused.
P For offces, semi-direct luminaries are recommended.
P Forcorridorsandstaircases,directtypeofluminaireswithwidespreadoflightdistributionare
recommended.
P For residential buildings, bare fuorescent tubes are recommended.
P TheNBCrecommendsarangeofilluminationlevelsforanactivity,asconditionsmightbedifferentfor
thesameactivityindifferentinteriors.
v Higher value of the range should be used when unusually low refectance or contrasts are present
inthetask,errorsarecostlytorectify,accuracyorhighproductivityisneeded,andvisualworkis
critical.
v Lower value of the range may be used when the refectance or contrast is unusually high, speed
andaccuracyarenotimportant,andthetaskisexecutedonlyoccasionally.
P Lighting in external and common area for existing residential complexes/buildings should be retroft
with effcient fxtures and lighting controls.
P All the spaces should use effcient lighting equipment like lamps, luminaires, and control gears.
P Lightsshouldbedimmedorswitchedoffwhenroomsareunoccupiedorduringdaylithours.
Benefts of effcient lighting
P Improved visibility Energy-effcient lighting design enhances the quality and effciency of lighting.
P Energy saving Byreducingtheconnectedloadofthelightingsystem,energysavingsaremaximized.
Effcient lighting controls reduce energy consumption by avoiding wastage.
P Retroft Retroft options can be used in buildings for saving electricity.
Effcient
lamp and
luminaire
LED lamps
11
Guideline
Design energy-effcient space conditioning in commercial buildings
HVAC(heating,ventilating,andair-conditioning)systemsaccountfor60%80%oftheenergyused
in commercial buildings. An effcient system design has the potential to save 20%30% energy over a
conventionaldesign.
P Spacesthatneedairconditioningshouldbedelineated.Whiledesigningfunctionallayoutofbuildings,
air-conditionedspacesshouldbereduced.Spacesthatarenotfrequentlyoccupied,likecorridors,
atrium,lobbies,toilets,stores,andsoon,maynotbeairconditioned.
P TheinsideandoutsidedesignsofbuildingsshouldbeinaccordancewiththeNationalBuildingCode,
2005.
P Refrigerant used in air conditioners should be free of chlorofuorocarbons.
P All heating and cooling equipment should meet the minimum effciency requirements, as specifed in the
ECBC(EnergyConservationBuildingCode),2007.
P Theminimumfreshairrequiredinamechanicallyventilatedorair-conditionedspacesshouldbeas
recommendedintheNationalBuildingCode,2005.
P PipeworkandductworkinsulationaspertheECBC,2007,tobefollowed.
Towards energy-effcient HVAC systems
P Reduce cooling load by controlling unwanted heat gain Externalheatgainscanbeavoidedby
architecturaldesigns,light-colouredbuildingsurfaces,vegetation,andhighperformanceglazing,while
internal heat gains can be reduced by using effcient HVAC equipment and direct venting of spot heat
sources.Loadreductionsavesenergyand,thus,cost.
P Expand the comfort envelope with reduced radiant heat load, increased air fow, less insulated
furniture, and more appropriate dress Thesehavethepotentialtosave20%30%ofremainingloads.
P Optimizing the delivery system Hugesavingsarepossiblefromreducingthevelocity,pressure,and
frictionlossesinductsandpiping.
P Apply non-vapour compression cooling
techniques Examplesincludenaturalventilation,
ground-coupledcooling,nightskycooling,and
evaporationcooling.Theytypicallyuse20%30%
asmuchenergyperunitcoolingasconventional
coolingequipment.
P Serve the remaining load with high effciency
refrigerate cooling More effcient chillers, pumps,
andfans,multiplexedchillers,lowfrictionduct
layoutandsizing,lowpressuredropsinairhandling
andpipingcomponents,andoveralloptimizationof
theentireHVACsystemwillfurtherhelpinmaking
system more effcient.
P Use of economizers/energy recovery wheel
Economizersaremechanicaldevicesthatreduce
energyconsumptionorperformotheruseful
functions like preheating a fuid. In simple term, an
economizerisaheatexchanger.Itcouldbeair-sideorwater-side.
v Air-side economizer Itcansaveenergyinbuildingsbyusingcooloutsideairforcoolingtheindoor
space.Italsoimprovesindoorairquality.
v Water-side economizer Ituseswatercooledbyawetcoolingtowertocoolbuildings,without
operatingachiller.
P Improve control Throughbetteralgorithms,sensors,signaldelivery,userinterface,simulators,and
other measures. Use of variable frequency drives in fans and pumps can save signifcant amount of
energy.
Chiller system in a central HVAC plant
12
Guideline
UseBEE-labelledequipmentandappliancesinallnewbuildingsand
replace or retroft the existing equipment with BEE-labelled equipment
Labelled appliance
P Energyconsumptionbyproductsmanufacturedbyvariousmanufacturersvaries.
P Often,informationontheenergyconsumptionbyaproductisnoteasilyavailable
or is diffcult to understand.
P Thisgapininformationmayleadtoexcessiveuseofenergy.
P Incaseofconfusion,itisalwaysbettertousealabelledappliance.
P Anapplianceisgenerallyratedbasedonitsperformanceandenergyconsumption.
Advantages of using labelled products
P The energy rating label helps consumers compare energy effciency of domestic
appliancesonafairandequitablebasisandmakeaninformeddecision.
P Manufacturers,inturn,viewitheachothertoimprovetheirproducts.
P Labelledproductsperformbetter.
P Labelled products are generally energy effcient.
P Better performing and energy-effcient appliances with clean technology
haveminimalenvironmentalimpacts.
Star performance
P TheratingofappliancesinIndiaisdonebytheBEE.
P Labelledappliancescarrythesymbolofstars.
P The higher the number of stars, the more effcient the product is.
P Forexample,aBEE3-starrated1.5-tonnewindowAC(airconditioner)wouldconsume2800unitsof
electricity in a year compared to an ineffcient unrated AC of the same size, which would consume
3625unitsinayear.
P An effcient 3-star 1.5-tonne AC would cost about Rs 2100, while an unrated AC of the same size
wouldcostRs1500.Thepricedifferencewouldvanishinalittleoveroneyearduetosavingsinthe
electricitybill.
Effcient installation and usage of room ACs
FollowingpointsshouldbekeptinmindwhileusinganAC.
P WhileinstallinganAC,itshouldbeensuredthattheexterior,orback,isnotexposedtodirectsunlight
andisawayfromheatsourceslikechimney.
P AppliancessuchasTVs,computersorlampsshouldbekeptawayfromtheAC.
P Thetemperature(thermostat)oftheACshouldbesethighertoreduceenergyconsumption.
P Regular maintenance of ACs improves their effciency.
Effcient refrigerators
P The cost of running a refrigerator is several times the initial purchase price. So, more effcient model
shouldbebought.
P Smallermodelswillobviouslyuselessenergythanlargermodels.
P Modelswithtop-orbottom-mountedfreezersuse,onanaverage,12%lessenergythanside-by-side
designs.
P Featureslikethrough-the-doorice,chilledwaterorautomaticice-makersincreasetheenergy
consumption,purchaseprice,andenergyuse.
P A5-starratedrefrigeratordoescostmoreinitiallycomparedto,say,a2-starrefrigerator,butitscost
ofoperationovertheyearsislessduetobetterdesignandinsulation.
BEE star label for appliances
13
Guideline
Solar water heating systems for domestic and commercial buildings
P Solarwaterheatingsystemsshouldbeprovidedforresidential,commercial,andinstitutionalbuildings.
P Thesewaterheatingsystemswillberequiredtomeetaminimumof20%ofwaterheatingneedsonan
annualbasis.
P Insulationonpipelinesshouldbeprovidedaspernorms.
P Toreducewaterwastage,waterrecirculatingpumpsshouldbeprovidedin
high-risebuildings.
Solar water heating: some facts and fgures
P Asolarwaterheaterusestheenergyofthesuntoheatwater,whichisusedfor
variousapplicationslikebathing,washing,cooking,andotherchores.
P Adomesticwaterheaterwithacapacityof100lpd(litresperday)catersto
a family of four or fve members.
P Itcaneasilyreplacea2-kWelectricgeyserandcansaveupto1500unitsof
electricityinayear.
P It recovers its cost in three to fve years, depending on the electricity tariff and hot water used in a year.
P Afterthis,waterisavailablealmostfreeofcostfortheremaininglifespanofthesystem,whichis1520years.
P Thecostofthewaterheaterwithacapacityof100lpdrangesbetweenRs18000andRs25000.
P TheoverallpotentialofsolarwaterheatinginIndiaisestimatedtobe140millionm
2
.Ofthis,about
1millionm
2
ofsolarcollectorareahasbeenrealized.
Components of a solar water heating system
Asolarwaterheatingsystemcomprisesofsolarcollectors,insulatedhotwatertank,back-upsystem,
plumbing (galvanized iron pipes and fttings), and controls and instruments (valves, temperature gauge,
thermostaticcontroller).
Types of solar water heating system
P Thermosiphon-typesolarhotwatersystemforcapacities
ofupto2000lpd.
P Forced fow solar hot water system for capacities higher
than2000lpd.
Guidelines for design, installation, and use
of solar water heating systems
P Solarcollectorshouldfacetruesouthforcollecting
maximumsolarradiation.
P Thetiltofthesolarcollectorshouldbeequaltothelatitudeoftheplace,whichwillensurethe
collectionofmaximumannualenergy.Tiltequalto+15givesmaximumenergycollectioninwinter,
whilethatequalto15givesmaximumenergycollectioninsummer.
P Theload-carryingcapacityoftheroofshouldbecheckedbeforeinstallingthesystem.
Guidelines for system selection and use
P Thehardnessofthewatertobeusedinsolarheatingsystemsshouldbecheckedtoavoidblockageof
smalldiameterpipesofthesolarcollectorduetothedepositionofsalts.
P The location and layout of the heating system should be fnalized at the building design stage, which will
reducecostandheatlossduetolongpipes.
P Good quality pipes and insulation and a continuous supply of water should be ensured for effcient and
trouble-freeoperations.
P Whennotinuse,solarcollectorsshouldbecoveredwithopaquecoverstoavoidtheoverheatingofthe
heatingsystem.
Solar water heater
Schematic diagram explaining the functioning of a SWH
14
Guideline
Performmandatoryenergyauditforexistingcommercialbuildings
withconnectedloadincasesof500kWor600kVA,andreduceenergy
expenditureoverpreviousyear
Benefts of energy audit
P Itindicatesthewaysinwhichdifferentformsofenergyarebeingusedandquantifyenergyuse
accordingtodiscretefunctions.
P Itseekstoprioritizeenergyusesaccordingtothegreatesttoleastcost-effectiveopportunitiesfor
energysavings.
P Ithelpsinachievingreductionintheenergycostsbyproperutilizationoftheexistingequipmentand
systems.
P Itgivesapositiveorientationtotheenergycostreduction,preventivemaintenance,andqualitycontrol
programmes,whicharevitalforproductionandutilityactivities.
P Itleadstoreducedadverseenvironmentalimpacts,astherewillbereductionintheemissionof
greenhousegases.
Auditing energy consumption in a building
Energy demand and consumption in a building can be identifed using following steps.
P Data collection Onannualenergybills,fuelbills,totalbuiltuparea(m2),andairconditioned
area(m
2
).
P Analysis Ofestablishingenergyperformanceindex(kWh/m
2
-year),whichisameasuringtoolto
evaluatetheperformanceofthebuildingintermsofthetotalenergyconsumption(kWh)andthetotal
built-uparea(m
2
) and SEGR (specifc energy generation ratio), which is a measuring tool to evaluate the
performanceofdieselgenerators.
P Observations and recommendations Oncommentsontheenergyperformanceofthebuilding,on
dieselgeneratorperformance,andtariffrate.
P Energy conservation measures ImprovingSEGRofdieselgenerators,analysingthescopeofreducing
the existing operating consumption (kWh) of the building by installing energy-effcient systems.
Auditing electrical system
P Data collection Onthemainsourceofelectricityforthebuildinganditssinglelinediagram.
P Measurement OfbuildingloadfortwodaysandoperatingloadofLTmotors.
P Analysis Ofmotorloading(%),voltage,andpowerfactorattransformer.
P Observation and recommendation Onthepowerfactor,motorloadingpercentage,transformerlosses,
andvoltageimbalanceamongthethreephases.
P Energy conservation measures Maintainingpowerfactorbyinstallingcapacitorbanks,identifying
motorsonthebasisoftheirloadingratesandbalancingloads.
Auditing lighting system
P Data collection Onlightingsource.
P Measurement Ofilluminationlevelandlightingload(kW).
P Analysis Oflightingconsumption(kWh)andlightingpowerdensity(W/m
2
).
P Observation and recommendation Onmaintainedvisualcomfortandmeasuredlightingpowerdensity
(W/m
2
).
P Energy conservation measures Selecting proper fxture and integrating daylighting with artifcial
lightingandusingautomaticlightingcontroldevices.
COMFORT
T
heprimaryfunctionofthebuildingenvelopeistoprotecttheoccupants
ofthebuildingfromtheheatofthesunandrains,andprovideacongenial
environment for work and leisure. To achieve this, it is almost always
essential to provide energy-consuming space-conditioning and lighting
devices. To reduce energy demand, it is necessary that the design
measuresadoptedshouldresultinthereductioninspaceconditioning,lighting,and
service water heating loads. The frst step towards reducing energy demand is to
integrate suitable bio-climatic design principles while designing the macroclimate
andmicroclimateofthesite.Theclimaticdesignvariesfromoneclimatezonetothe
other. India has six climatic zones representing varying climatic conditions, ranging
fromextremecoldconditionsinthecolddesertofLeh,Ladakh,toextremehotand
dryconditionsinRajasthan.Abuildingdesignedforhotclimateshouldhavefeatures
toreducesolargain,likesmallerwindowsize,shadedwalls,minimumexposureto
westandeastdirections,useofexternalwallandroofinsulation,ordesignelements
likesolarchimneys,windtowers,andsoontomaximizeventilation.Hyderabadisin
apredominantlyhotanddryclimate,andhence,water-basedfeaturesalsoaidinthe
coolingofspaces.
16
Guideline
Thermal comfort
Providethermalcomfort(forair-conditionedandnaturallyventilatedspaces)asper
theNationalBuildingCode,2005
Defning the term
ASHRAE defnes thermal comfort in laymans term as the state of mind that expresses satisfaction with the
surroundingenvironment.Moretechnically,itisthatconditionoftheenvironmentunderwhichaperson
canmaintainthebodyheatbalanceatnormalbodytemperature,withoutsweating.Itdependsonvarious
environmentalandphysiologicalfactors,aslistedbelow.
Environmentalfactors
P Drybulbtemperature
P Meanradianttemperature
P Relativehumidity
P Airmovement
Physiologicalfactors
P Metabolicrate
P Clothinglevel
Thermal comfort in buildings
InIndia,accordingtotheNationalBuildingCode,2005,thermalcomfortofapersonliesbetween25C
and30C.Providingthermalcomfortinthisrangetooccupantsisachallengeforbuildingdesigners.Most
buildingsuseair-conditioningsystemstoachievethermalcomfort,whichconsumealotofenergy.The
green and energy-effcient buildings with tangible benefts use passive cooling and natural ventilation to
achievethermalcomfort.Ventilationrequirementcouldbemetthroughnaturalventilation,mechanical
ventilation,andmixedmodeventilation.
Some building design guidelines
Naturalventilation
P Maximizewind-inducedventilationbyorientingthelongerfaadeofthebuildingtowardspredominant
winddirection.
P Buildingsshouldbesitedwhereobstructionsforsummerwindsareminimum.
P Naturally ventilated buildings should have a narrow foor width.
P Inletopeningsshouldbelocatedonthewindwardsideatalowlevel,whileoutletopeningsshouldbe
locatedontheleewardsideatahigherlevel,tomaximizestackeffect.
P Windowopeningsshouldbeoperablebyoccupants.
P To enhance airfow between the rooms, open interior doors should be designed.
P Togetridofthestaleair,clerestories,orventedskylights,canbeused.
Mechanicalventilation
P Ceilingfansareusedforinducingairmotionforcomfort.Tooptimizethepowerconsumptionand
comfort,correctnumberandlocationoffanswithrespecttoroomsizeshouldbedetermined.
P Exhaustfansareusedinkitchens,bathrooms,storestoreplacestaleairwithfreshair.
Mixedmodeventilation
P Mixedmodeinvolvesstrategiescombiningnaturalventilationwithmechanicalventilation.Inthis
approach,buildingscansmoothlyfunctionasair-conditionedbuildingsaswellasnaturallyventilated
buildingswithpassiveconcepts.
Passivecoolingtechniques
P Passivecoolingtechniquesinvolvestrategiesordesignfeaturestoachievecomfortwithminimumorno
usageofpower.Wind-inducedventilation,passivedowndraughtcooling,evaporativecooling,andearth
airtunnelscanbeusedtocoolbuildings.
Exhaust of hot and stale air for better thermal comfort
17
Guideline
Visual comfort through daylight
Glare-freedaylightintegrationinbuildingsthroughproperplanningofwindows,with
respecttoposition,area,andshape,toachievedaylightfactorasrecommendedbyBIS.
Advantages of daylight
P In a typical air-conditioned building, artifcial lights account for approximately
30%ofthetotalelectricitydemand.Thisdemandcanbereducedconsiderablyby
integratingnaturaldaylightduringthedaytime.
P Workingindaylightwillbeeasyoneyesandwillincreaseproductivity.
Followingfactorshelpinaccomplishingdaylightinginabuilding.
Room characteristics
P Roomsfacingnorthreceivefairlyconstant,indirectdaylightandroomsfacingsouthreceivebright,
directsunlightalltheyear.So,aroomshouldbeconstructedinsuchawaythatitisilluminatedbyboth
directandindirectsunlight.
P Roomswithwindowsontwosidesgetmaximumdaylight.
P Forgoodlightpenetration,thedepthofroomsadjacenttothedaylightsourceshouldbekeptrelatively
small.
P The internal and external fnish of a building should be light in colour, as light-coloured surfaces refect
morelight.
Window design
P Thehigherthewindowhead,thedeeperwillbethepenetrationofdaylight.
P Stripwindowsprovidemoreuniformdaylight.
P Bigwindowsclosetotaskareasshouldbeavoided,astheymayheatupthe
place.
P Separateaperturesforviewanddaylightshouldbeused.
Glazing type
P Singleglazinggivesthebestdaylight,whiledoubleglazinggives20%lesssunlight.
P Tintedglazinghaslowvisibility,thusitcutsoutdaylight.
P Anidealspectrallyselectiveglazingadmitsonlythatpartofthesunsenergy
thatisusefulfordaylighting.
P Agoodglazingfordaylightingwitharelativelyhighvisible
transmittancewillappeartransparentfromoutside.
Shading devices
P Externalmovingshadingdeviceisthemosteffective,asitcutsoff
directsunlightduringsummer.
P Withproperadjustment,aninternalshadingdeviceallowsindirect
sunlighttoenterinside.However,itisnotpreferred,asitdoesnot
keepsolarheatout.
Innovative daylighting system
P Light shelves protect occupants from direct sunlight in summers and allow suffcient light in winter.
P Fixedandmovablelouversarepreferredoptionsforintegrationofdiffusedaylight.
P Skylightaddsnaturallightingtodull,dark,anddeeprooms.
P Lightpipestransportdaylightthroughthickroofstructuresandattics.
Day lighted zone
External shades help cut
direct sunlight, reduce glare
and heat gain
Light pipes should be used
for better interior daylighting
18
Guideline
Use of low VOC paints/adhesives/sealants
Use internal fnishes with zero or low VOC (volatile organic compound) content, less
than the defned limits
Adverse impacts of VOCs
Building materials such as paints, sealants, and adhesives are used as fnishing agents for the exterior and
interiorsurfaces.However,theyleadtopoorairqualityandcanhaveadverseimpactsonthehealthof
theoccupantsandcanalsobeodorous.Awidevarietyofvolatilesarereleasedbybothsolvent-basedand
water-basedpaintsthroughoxidation.Sealantsandadhesivescontaintoxicchemicalsthatarereleased
duringconstructionandoccupancy.
Effectsontheenvironment
P VOCsaredividedintomethaneandnon-methanecompounds.
Methaneisapotentgreenhousegasandcontributestoglobal
warming.Thisdoesnotmeanthatnon-methanecompoundsare
safe.Eventheyareharmfulpollutants,astheyprolongthelifeof
methaneintheatmosphere.
P SomeVOCsreactwithnitrogenoxidesintheairinthepresenceof
sunlighttoformozone.Higherozoneconcentrationatgroundlevel
causesdamagetocropsandbuildings,andotherhealthhazards.
P VOCsareresponsiblefordeterioratingairqualityinsideabuilding,
causingsickbuildingsyndrome.
P VOCsalsoresultinfoulodour.
Effectsonhealth
VOCs,especiallyformaldehydesandurethanes,containedwithinthebuildingmaterialscanbeinjuriousto
health.Theycancauseconjunctivalirritation,noseandthroatdiscomfort,headache,allergicskinreaction,
andsoon.
Guidelines on using paints/adhesives/sealants
P Water-basedacrylics,ratherthansolvent-basedoilpaints,shouldbeused.
P Allsealantsandadhesivesusedshouldbewaterbasedratherthansolventbasedorshouldhavelow
solventcontent.
P Mostconstructionadhesivesshouldbecharacterizedbyadequatebondstrengthsinwater.
P Acrylics,silicones,andsiliconizedacrylicsarethesafestsealantstouseintheinteriorsandhavethe
lowestsolventcontent.
P Solvent-basedproductssuchasurethanesandbutylsshouldpreferablynotbeusedindoors.
P AdhesivesusuallyhavehighVOCemissionpotential.Hence,adhesivessuchasacrylicsorphenolicresins
shouldbeused,whichhavelowornoVOCemission.Phenolformaldehydecanalsobeusedindoors.
P It should be ensured that composite wood products/agri-fbre products do not contain any added urea
formaldehyderesin.
Low-VOC paints
19
Guideline
Outdoor and indoor noise levels
P Outdoorandindoornoiselevelsshouldbemaintainedasrecommendedbythe
NationalBuildingCode,2005.
P Appropriatenoisecontrolmeasuresshouldbetakenforensuringacceptable
outdoorandindoornoiselevelssoastoenhancecomfort.
P Ambientstandardsofnoisefordifferenttypesofestablishmentsshouldbeadhered
to.Forexample,daytimelimitfornoiseinaresidentialarea,anindustrialarea,
andasilencezone(likehospitals,educationalinstitutions,andsoon)is55dB,75
dB,and50dB,respectively.
Guidelines to attenuate noise
Variousmeasurescanbeadoptedindoorsandoutdoorstocontrolnoiselevels.
Outdoor
P Zoning Townplanningauthoritiescanundertakezoningof
differentareasinacity,takingintoaccount,besidesother
aspects,noiselevelsindifferentzonesandestablishments.
Somebuildingsandestablishmentsareparticularly
vulnerabletonoise,likerecordingandradiostudios,
hospitals,andresearchlaboratories.
P Green belts and landscaping Thickbeltsofplantingareof
particularimportanceincombatingnoisepollution.Strong
leafytreesshouldbeplanted.Shrubsorcreepersmay
alsobeplantedalongwithtrees.Hardpavingshouldbe
avoided,andplantationshouldbegrowntoeffectivelycut-offnoise.
P Highway noise barriers Barriersareoftenthemosteffective
means of reducing traffc noise around residential areas. These barriers can be in the form of free-
standing walls, artifcial mounds, and so on. Even multi-storeyed dwellings and garages block noise.
Indoor
P Internal planningAbuildingshouldbedesignedand
orientedinsuchawaysoastoreducenoise.The
non-criticalareas,suchascorridors,elevators,and
bathrooms,shouldbelocatedonthenoisyside,and
thecriticalareasshouldbelocatedonthequietside.
P Windows and doors Windowsanddoorsshouldbebuilt
insuchawaythattheyfaceawayfromthenoisyside.
Windowsofnoisyandquietroomsshouldnotopen
onthesameside.Forcriticalquietspaces,insulated
glazingunitsshouldbeused.Reductionofinsulation
duetodooropeningbetweenroomsandcorridors
shouldbeborneinmind.
P Walls and partitions Wallsofappropriatethickness
reducethetransmissionofnoisethroughthem.
P Sound absorbents Sound-absorbingmaterialscanalsobeutilizedtoreducethebuilt-uporair-bornenoise
atthesource.
Dense vegetation helps reduce noise levels
Use of noise barriers
20
Guideline
Indoor air quality
P Inair-conditionedspaces,freshairrequirementaspertheNBC(NationalBuildingCode),2005,shallbe
achieved.
vFreshairsupplymaintainsnon-odorousatmosphereanddilutestheCO
2
exhaled.
vThisquantityisusuallyquotedperpersonandisrelatedtotheoccupantdensityandactivitywithin
thespace.
vThequantityanddistributionofintroducedfreshairshouldtakeintoaccountthenatural
infltration of the building.
vTheproportionoffreshairintroducedintoabuildingmaybevariedforeconomicaloperations.
P Innon-air-conditionedspaces,minimumairchangesperhour,asrecommendedbytheNBC,shouldbe
achieved.
vFreshairisrequiredforthermalcomfort,toprovideoxygen,andtomaintainCO
2
concentration.
Advantages of maintaining good air quality
P Maintainingairqualityinabuildingensuresthatthebuildingdoesnotsufferfromsickbuilding
syndrome,whichisrelatedtopoorindoorairquality.
P Enoughfreshairinthebuildingleadstogoodhealthofoccupants,whichincreasestheirproductivity.
Towards ensuring good air quality
P Theventilationandairconditioningsysteminstalledinabuildingshouldcleanandconditiontheair.
P Enoughfreshairshouldbeintroducedtoremovetotallyordilutetheodour,fumes,andsoon.
P Localextractsystemshouldbeusedtoremovecontaminantsorsmellwhenairisrecirculated.
P Airinletsandextractstothesystemshouldbepositionedcarefully.Inletsshouldnotbeplacednearany
fue outlet, kitchen, extraction outlet, and so on. Inlet openings should be placed at high levels to get
asmuchcleanairaspossible.
P Particulate matter should be removed from air by using an effcient air fltration system. Air intake
locationsshouldbeplacedproperly.
P Fumesandsmellmayberemovedfromtheairbyphysicalorchemicalprocesses.
P Tobaccoandsmokecanbecontrolledbyputtinghealthstrategiesinplace,suchasprohibitingsmoking
inindoorareasorprovidingdesignatedsmokingzoneswithseparateventilationsystems.
Indoor plants used to
improve indoor air quality
Picture sources:
http://www.buyfower.com.sg/main/images/BF0547E_Tall_Fortune.jpg
http://www.evergrowing.com/tips/images/arecapalm.jpg
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/zippy_1020274113_63.jpg
WATER
W
ater is one of the basic requirements of any habitat. Hyderabad is
endowed with a number of natural and artifcial lakes and tanks.
So, ideally, the state should be able to meet the increasing water
demandtoagreatextent.However,thesituationisjusttheopposite.
Thestateisfacingseverewatercrisisduetoincreasingdemandasa
resultofrapidlyincreasingpopulationandchanginglifestyles.Theexistinglakesand
tanks are not able to provide suffcient water, as encroachments into lake beds and
catchmentareashavereducedtheirstoragecapacity.
To add to this problem of water scarcity, the water supply system has many
drawbacks: the hours of water supply are limited; network coverage is partial and
thereareveryfewpipedconnections;percapitawatersupplyisaslowas90lpcd
(litres per capita per day); meters are not functional; and water loss is very high.
Adoptingwaterconservationpractices,increasingawarenessonwaterconservation
amongstcitydwellers,usingrainwaterharvestingsystem,recyclingwater,andensuring
proper maintenance for removing leakages would eventually lead to a reduction in
water demand. By using low-fow fxtures and adopting xeriscaping, water demand in
buildingscanbereducedbyupto40%.Rainwaterharvestingcanreducethedemand
forpotabledrinkingwaterbyalmost80%.
Inordertoimplementsuchpotentialwaterconservationmeasures,water-related
EBRGshavebeendevelopedaspertheframeworkdescribedbelow.
P Reducing water demand in new buildings by reducing wastage and increasing
effciency internally and externally by adopting suitable design and ensuring
optimaloperation.
P Reducing water demand in existing buildings by encouraging retroftting.
P Ensuring high standards of drinking water quality by recommending appropriate
watertreatmentsystems.
P Suggesting alternative supply through rainwater harvesting and waste water
recycling(theseguidelinesareundersewageandstormwatersections).
22
Guideline
Water conserving fttings
Theconsumptionofpotablewaterinallnewbuildingshastobe
reducedbyadoptingfollowingmeasures.
P Atleast25%reductioninwaterconsumptionshouldbe
achievedfromallsources,includingborewell,byusingwater-
effcient fttings, as calculated using the water consumption
calculator.
P Uniformpressure,restrictedto2530mhead,or200kPA,
shouldbemaintainedbyusingthefollowing.
v Separate distribution downtakes for each set of foors.
v Orifce fanges or pressure reducing valves.
Benefts
P Water saving fttings can save up to 40% of potable water in a typical four-member
household.
P Savings with individual fttings can be as indicated below.
v An old style single-fush toilet could use up to 12 litres of water per fush, while a
standard dual-fush toilet uses just a quarter of this on a half-fush.
v Use of electronic fushing system or magic eye sensor can further reduce the fow
of water to 0.4 litre per fush, and waterless urinals use no water.
vAstandardshowerheadmayuseupto25litresofwaterperminute,whereas
water-effcient showerhead might use as little as 7 litres of water per minute,
whichislessthanathirdofthatconsumedbystandardshowerhead.
v Showers with fow regulators or aerators can save up to 55% of water used
forshowers.
v Aerators can result in fow rates as low as 2 litres per minute, which is adequate
forhandwettingpurpose.
v Taps with fow regulators, IR sensors or aerators can save up to 63% of water used for washing.
v A water-effcient washing machine may use only one-third of the water used by an ineffcient
model.
Water consumption calculator
Thecalculatorcanbeusedtocalculatethefollowing.
P Water saving potential of effcient fttings
P Watersavingpotentialofnativespeciesandmicroirrigationsystems
P Watersavingpotentialofgreywaterorwastewatertreatmentandreuse
P Choosinggreywaterandwastewater
systemsbasedontreatedwater
usage
P Watersavingpotentialofrainwater
collectionandreuse
P Tanksizingforrainwatercollection
tank
Water fow from
conventional showerheads
could be 3 times higher
than that of a water
effcient showerhead
Various types of water
conserving fttings
An illustration of the various areas of
water conservation in a house
23
Water quality testing
P WatercanbetestedinlaboratoriestocheckforpH,conductivity,hardness,andsoonbyusing
sophisticatedinstrumentslikespectrophotometers,chromatographs,andsoon.
P Apartfromtheselaboratorytests,testkitsarealsoavailableinthemarket,whichcanbeused
anywhere in the feld.
P OnlywhentheTDS(totaldissolvedsolid)levelsinwatercrossthemarkof500mg/l,makingthewater
tastebrackishorkhaara should you use an RO water purifer.
Guideline
Choose water fltration system based on the
quality of the water from a source
P Water purifcation and fltration systems to achieve required drinking
waterqualityhavetobechosenbasedonthequalityofsupplywater.
P Ifgroundwaterisusedfordrinking,waterqualitytestinghastobe
conducted. The water purifcation system will have to be designed
based on the requirements of the specifc site.
Importance of choosing the right water
purifcation system
Maintainingthequalityofdrinkingwaterhelpstoensuresafedrinkingwaterto
theconsumer,andforthis,bothmunicipalandgroundwaterhavetobetreated.
Municipal water
P Requirestreatmentonlyforbiologicalcontaminationtoensuresafety.
P As simpler and cheaper treatment systems are suffcient to treat biological contamination, advance
treatmentsystemssuchasRO(reverseosmosis)andionexchangesystemsarenotonlyunnecessaryfor
treatingmunicipalwaterbutalsoexpensivetoinstallandmaintain.
Groundwater
P IfgroundwaterinHyderabadisusedfordrinkingwithoutpropertreatment,itcouldleadtohealthrisks,
asshowninthedetailedguideline(availableonthewebsite).
P Hence,advancesystemssuchasROandionexchangesystemshavetobeinstalledtoensuresafe
drinkingwater.
P However,thesetreatmentsystemsshouldbeusedtotreatthequantityofwaterrequiredfordrinking
andcookingpurposesonly,inordertoreducewastage.
Principles of water purifcation
P Sedimentation Aprocesswherebysuspendedmatterinwatersettles
down,whichcanbeseparatedbystraining.
P Filtration The water is passed through the beds of fne granular materials
suchassand.Filtrationhelpsinremovingcolour,odour,turbidity,and
pathogenicbacteria.
P Disinfection Thetreatmentdestroysharmfulbacteriaandprotozoaby
eitherkillingthemormakingtheminactive.Commonmethodsusedare
boiling,chlorination,ozonation,solardisinfection,andsoon.
P Demineralization Ion exchange, deionization, activated carbon fltration,
RO,andothertreatmentprocessesareemployedfordemineralization.
Ensure water meets
drinking water standards
before use
Water supplied by the utility is also
prone to biological contamination
24
Guideline
Landscape water conservation
P Ifgreywaterrecyclingorwastewatertreatmentis
undertakenonthesite,thetotallandscapewater
requirementperdayshouldnotexceedthetotalamount
oftreatedwateravailableperday.
P Ifnogreywaterorwastewatertreatmentisundertaken
onthesite,thetotallandscapewaterrequirementper
annumshouldnotexceedthetotalamountofrainwater
collectedperannum.
P Ifnogreywaterorwastewatertreatmentorrainwater
collectionisundertakenon-site,followingshouldbekept
inmind.
vNomorethan25%ofthetotalvegetatedareashouldbecoveredbylawnsandexoticor
ornamentalplantsthatrequiremorewaterandhighmaintenance.
vAtleast50%ofthetotallandscapedareainthesiteshouldusewaterconservingvegetationusing
nativespecies.
v Effcient irrigation management techniques should be used to achieve 40% water savings in all
siteswithvegetatedarea>50m
2
.
(Alltheaboveascalculatedusingthelandscapewatercalculator)
Benefcial aspects
P Judicious and effcient irrigation practices (like using drip irrigations and sprinkler methods) and
appropriateplantingcanreducetheuseofirrigationwaterby50%70%.
P Plantingnativespeciesandxeriscapevegetationensuresminimalmaintenanceandreducedwater
requirement,promotesecologicalbalance,andenhanceswaterquality.
Towards ideal landscaping
P Reducing water demand Waterdemandinalandscapecanbereducedbyplantingnativeandlow
waterconsumingplants.Thisiscalledxeriscape.
P Xeriscape design Xeriscapelandscapingincorporatessevenbasicprinciples,whichhelpinwater
savingandconservation.
vPlanning and design Agooddesignshouldbeconsideredkeepingexistingstructures,
plants,budget,waterrequirement,andotherfactorsinmind.
vSoil analysis and preparation Beforeundertakingplanting,soiloftheareashouldbe
analysed.Organicmattershouldbeadded,ifrequired.
vAppropriate plant selection Nativeanddrought-tolerantplantsthrivethebestinany
givenlandscape.Growthrateandsizeoftheplants,andlight,water,andtemperature
needsshouldalsobeconsideredwhendesigningthelandscape.
vMulching Alayerofnon-livingmatter,ormulch,onthe
soilconserveswater,reducesweedpopulation,prevents
soilcompaction,andkeepssoiltemperaturemoderate.
vWatering Thegreatestwasteofwaterisapplying
toomuchtoooften.Thekeyto
wateringlawnsistoapplywater
infrequently,yetthoroughly.
vEffcient irrigation system A
combinationofdripandsprinkler
irrigationmethodsshould
beusedforwateringplantsina
landscape.
Sprinkler irrigation
Xeriscape, native vegetation and effective
irrigation keys to water conservation in
landscape
25
Guideline
Water audit for existing buildings
P Allbuildings/layoutwithwaterconsumption>10millionlitresperyearshould
v undertake water audit by a certifed water auditor and
vshowawatersavingofatleast30%,whencomparedtowater
consumption identifed in the audit or when compared to the NBC
standards,whicheverislower.
P Awaterauditreportmustbroadlycontainthefollowingaspects.
vAmountofmunicipalwateravailableandtotalwaterutilized,including
thatfromothersources.
v Water losses and effciency of the system along with reasons for losses.
v Measures to check water losses and improve effciency.
vWatersavingpotentialthroughrainwatercollectionandreuse.
vAnalysisofphysicalandeconomicfeasibilityofintroducingarainwaterharvestingsystem.
vWatersavingpotentialthroughwastewater/greywaterrecyclingandreuse.
vPhysicalandeconomicfeasibilityofintroducinggreywater/wastewaterrecyclingsystem.
P Allexistingbuildingscancalculatetheirwaterconsumptionandwatersavingpotentialthrough
effcient fttings, rainwater harvesting, and grey water recycling using a water calculation tool.
Overview of water audit
Waterauditisanimportantinitiativetowardunderstandingabuildingswateruseandhowit
canbereduced.
P Itreviewswaterusefromitspointofentryintothebuildingthroughitsdischargeinto
thesewer.
P It identifes each point of water use within and around the building and estimates the
quantityofwaterusedateachoftheseareas.
P Itexaminesallthemajoraspectsinwhichabuildinguseswater,includingsanitation,
maintenance,mechanicalsystems,buildingprocesses,andlandscaping.
Advantages of water auditing
Waterauditistheassessmentofthequantityofwaterandinvolvescalculatingwateruse,identifying
losses,andassessingmethodsforsavingwater.Conductingwaterauditleadstobothtangibleaswell
as non-tangible benefts, as listed below
P Improvestheknowledgeanddocumentationofthedistributionsystemandalsotheproblemsand
risksassociatedwithit.
P Providesabetterunderstandingofwhatishappeningtothewaterafteritleavesthe
sourcepoint.
P Gives a detailed profle of the distribution system and water users, thereby
facilitatingeasierandeffectivemanagementofresources,withimprovedreliability.
P Helpsintherealisticunderstandingandassessmentofthepresentperformancelevel
and effciency of the service.
P Savesmoneybyreducingwaterbillsorsewerbills.
P Helpsreducewaterusagebyabout30%byimplementingsimpleconservationmeasures.
Typical division of water use for
various activities in a building
Every drop of water
saved is money
saved
STORM WATER
S
torm water management, though an intrinsic component of the urban
environmental management, is generally neglected in India. Storm water
management in Hyderabad involves both natural and man-made drains
and waterbodies. The entire surface run-off fnally fnds its way into the
River Musi and many surrounding lakes. Storm water drains in Hyderabad
areconstructedandmaintainedbythemunicipalcorporationandotherurbanlocal
bodies.Normally,stormwatermanagementiscarriedoutonlywhenthereisaneed.
Although fresh water resources are scarce in Hyderabad, it witnesses heavy foods
duringmonsoons.TheprecipitationdischargesysteminHyderabadispoor,covering
only30%ofthearea.Theexistingsystemisunabletocarrythetotalprecipitationto
dischargepoints,asitisdesignedonlyfor12mm/hourrainfallasagainstanaverage
of23mm/hourofrainfallandapeakrainfallof52mm/hourthatthestatereceives.
Thenaturaldrainagehasbeenaffectedduetovariousreasons,leadingtofrequent
fooding of low-lying areas. The natural water courses have been illegally encroached
upon. Land use planning is not concomitant with natural drainage patterns, which
hasledtotheillegalencroachmentoflakes.Therearenoregulationsthatmandate
stormwatermanagementonsite.Also,increasedimperviousandconcreteareashave
resulted in an increase in run-off, leading to fooding and, thus, unhygienic environs.
Haphazarddevelopmentisalsoresponsibleforthestormwaterdrainageproblems
in the city, thus necessitating integrating management measures into the existent
practices. The various measures for managing the storm water run-off are listed
below.
P Naturaldrainageandchannelmanagement
P Catchmentareamanagement
P Stormwaterrun-offreductionon-site
P Groundwaterrecharge
A broad framework for developing the guideline on implementation measures has
beendrafted,asoutlinedbelow.
P Adherencetositecontours
P Planning specifcally to reduce the impact of storm water on lake
catchments
P On-sitesustainableurbandrainagesystems
P Rainwaterharvesting
Thus,theEBRGsforsustainablestormwaterdrainage
have been developed to guide the stakeholders
towardsimproveddrainagemanagement.
28
P Thestormwaterrun-offwillnotencounteranyobstruction
and will fow directly into the lake, drastically reducing water-
logging and fash foods during monsoons in the low-lying areas.
P Adheringtonormsrecommendingdevelopmentonlytilla
certaindistanceoflakewillhelpinrevivinglakes.
P Waterscarcityproblemscanbeaddressedbyrevivinglakes.
P Habitat for the natural fora and fauna of the region will be
restored.
Guideline
Adherence to natural site contours and lake
catchment area conservation
Thisisapplicabletoprojectshavingthefollowingsitedevelopment
features.
P Siteswithareaequaltoorgreaterthan500m
2
forcommercial,
institutionalorresidentialdevelopment.
P Siteslessthan500m
2
fordevelopingasingleresidentialunit,
involving100m
2
ormoreofgrossareaofdisturbance.
P Sitedisturbanceincludesdisturbanceforbuildingaswellaslandscaping.
Followingregulationsshallbeapplicableinsuchareas.
P Nodisturbance,gradingoflandorstrippingofvegetationshallbepermittedonslopesof25%orsteeper.
Anyproposeddisturbanceforroadwaycrossingsorutilityconstructionshallrequirevarianceapplication
andapproval.Roadsanddrivewaysshallfollowthenaturaltopographytothegreatestextentpossible
tominimizethecuttingandgradingofcriticalslopeareas.
P Themaximumdisturbanceallowedinslopeareasbetween20.0%and24.9%shallbe10%;inslopeareas
between15.0%and19.9%,20%;andinslopeareasbetween0and14.9%,25%.
P Site design and grading on slopes greater than 15% shall preserve signifcant natural topographic
featurestothegreatestextentpossible,includingridgelines.
P ExceptincaseswherepermissionissoughtfromurbanforestrydepartmentsoftheHMDA/GHMC,no
treeswithadiameteratbreastheightof10inchesormoreshallberemovedfromtheareawithslopes
greaterthan15%.
Deterioration of lakes
LakesinHyderabadareinadecrepitstatebecauseofthefollowingconstruction-inducedreasons.
P Human settlements, infrastructure development, encroachment, and effuent release have caused
degradationoflakes.
P Constructionactivityincreasestheimperviousness,which,inturn,increasesrun-off,thusleadingto
fash foods/waterlogging.
P Interferencewiththenaturaldrainagepatternofstormwaterleadstowaterloggingduringtheshort
spellsofraininthecatchmentneighbourhoods.
P Flowofsiltfromstoredconstructionmaterialsandquarryingrocksinthecatchmentareasreducesthe
water-holding capacity and infltration rate of the lakes.
Benefts of preserving lakes
Priortocommissioninganyconstructionproject,thesiteanditscontours,inthecontextofthelocal
catchmentarea,needtobeunderstood.Thedesignofthestructureshouldbeinharmonywiththenatural
topography,sothattherearenomajorchangesinthedrainagepattern.Thisconsiderationwillreapthe
following benefts.
Lakes are fed by drainage contours
in their catchments
Lakes - the regional storm water management instruments of Hyderabad are being encroached upon
29
Guideline
Integrated implementation of sustainable urban
drainage systems, or SUDS
P Sustainableurbandrainagesystems,orSUDS,withanintegrated
approachshallbeimplementedtomanagestormwateron-siteto
achieve40%reductioninvolumegeneratedafterconstruction
development.
P Siteswithareaslessthan10000m
2
shallimplementrainwater
harvesting and infltration techniques, while larger sites (with area
greaterthat10000m
2
)shallimplementotherSUDStechniquesin
combinationwithsmallertechniques.
P Opensites,whereconstructiondevelopmenthasnotbeen
planned,shallalsoimplementSUDS/stormwaterdrainage.
Advantages of SUDS
P SUDSmanagestormwaterrun-offon-siteeffectivelybyreducingthe
impactsofurbanizationondrainagepatternsandinfrastructure.
P SUDSenhancerun-offwaterqualitybyreducingpollutantconcentrationinthestormwateratthesource.
P SUDSleadtogroundwaterrechargeandenhancethesiteaesthetics.Theyalsoreducetheproblemsthat
ariseduetothestorageofstagnantwater.
An overview of SUDS
SUDS include water quantity, water quality, and amenity aspects to achieve effcient storm water
managementatthesourceofgeneration,thatis,on-site.TheaimofSUDSistoreplicate,ascloselyas
possible,thenaturaldrainagemechanismofasite.
P Planning and design Itrequiresmultidisciplinaryapproachinvolvingconsiderationsofmanyfactorslike
landscaping and planning, ecology, groundwater, topography, geological profle, local climate, and so on.
P Source control and prevention techniques Thesetechniquesare
usedtocounterincreaseddischargefromdevelopedsitesand
reducethevolumeofwaterdischargeddirectlytoariver.
P Pavements Permeablepavementusinggravel,grasspavers,
grasscreteorconcreteblocksisanalternativetoconventional
pavinginwhichwaterpermeatesinsteadofdrainingoff.
P Green roofs Greenroofsreducethewaterrunningofftheroof.
Greenroofsbuiltwiththemostappropriatebaseandvegetation
havethepotentialtoabsorb15%90%ofroofrun-off.
P Rainwater harvesting Rainwatercanbestoredandreused,which,
inturn,reducesthesitestormwaterrun-offvolumeandrate.
P Infltration devices These comprise infltration trenches and infltration basins, which store storm
water run-off until it gradually infltrates through the soil.
P Permeable conveyance systems Thesetransportrun-offwaterslowlytowardsareceivingwatercourse,
allowing storage, fltration, and some loss of run-off.
P Passive treatment systems These use natural processes like flter strips, detention ponds, retention
ponds,andwetlandstoremoveandbreakdownpollutantspresentinsurfacewaterrun-off.
Constraints
P IntegratedSUDSrequiremorespacethanconventionaldrainagesystemstooperateeffectively.
P Infltration devices may not work effciently where
vsoilisnotpermeable,
vwatertableisshallow,and
vthereislandcontamination.
Filter strips and
retention ponds
work well in specifc
locations
Green roofs are instruments of SUDS
and indoor thermal comfort
30
Guideline
Permeable paving and heat island
P Thetotalpavedareaofthesiteunderparking,roads,paths
oranyotheruseshouldnotexceed25%ofsiteareaornet
imperviousnessoftheunbuiltareasinthesiteshouldnotgo
beyondtheimperviousnessfactorasprescribedbytheNational
BuildingCodeofIndia,2005,whicheverismorestringent.
P Atleast50%ofthepavedareashouldbeprovidedwithpervious
pavingorshouldbeplantedwithvegetation.
P Toreduceurbanheatislandeffect,atleast50%ofthepaved
area,includingparking,shouldbeshadedbyavegetatedroof
orpergolawithplantersorcoatedwithwhitecementorwhite
paint.
Disadvantages of hard paving
P Hard paving decreases infltration of water during rains, increasing
stormwaterrun-offandcausingwaterlogginginlow-lyingareas.
P Hardpavedsurfacesaregenerallycoatedwithasphaltandconcrete,whichabsorbsolarradiationand
raisethetemperatureofthesurroundings.Thisleadstoheat-islandsinbuilt-upareas,increasingthe
useofairconditionersandpowerconsumptioningeneral.
Alternatives
P Hardpavingcanbereplacedwithporousorpermeablepaving,whichallowsaportionofstormwater
to infltrate through void surfaces, reducing the run-off volumes.
P Alternatively,grasspavingcanbeused,whichprovidesgreeneryandreducestheambient
temperatureofthesurroundings.Thiswouldpreventthedevelopmentofheatislandeffecton-site,
indirectlyreducingtheconsumptionofenergy.
P Permeablepavingandgrasspavingcanbecombinedwithplantingtreesandshrubsinthevicinity,
whichwillfurthercooltheenvironmentandhelpingroundwaterrecharge.
Points to keep in mind while constructing permeable/grass pavements
P Permeablepavementconstructionshouldbepreferablyexecutedattheendofalltheon-site
constructionworkstopreventcloggingfromconstructionwaste/run-off.
P Adequate infltration with temporary sub-surface storage for the storm water should be provided.
P Construction techniques that would minimize the compaction of subsoil so that water fows through it
easilyshouldbeapplied.
P Cloggingagentslikesediments,oils,andgreasesshouldbepreventedfromreaching
thepermeablepavementsurface.
P Deep-rootedgrassspeciesshouldbeusedingrasspaving.
P Permeable pavement is not suited for high-traffc areas. Similarly, grass pavers are
notsuitableforeveryday,alldayparkingbecausethegrasswillget
insuffcient sunlight.
Maintenance measures
P Postsignsidentifyingporous/permeablepavement
areas.
P Cleanthesurfaceregularly,preferablyusingvacuum
sweepingmachines.
P Inspectthesurfacefrequentlyforanydeteriorationof
permeability.
P Grasspaversmayrequireperiodicreseeding.
Typical section showing layers of a
grass paving course
Various options of
permeable paving
31
Guideline
Rainwater harvesting for recharge and reuse
Rooftop rainwater
P Allnewbuildingswithapotentialtosave10%ormore(tobecalculated
usingthewaterconsumptioncalculator)oftheirpotablewaterdemand
throughrainwatercollectionandreusehavetoconstructarainwater
collectionsystem.
P Therainwaterharvestingsystemforcollectionandreuseshouldbe
constructed with adequate collection, fltration, storage, and disinfection
systemsinplace.Refertodetailedguidelineavailableonthewebsite.
Un-built or open site area run-off
P Ifthesavingpotentialislessthan10%,therooftoprainwatercollectedshouldbedivertedinto
apercolationpit.Rainwatercollectedintheopenunbuiltsiteareashouldalsobedivertedtoa
percolationpit.
P Percolationpitshouldbeofappropriatedimensionsandlayeredaspertheguidancenotesprovided
inthedetailedguideline.
P Percolationpitsshouldbemaintainedinordertoensurethattheirpercolationcapacitiesdonotdiminish.
Benefts of rainwater harvesting
P 68400litresofrainwatercanbecollectedfromaroofareaof1000squarefeetperannumin
Hyderabad.Thiscancoverthewaterrequirementsofafour-memberhouseholdfor90daysina
year,reducingthedependenceonmunicipalwaterbyasmuchas25%.
P Itisacheapsourceofwater,asthewaterispracticallyfree.Theonlycosts
involvedarethoseofconstructingandmaintainingcollectionsystem.
P Thewaterhaszerohardness,whichhelpspreventscaleonappliances,
extendingtheiruse.Watersoftenerscan,hence,beavoided.Itisalsoa
superiorsourceforlandscaping.
P Rainwaterissodium-free,thusgoodforpeopleonalow-sodiumdiet.
Rainwaterpercolatingintothegroundthroughpercolationpitshasbeen
knowntoimprovegroundwaterlevels.
P Thisincreaseinlevellessenstheenergyrequiredforpumpingandalsohelps
rechargefreshwaterlakes.
P Rainwater harvesting reduces the volume of storm water fowing on to roads and nallahs,
thus reducing the fooding of the city during monsoons. This will also lessen road and soil
erosionandwaterpollution,thusimprovingthequalityoftheenvironmenttoagreat
extentduringmonsoons.
From where to harvest rain
P Rooftops Buildingswithimperviousroofsaregoodcollection
points. Any roofng can be used for collecting rainwater for non-
drinkingpurpose.Forpotablewater,metal,clay,andcementroofs
shouldbeused.Leadandasbestosshouldnotbeused.
P Storm water run-off Rainwater generally fows as run-off into
riversandseas.Thiswatercanbecollectedintoacatchmentarea
byconstructingproperchannels.
A typical rainwater collection tank fed
from the roof
A rainwater harvesting pit
being installed
A RWH pit recharging the aquifer from
a multi-storied building
SEWAGE
A
n effcient sewerage system is often an indicator of the good hygiene
in an urban centre. Indian cities, in general, are characterized by an
improper and ineffcient sewerage system, and Hyderabad is no exception
to this. The existing sewerage system for the twin cities of Hyderabad
and Secunderabad was designed to serve an area of about 54 km2 and
a population of only about 468 000. The implementing authorities are focusing on
increasingthetreatmentcapacityoftheexistingseweragesystembybringingmore
and more area under its ambit. Currently, a very small percentage of the sewage
generated by the cities is reaching the STPs (sewage treatment plants). Since the
sewagetreatmentfacilitiesatpresentareinadequate,alargequantityofuntreated
sewageisdischargedintowaterbodies.Often,sewagedrainsalsocarrystormwater
along with sewage, thereby, getting fooded.
Various measures can be taken up to manage the problem of sewage generation
andtreatment.CentralizedSTPscanbemaintainedandmonitoredbetterandhave
theadvantageofeconomiesofscaleduringoperation.AlthoughdecentralizedSTPs
are unable to treat the sewage generated by all the buildings in an area, they are
required as a stop-gap arrangement, until the concerned authority implements its
masterplan.Recyclinggreywater,installingdualplumbingsystems,andcarryingout
continuous O&M (operation and maintenance) enable effcient sewage management.
O&McontractswillenablebettermaintenanceofdecentralizedSTPsandincreasethe
reusepotentialoftreatedwastewater.
AreviewoftheIndianaswellasinternationalbestpracticesinsewagemanagement
wasundertakentodevelopasuitableframeworkforEBRGsformanagingsewagefor
Hyderabadasoutlinedbelow
P ThoughcentralizedSTPsarepreferred,decentralizedSTPsshouldbeusedtillsuch
STPsareoperationalized.
P Awastewatertreatmentsystemshouldbeinstalledonlywheresewagenetworkis
notavailable,otherwisegreywaterrecyclingisrecommended.
P Inallcases,adualplumbingsystemforseparatingwastewaterandgreywaterand
usingrecycledwaterhastobeinstalledsothatwastewatertreatmentsystemscan
alsofunctionasgreywatertreatmentsystemswhenrequired.
P Continuous O&M safeguards should be in place to enable
effcient waste water and sludge management.
By adopting these initiatives, buildings and
neighbourhood have the potential to effciently
managethesewagegenerated.
34
Guideline
Dual plumbing and waste water treatment
P Ifasitedoesnothaveaccesstoapublicsewerlineanddischarges
wastewater,then
vawastewatertreatmentsystemshouldbeinstalledirrespective
ofthescaleandtypeofconstructionand
vatleast75%ofthetotaltreatedwatershouldbereusedon-site.
P Ifasitehasaccesstoapublicsewerline,followingare
recommended.
vGreywaterreusepotentialtobedetermined.Ifpotentialsavings
onpotablewaterduetoreuseoftreatedgreywaterexceeds
20%(ascalculatedusingthewaterconsumptioncalculator),a
greywatertreatmentsystemisrecommended.
vAtleast80%ofthetotaltreatedgreywatershouldbereusedon-site.
P Inallnewbuildings,dualplumbingsystemsshouldbeinstalledirrespectiveofthetypeofwastewater/
greywatersysteminstalledforseparatinggreywaterandblackwaterandusingtreatedwastewater
fornon-potablepurpose.
P Alllargedevelopments(>50acres)musthavezerodischarge.
Benefts of dual plumbing system and grey
water treatment
P Waterfromtoiletsiscalledblackwater(sewage),while
waterfromlaundry,kitchens,andbathsiscalledgreywater
(sullage).
P Greywaterconstitutes70%ofthewastewater,whichcan
betreatedbyusingsimpleandcost-effectivesystemsand
canbereusedforlandscaping,externalwashing,andtoilet
fushing. Reusing grey water can reduce the dependence on
municipalandborewaterbyupto60%.
P Dualplumbingsystemseparatesgreywaterandblackwater
at the source of generation, following which specifc treatment options either for grey or black water
canbeadopted.
P Separatinggreywaterandtreatingitonsiteforreusereducesthevolumeofthewastewatertobe
collectedandtreatedand,hence,reducesthestressonpublicsewagelinesandcentralizedwaste
watertreatmentsystems
P Itisasustainableapproachforcollection,treatment,andsafedisposalofwastewater,wherebuildings
arenotconnectedtoapublicsewerline.
P Localaquiferscanalsoberechargedwithexcesstreatedwater.
Selecting treatment options for grey water
and waste water
P Treatmentoptionhastobechosenbasedonreuse
application.
P Thereuseapplicationsforwhichtreatedwateristobeused
effciently without wastage can be calculated using a water
calculationtool.
P Pleaserefertothedetailedguidelineonthewebsitefor
furtherinformationontypesoftreatmentoptionsandtheir
applicabilityfordifferentbuildinguses.
Grey water source and
recycling technique
Reuse potential of treated
grey water
Applications of decentralized wastewater
treatment systems (DEWATS)
35
Guideline
Operation and maintenance, or O&M,
requirements for decentralized waste water
systems
Alldecentralizedwastewatersystemsshouldbeoperatedandmaintained
by qualifed personnel.
P Onefull-timetrainedemployeeshouldoperateandconductbasic
maintenanceofthesystem.
P Awastewaterinstallationandmanagementcompanyshouldcheckthe
systemonamonthlybasis,performingthefollowingfunctions.
vCheckingwaterqualityregularlytoensurethatthetreatedwater
meetstherequiredstandardsforreuseanddisposal.
vEnsuringsmoothoperationbyregularmaintenancechecks.
vMakingwaterqualityresultsknowntopublicandauthorities
concernedbybringingoutreportsandothersuchmeans.
What is O&M
P O&M(operationandmanagement)referstoallactivitiesrequiredtooperateandmanageatreatment
system. It does not include planning and construction of a new system and retroftting the existing one.
P Operationincludestheplanningandcontrolofthecollection,treatment,anddisposalofwastewater.
P Maintenanceincludessystematicroutineactionsandminorrepairsandreplacementstokeepthesystem
ingoodworkingcondition.Thisiscalledpreventivemaintenance.
P Reactivemaintenancetakesplaceasaresultofseriousdamagetoormalfunctioningorbreakdownof
equipment.
Benefts of an effcient O&M system
P Consistencyintheperformanceofthetreatmentsystem.
P 100% treatment effciency.
P Providinggoodqualitytreatedwaterconsistently.
P Economicalrunningofthesystem.
P Enhancementintheshelflifeoftheinstalledtreatmentsystem.
P Increasedreuseandrecyclingpotentialofthetreateddischarge.
P Improvementinhealthandhygieneandenhancedqualityofenvironment.
P Noadverseimpactsontheenvironment.
Compliance checklists and components of the manual
Compliance checklist Components of the manual
P Descriptionofproposedwastewatersystem P Backgroundinformation
P Personnelresponsibilities P Function,start-up,shutdown,andperiodic
P Operationoffacility maintenanceprocedures
P Maintenance P Appropriate option or system modifcation
P Samplingandlaboratorytesting P Monitoring programme for effcient process
P Recordsandreporting P Constituentsandscheduleforinspections
P Treatmentworkssafety P Periodicmaintenanceprocedures
P Utilitiesmanagement P Proceduresforroutinemaintenanceandinspection
P Listingofotherenvironmentalregulations
Dedicated service personnel
are required for handling O&M
requirement
Ensure smooth operation by
regular maintenance
36
Guideline
Safe disposal of unused treated grey and waste
water
Themaximumpermissiblequantityoftreatedwastewaterthatcanbe
disposedoutsidethesitelimitsisasfollows.
P 25%,whereawastewatertreatmentsystemisinstalled.
P 20%,whereagreywatertreatmentsystemisinstalled.
Disposal of treated waste water
Treatedwastewaterthatisdisposedofshouldmeettheappropriatewater
quality requirements, as defned by the CPCB (Central Pollution Control
Board).Itshouldbedisposedofinoneofthefollowingways.
P For groundwater recharge Treatedwastewatercanbeusedtoelevate
groundwaterlevelsinareasthatexperienceexcessivegroundwaterwithdrawal.
P For irrigation Treatedwastewatercanbeusedtowatergardens,parksorotherfarmlandsand
agriculturalareas,savingpotablewaterforthesepurposes.
P For construction activities Iftreateduptoarequiredstandard,thewastewatercanbeeffectively
usedforconstructionpurposes.
P For increasing the water levels of lakes, ponds or streams Recycledwatercanbeusedforincreasing
thewaterlevelsinthesurfacewaterbodies.Thenutrientspresentintherecycledwatercanbeused
by algae, water plants, and lower animals, which, in turn, form feed for fsh.
Benefts
P Recycled water, if used effciently, can reduce dependence on municipal
andborewaterbyasmuchas70%.
P Applicationoftreatedwastewateronlandforirrigationwouldhelpin
enhancingplantgrowthandalsogroundwaterrechargepotential.
P Disposalintowaterbodiesinthelocalvicinityincreasesthewaterlevels,
enhancestherechargepotential,andprovidesnutrientforgrowthof
aquatic fora and fauna.
P Accumulationofwastewaterinlow-lyingareasisavoided,which
otherwisebecomesstagnatedandbreedinggroundforvector-borne
diseases.
Water quality standards for using treated waste water
for construction activities
TheCPCBhassetstandardsfordisposingwastewateronland,inwaterbodies,andintopublicsewers.
Parameters have also been defned by the Bureau of Indian Standards for using the treated waste water for
constructionactivities,aslistedbelow.
Parameter Onlandfor Intoinland Intopublic Construction
irrigation surfacewater sewers activity
pH 5.59.0 5.59.0 5.59.0 Notlessthan6
Suspendedsolids(mg/l) 200 100 600
Temperature(C) 40 45
Totaldissolvedsolids(inorganic)(mg/l) 2100 2100 2100 3000
Oilandgrease(mg/l) 10 10 20
Chlorides(mg/l) 600 1000 1000 2000(forPCC)
500(forRCC)
Sulphate(mg/l) 1000 1000 1000 400
Disposing treated wastewater
onto drain feld
Disposing via under turf sub-surface
drip irrigation network
37
Guideline
Sludge treatment and disposal
Decentralizedwastewatertreatmentplantsmustdisposeoftheresiduals
orsludgegeneratedinasustainablemanner,asdescribedbelow.
P On-sitesludgeprocessing
vByusingeffectivemicro-organisms,orEM,thatdegradethesludge.
vBydryingandconvertingthesludgeintoorganicmanure.
vByconvertingthesludgeintogasbyusingaprocesscalled
biomethanation.
P Bygivingtheresponsibilityofprocessingthesludgetoasludgedisposal
companythatfollowsoneoftheabovemethodsandtheCPCBstandards.
P Alllargedevelopments(>50acresitearea)mustadheretozero
dischargeofsludgeoutsidetheirsitelimits.
P CPCB/MoEF-prescribedpermissiblestandardsforthesafedisposalofsludge
andsafeapplicationofdriedsludgeinMunicipalSolidWasteManagementandHandling
Rules,2000,havetobefollowed.
Problems encountered while disposing of the sludge
P Sludgedisposalposesproblemsduetothesolidspresentinthesludgeandthevolumeofthe
sludge.
P Thevolumeofthesludgecanbereducedbydigestion,whilethesolidsaredegradedoreatenby
micro-organisms,driedorconvertedintogas.
P Lightindustrialprocessesundertakeninurbanareassuchasdyeing,welding,andlathworkmight
introducehighlytoxicheavymetalsandotherpollutantsinthesludge.Inthesecases,sludge
cannot be applied directly to land/landfll, as there is a risk of soil and groundwater contamination.
Benefts of sludge disposal
Effective sludge management comprises sludge digestion, drying, and disposal. Its benefts are listed
below.
P Thevolumeofthesludgegeneratedreducesonaccountofdigestion,whichisacheapandan
effcient process.
P Sludgedewateringreducesthemoisturecontentofthesludgetobelow70%.
P Micro-organismsusedbreakdownthesolids,reducetheoffensive
odourofthesludge,anddewaterthesludge.About50%ofthe
harmfulvolatileorganicmatterisremovedbythesemicro-
organisms.
vMicro-organismsdecomposetheorganicmatterpresentinthe
sludgebyconvertingitintocarbondioxideandmethane.
Alternatively,theymayutilizethisorganicmatterfortheir
growthandreproduction.
vThemicro-organismsusedforsludgedecompositionarea
mixtureofanaerobicandaerobicspecies.
P Sludgecanbeconvertedtohigh-qualityfertilizer,whichcanbe
directlyusedinagriculture.
P Thesludgecanalsobeconvertedintobiogasbybacterialdegradation
oforganicmatterintheabsenceofoxygenandlight.
P Theentireprocessofsludgemanagementisanenvironmentallysustainableprocess.
Application of EMs leads degradation of
sludge to organic manure
Biomethanisation converts sludge into
gas for varied applications
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
T
hemainaimoftheEBRGsrelatedtosolidwastemanagementistoclose
thewastecycleloopandfollowamoresystematicandintegratedapproach
towardswastemanagement.Toovercomethevariousproblemsobserved
in the existing set-up of municipal solid waste management, an attempt
has been made to manage and treat the waste in a decentralized way
as far as possible, followed by fnal disposal. There have been various precedents
ofsuccessstoriesinIndia,wheresuchexperimentshavebeensuccessful.Basedon
theseexperimentsandlessonslearntfromothercountries,separateEBRGshavebeen
framedforthefollowingcategories:
P Wastemanagementatlocality/wardlevel
P Wastemanagementinapartmentsandtownships
P Wastemanagementforcommercialbuildings
P Wastemanagementofbiomedicalwastefromhealthcarefacilities
P Constructionanddemolitionwastemanagement
There is a need to manage solid waste in a more scientifc manner.
40
P Environmental benefts Thisguidelineemphasizesonclosingthe
wastecycleasmuchaspossiblebydivertingamajorportionofthe
waste from going to landflls, preventing water and land contamination
duetoleachategeneration,andreusingandrecyclingwaste.
P Health benefts Scientifc management of waste minimizes health
risks.
P Economic benefts Thecomponentofthewastethatcanbereused
andrecycledissold,thusbringinginrevenue.Thisalsoreduces
pressureonthevirginmaterial.
Guideline
Management of municipal solid waste at neighbourhood (locality) level
Allresidences(otherthanapartments)andsmallneighbourhoodshopsarerequiredtosegregatewasteinto
biodegradableandnon-biodegradablewasteandhanditovertowastecollectors.Decentralizedwaste
managementisalsopromotedthroughthisguideline.
Impacts of the existing system of management of
neighbourhood-level municipal solid waste
P Aholisticintegratedapproachofmanagingmunicipalsolidwasteisabsent,
leadingtoalotofenvironmentalandhealthimpacts.
P Sourcesegregationofwasteisalmostabsent.
P A huge quantity of biodegradable waste fnds its way to landflls, which are
unscientifcally managed. Treatment of such waste at low costs is almost
absent.
P Indiscriminatedumpingofwasteleadstogreenhousegasemissionsand
leachategeneration,pollutingtheenvironment.
P Arbitrarydisposalofwastealsoposesaseriousthreattohumanhealth.
Advantages of managing waste holistically
P Manure Theby-productofthetreatmentprocessisrichfertilizerormanure,whichcanbeusedin
kitchengardensorlawns.
Suggested measures
P Eachlocalityshouldhaveacommonplaceforfurthersortingofcollectedwaste,wherethe
biodegradablewastewillbetreatedusinganylow-costappropriatetechnologysuchasbiosanitizer,
vermicomposting,andsoon,andtherecyclableswillbegiventorecyclersforreusing/recycling.
P Individualresidentsandshopownerscanalsotreatbiodegradablewasteon-sitebyusingin-vessel
compostingoranyotherappropriatetechnology.
Technology for decentralized treatment of biodegradable waste
Anumberoftechnologiesbothaerobicandanaerobicareavailablefortreatingthebiodegradable
waste.However,fordecentralizedtreatmentofsuchwaste(insmallerquantities),
methodssuchastheuseofOS1(organicsolutionseffectivemicro-organisms),
biosanitizer,composting,vermicomposting,andsooncouldbeexplored.
Publicprivate alliance
Itisalsoproposedtoencouragepublicprivatealliancesbetweenlocalbodies,
non-governmentalorganizations,residentwelfareassociations,andcommunity-
basedorganizationstodevelopinnovativemodelsformanagingsolidwasteat
neighbourhoodlevel.
Waste bin for bio-degradable waste
Passive aerated windrows
Collection of waste at your doorstep
41
Guideline
Management of municipal solid waste in
apartments and townships
Allsolidwastegeneratedinapartmentsandtownships(for20and
morehouseholds)shouldbemanagedinasustainablemannerby
storingsegregatedwasteandtreatingthebiodegradablepartinthe
commontreatmentplant.Theremainingwasteshallbetakenaway
byurbanlocalbodiesandrecyclingagencies.
Guidelines for sustainable management of waste
P Wasteshouldbesegregatedintobiodegradable,non-
biodegradable,andhazardouswasteatthesourceofgeneration.
P Allexistingapartmentsandtownshipsshouldhavesecondarystoragespace
forstoringsegregatedwastefromeachofthehouseholds.
P Fornewbuildings,appropriatespace,bothprimaryandsecondarystoragespace,shouldbe
providedforstoringwasteineachhouseholdandatcommunitylevelatthedesignstageitself.
P Allbiodegradablewasteshouldnecessarilybetreatedusinganappropriatecost-effective
technologysuchascomposting,bioculture,vermicomposting,biomethanationprocesses,andsoon.
P Allrecyclablesshouldbesenttorecyclingcompanies.
P Allapartmentsandtownshipsshouldgetwasteauditdoneatleastonceinayeartogaugethe
characteristicsofwastestreamandmanagewasteinaneffectiveway.
Treatment options for the biodegradable waste
P Decentralized system offers many benefts such as reduced load
onthetransportsystems,lesserairpollution,increasedlifeof
landfll, income generation for NGOs and ragpickers, production of
usefulby-products,andsoon.
P Decentralizedsolutions,beingmodularinnature,caneasilybe
implementedinstages,aremanageable,resultinbettervalue
creation,involvecommunity,andcreateasenseofresponsibility
amongpeople.
P Varioustechnologyoptionsareavailableforhandling
municipalwaste.Forsmallscale,useofsimpletechnologies
likevermicomposting,deep-burrowearthcomposting,and
in-vesselcompostingarerecommended,asthesearevery
cost-effective.Anumberofbiomethanationtechniques
arealsoavailablesuchasTEAMdigester(developedby
TheEnergyandResourcesInstitute),ASTRAdigester,ARTI
digester,Biotech,andsoon.However,thesearevery
expensivesolutionsandcouldbetakenupdependingon
the fnancial viability of plants, land availability, and the
quantumoffeedgoingasinput.
Conventional method of disposal of
construction waste
TEAM process, TERI
42
P Indiagenerates150000tonnesofe-wasteannually,mainly
comprisingofcomputers,faxes,mobilephones,andsoon.Ofthis
waste,approximately78%isgeneratedbythecommercialsector.
P Morethan98%ofthee-wastegeneratedishandledbytheinformal
sector,inanunorganizedway.
P Nopropersafetymeasuresaretakenduringthehandlingand
processingofthiswaste.
P Thisunhealthypracticeofhandlinge-wasteposeshealthriskto
handlersandadverselyimpactstheenvironment.
Guideline
Solid waste management for commercial buildings
P Providearrangementforstorageofsegregatedwasteinallcommercialbuildings.
P Treat(preferablyin-house)biodegradablewasteinallhotelsandrestaurants.
P Arrangeforrecyclingitemssuchaspaperandcardboards,tonercartridges,batteries,andmobile
phones in all offces. E-waste should be given to registered e-waste handling agencies.
P Treat the organic waste present in the market waste generated from fsh market/slaughterhouses/
vegetable market/fower market, and so on on-site or close to site.
Types of waste generated
P Commercialwastecomprisesby-productsandmaterialsconsumed
duringbusinessactivitiesandbuildingmanagementandmaintenance.
P Duringtheoperationaluseofacommercialbuilding,themajorityof
wastegeneratedcomesfromconsumablesassociatedwithoccupant
businessactivities(e-waste,paper,cardboard,foodwaste,andsoon).
P Managementandmaintenanceactivitiescanreleasehazardouswastelike
chemicals,contaminatedwaterornon-recyclableequipment.
Annual waste audit
Anannualwasteauditisrecommendedforallcommercialbuildings.Followingdetailscouldbecoveredin
theaudit.
Name of the commercial building
Plotareaandbuiltuparea(m
2
)
Totalquantityofwastegenerated(kg/day)
Communalstoragespacedetails: Area(m
2
)orlit Quantityofwastereceived(kg/day)
-Biodegradable
-Recyclable
-Inertandmiscellaneous
-Hazardous
Typeoftreatmentplant(forbiodegradableinhotelsandrestaurants)
-Area
-Capacity
-Quantityofby-products(kg/day)
Quantityofwastegoingforrecycling(kg/day)
Quantityofwastegiventomunicipalcorporation(inertwasteinkg/day)
E-waste recycling: some bitter facts
Informal dismantling of
e-waste
43
Guideline
Management of health care waste/biomedical waste
Allhealthcareunits(existingandnew)shouldhaveprovisionsforstoring
segregatedwaste,treatinginfectiousandbiodegradablewaste,andchecking
illegalrecyclingofhazardouswaste.
Some hard facts about biomedical waste
P Thoughbiomedicalwasteformsjust1%ofthetotalwastegenerated,itassumes
greatimportanceduetoitstoxicandinfectiousnature.Ifthiswaste
getsmixedwiththemunicipalwaste,itposesrisktohumanhealthandtheenvironment.
P BiomedicalWaste(ManagementandHandling)Rules,1998,waspromulgatedinthecountryin1998.
P Whilebiggerhealthcareunitsfollowtheserulestosomeextent,small-andmedium-sizedunitsand
pathologicallaboratoriesdonotcomplywiththeseregulations.
P Mostofthehealthcareunitsoutsourcecollection,transportation,andmanagementofbiomedicalwaste
toserviceproviders,withoutdisinfectingit.
P Small,unregisteredhealthcareunitsdumpthebiomedicalwastealongwiththemunicipalwaste.
Types of biomedical waste
There are 10 categories of biomedical waste, as defned under the Biomedical Waste (Management and
Handling)Rules.Someofthesecategoriesarehumananatomicalwaste,animalwaste,microbiology
andbiotechnologywaste,incinerationash,andsoon.Allthesewastescanbedividedintothreebroad
categories.
P Infectious waste Itcomprisesusedsharpsanditemsthatcouldcauseacutorpuncture,pathological
waste,syringes,bloodbags,andsoon.
P Hazardous waste Itcomprisesdiscardedmedicinesandcytotoxicdrugs,chemicalsusedintheproduction
ofbiologicals,disinfectants,andsoon,ashfromincinerationofmedicalwaste,andsoon.
P Non-infectious waste It constitutes 90% of the total waste generated and includes offce waste and
kitchenwaste.
Management of biomedical waste
P Audit Anannualwasteauditissuggestedforallhealthcareunits.
P Institutional arrangements Biomedicalwastemanagement
requiresasystematicapproach.
vThemanagementrequiresactiveparticipationoftrainedstaff.
vThewasteneedstobesegregatedandstoredincolour-coded
containers.Segregationreducesthecostoftreatmentanddoes
notcauseanyhealthhazard.
vInfectiouswasteneedstobedisinfected.
vHazardousandinfectiouswasteshouldbegiventoauthorizedserviceprovidersforfurtherdisposal.
vNon-infectiouswastecanberecycledorcompostedortakenbytherespectivemunicipalbodyfor
disposal.
P Awareness and training Awarenessneedstobegeneratedonappropriatehandlinganddisposalof
biomedicalwastesothateveryonecomingincontactwiththewaste,fromhealthcareprovidersto
patientstowastehandlers,aresafe.
Benefts
P Health Propermanagementofbiomedicalwasteensuresthatthewasteisdisposedofinaholisticwayso
thatitdoesnotaffectthehealthofhealthcareproviders,patientsorwastehandlers.
P Environment Safedisposalofhazardousandtoxicbiomedicalwasteensuresthattherearenoadverse
impactsontheenvironment.
Segregation of
bio-medical waste
44
Guideline
Management of construction and demolition waste
P Awastemanagementandrecyclingplanforconstructionanddemolitionprojectsforallnewbuildings
andforrefurbishmentsoftheexistingbuildingsisanecessitytominimizethewastegeneratedand
managethiswasteinasustainablemanner.
P Allocateaminimumof4%ofthetotalsiteareaforstorageofwaste.
P Reuse/recycleaminimumof20%oftheconstruction/demolitionwastegenerated.
Construction and demolition waste
P Wastegeneratedfromconstruction,remodelling,andrepairingofbuildings
istermedasconstructionwaste.
P Wastegeneratedfromrazedbuildingsistermedasdemolitionwaste.
P Theconstructionanddemolitionwasteincludesdebris,concrete,steeland
othermetals,plastics,packagingandpaperproducts,woodbeams,andso
on.
Impacts of solid waste generation
P Debris,wasteplastic,anddemolitionwastedestroytopsoil.
P Polytheneandplasticleadtochokingofdrains.
P Hazardouswastelikeasbestos,tar,andoilnotmanagedanddisposedofproperlyadverselyaffect
humanhealth.
P Huge quantity of construction and demolition waste generated puts immense pressure on landfll space.
Recommended measures to manage waste effciently
P Animportantstrategyformanagingconstructionanddemolitionwasteisminimizing,reducing,and
recycling.Appropriateclausesshouldbeintroducedinthecontractagreement.Architects/designers
shouldtrytoavoidover-designanduseofhighembodiedenergymaterials(embodiedenergyrefersto
theenergyrequiredtoproduceaproduct,includingextractionofrawmaterials,theirprocessing,and
theirtransport).
P Sometipsforcontractors
vPurchasematerialsthathaveahighrecycledcontent.
vAsksupplierstominimizepackaging.
vHaveappropriatestorageareasready,whichshouldbecoveredtoprotectagainstrainingress.
vOrderinstandardsizestominimizeon-sitecuttingandwaste.
Some examples of reuse and recycling
P Excavation produces topsoil, clay, sand, and gravel. These may be reused as fllers at the same site or
movedtosomeotherplace.
P Bricks,stones,andmasonryproducedduringdemolitionaregenerallymixedwithcement,mortar,and
lime.
P Metals are recovered from pipes, conduits, wires, and sanitary fttings and sent for re-melting.
P Timberrecoveredingoodconditionsfrombeams,windowframesordoorscanbereused.
POLLUTION
C
onstructionofbuildingsnotonlyconsumesHyderabadsalreadydepleting
resourcesbutalsoleadstoenvironmentalpollution.
Noisepollutionandairpollutionarecausedduetotheuseofheavy
machineries and vehicles during construction and demolition, operation
ofoff-griddieselgeneratorsforpower,loadingandunloadingoperations,
concreteandplasterpreparation,borewelldigging,andsoon.
Pollution-relatedEBRGshavebeendesignedtocheckandcontrolpollutiondueto
buildings in Hyderabad. These guidelines include measures to control air pollution
levels during construction stages and noise pollution during and after construction.
Restofthepollutionrelatedmeasuresarecoveredunderothersections.
46
Guideline
Check air pollution during construction
P Ensurereductioninairpollutionduringconstructionbytaking
appropriatepreventivemeasures.
P Ensurereductioninairpollutionwhileusingdieselgeneratorsets
byensuringminimumheightofstackaspertheCentralPollution
ControlBoardnorms.
Pollution caused by construction activities
P Activitiesatconstructionsite,suchaslandclearing,operationof
diesel engines, demolition, and burning contribute signifcantly to
airpollution.
P Suspended particulate matter increases signifcantly during construction.
P Thedustgeneratedfromconstructionactivities(fromconcrete,cement,
wood, stone, silica) is classifed as PM10, which is invisible to the naked eye.
P Additionally,dieselengineexhaustcomprisessoot,sulphatesandsilicates,carbonmonoxide,
hydrocarbons,nitrogenoxides,andcarbondioxide.
P Noxiousvapoursfromoils,glues,thinners,paints,plastics,cleaners,andsoonusedatconstructionsites
alsocontributetoairpollution.
Impacts of air pollutants released during construction
P ResearchhasshownthatPM10penetratesdeeplyintothelungsandlodgesthere,causingasthma,
bronchitis,andevencancer.
P Otherairpollutantsreleasedduringconstructionactivitiescanalsocausevarioushealthdisorders.
P Greenhousegasesreleasedduringconstructionactivitiescauseglobalwarming.
Best practices to minimize air pollution during construction
P Providehoardings,atleast3-metrehigh,alongthesiteboundary,nexttoaroadorotherpublicarea.
P Providedustscreens,sheetingornettingtoscaffoldalongtheperimeterofthebuildingunder
construction.
P Coverstockpileofdustymaterialwithimpervioussheeting.
P Coverdustyloadonvehicleswithimpervioussheetingbeforetheyleavethesite.
P Keep dry loose materials like bulk cement or dry pulverized fy ash inside a totally enclosed system.
P Spraywater,throughasimplehoseorawatertruck,tokeepdustundercontrol.Mistingsystemsand
sprinklers can be used to control fne particulates.
P Uselow-sulphurdieseloilinallvehicleandequipmentenginesand
incorporate the latest specifcations of particulate flters and catalytic
converters.
P Whileusingdieselgenerator,adheretothefollowingnorms.
vThedieselgeneratorsetsshouldbeprovidedwithintegral
acousticenclosuresatthemanufacturingstage.
v There must be suffcient space for the fuel tank inside the
canopyandtohousepanel.
vTheremustbeaprovisionforair-intakeandair-exhaust
silencers.
vTheremustbeaprovisionforadditionalscreensandhoodsformulti-mediumnoisesuppression.
vAminimumstackheightshouldbeprovidedwitheachgenerator.
P Cutting,grinding,andsawingshouldideallybeundertakenoffsite.Foron-siteworks,thefollowing
techniquesshouldbeused.
v All equipment should be ftted with a water suppressant system.
vDustextractiontechniquesshouldalwaysbeused.
vAreasusedforundertakingcuttingandgrindingworksshouldbescreened.
Prevention of air pollution due to
construction activities
Water sprinkling to control dust
47
Guideline
Outdoor noise
Ensurethattheoutdoorandindoornoiselevelsconformtotheambient
environmentalstandardsofnoiseprescribedbytheCentralPollutionControl
BoardandNationalBuildingCode,2005.Whileusingdieselgeneratorsets
duringandafterconstruction,ensurethatthemaximumpermissiblesound
pressurelevelfornewdieselgeneratorsetswithratedcapacityupto1000kVA,
manufacturedonorafter1July2003,is75dB(A)at1mfromtheenclosure
surface.Noisecontrolmeasuresshouldbeincorporatedduringthedesignand
installationofelectricaldevices,airconditioners,andventilationdevices,
andthenoiseemittedfromthesedevicesshouldadheretotherecommended
outdoorandindoornoisecriteriaasgivenintheNationalBuildingCode,2005.
Recommended measures to check noise pollution
P Allnoisyconstructionworkactivitiessuchaspiling,blasting,demolition,concretingworks,borewell
digging,andsoonmustbecarriedbetween7a.m.and7p.m.
P Typicalnoisyconstructionactivitiesandrecommendedtimeofconstructionhoursareasfollows.
Typeofwork 7a.m.7p.m. 7p.m.10p.m. 10p.m.7a.m.
Verynoisyworkslikepiling,blasting, Yes No No
demolition,concretingworks,borewelldigging
Moderatelynoisyworkslikeerection,dismantling Yes Yes No
of framework, tying, fxing of steel bars, operation
ofcranes,loading/unloadingofconstruction
materials,andsoon
Quietworkslikehousekeeping,brick-laying, Yes Yes Yes
plastering,painting,andsoon

Equipmentusedforconstructionworkmustnotmakenoise.
Duringtheconstructionofcommercialandbigresidentialbuildings,installnoisemetersat1mfromthe
affectedbuilding,andmaintainthereadingstilltheconstructionisover.Thesecouldbecheckedbythe
concernedauthorityincaseofanycomplaintbyaffectedparties.
Measuring noise
Noisecanbemeasuredwiththehelpofnoisemeters.Basedontheirrangeofmeasurement,precision,cost,
and so on, the noise meters can be classifed as analog, digital, and calibrated.
Equipment to measure and monitor
noise levels
ECOLOGY AND GEOLOGY
A
settlement is characterized by its individual and unique characteristics.
Urban centres have to carefully preserve and conserve its fora and fauna,
geologicalformations,andheritagezonesandbuildings,whichbecomethe
identityofasettlement.LikemanyothercitiesinIndia,Hyderabad,once
known as a city of gardens, is now left with only 0.50 m
2
per capita of
recreationalspaceintheMCH(MunicipalCorporationofHyderabad)area,asagainst
thenationalstandardof3m
2
.Encroachmentofopenspacesandcommunityparks
for building purposes is exasperating the issue. Remote sensing studies reveal that
the area under water bodies has reduced from 22.79 km
2
in 1989 to 20.84 km2 in
1999inthecityandthesurroundingmunicipalities.Plantspecies,beingpromotedfor
parksandprivategardens,compriseofalotofnon-nativespecies.Theuniquerock
formationsthataretheidentityofthecityarebeingdestroyedindiscriminatelydue
toaggressiveconstructionactivities.
As a result, Hyderabad is losing its ecological and geological identity and its
biodiversityisbeingseverelyaffected.Thelargenumberofmigratorybirdsthatused
tobeseeninthecityslakesarenotseenanymore.Withincreasingpopulationand
economicactivity,thesituationinthecorecitywillinevitablyspreadtotheheritage
andconservationzonesandthewaterbodieslocatedintheperipheralareasofthe
city. To avoid such a situation, solutions to conserve these resources are required,
whichwillmeanaddressingthecitysecologicalanddevelopmentalpatterns.
Whilelandscapingregulationsatthebuildinglevelexistatthenationalandlocal
levels, they are insuffcient to address these issues and are not being stringently
enforced.Countries,suchastheNetherlandsandtheUnitedKingdom,couldprovide
us with some very good examples of regulated green cover both in parks and in specifc
buildingzones.
ThegeologicalformationsofHyderabadhavebeendeclaredbyHMDA(Hyderabad
MetropolitanDevelopmentAuthority)asconservationandheritageprecincts,making
ittheonlycityinIndiawhererocksareprotectedasnaturalheritage.HMDA,GHMC
(Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation), and APTD (Andhra Pradesh Tourism
Department) have started developing rock gardens in the city, which is a laudable
initiative. However, efforts have to be made at every site level to protect these
uniquefeaturesthataremillionsofyearsold.
Hence,theguidelinesonEcologicalandGeologicalConservationcoverthefollowing
aspects.
1.Conservationofexistingvegetationonabuildingsiteandimproving
theecologicalvalueofthesitethroughplantationofnativespecies.
2.Soilconservationonbuildginsitesthroughtopsoilconservation,
erosioncontrol,andsoilandrunoffwaterpollutioncontrol
3.Conservationofrockformationonsitethroughdesign
measuresandmethodstostabilizethem
50
P Maintaining vegetative cover helps in reducing fooding risk, erosion,
andpollutionoflakesandriversbyincreasinggroundwaterrecharge.
P Maintainingtreecoveralsoimprovesairquality.
P Conservingand/orplantingnativespeciescansavemoneyasthey
requirelessermaintenanceandlesserwater.
P Nativeplantswillalsoimprovetheaestheticqualityofgardensand
terracesbyattractingnativefaunaandmigratoryspecies,creating
urbanniches.
Guideline
Conserving ecological value of a site through design integration and
conservation during construction
P Existingsitevegetationandpocketsofmicrohabitatsshouldbeintegratedin
siteplanningandlandscapedesign.
P Existingmaturetreesshouldbe
vprotectedwhereverpossible.Permissionfrommunicipalauthorities
shouldbeobtainedpriortofellingamaturetree,aspertheAPWALTA
Act,2002.
vtransplantedwheretheycannotbeprotected,and
vreplantedifneitherprotectionnortransplantationispossible,with
followingconsiderations.
Threenewtreesaplingsshouldbereplantedforcuttingeverymatureorfullygrowntree.
Nativeand/ornon-invasivespeciesshouldbeusedforreplanting.
P Inallsites,thefollowingminimumnumberoftreesshouldbemaintained.
v250m
2
andlesstwotrees
vMorethan250m
2
butlessthan750m
2
threetrees
vMorethan750m

onetreeforevery250m
2
vVacantland25treesperhectare
P Trees retained or identifed for transplanting on-site should be protected from construction activities.
P Iftheconstructionsiteispartofalargersite,theconstructionsitehastobedemarcated,and
vegetationinsurroundingareasshouldnotbedisturbed.
Benefts of ecological conservation
Conservingandmaintainingvegetationinanareahavethefollowingadvantages.
Procedure for monitoring and protecting site vegetation
P Anecologicalsurveyofthesiteandaninventoryofnaturallyoccurringvegetation,topography,and
slopesshouldbeundertakentoidentifyplantspecies,theirextentofcoverage,andthenatural
drainagepattern,withthehelpofalandscapearchitect.
P Based on the survey, microhabitats and trees that need to be left undisturbed should be identifed.
P Theconsequentlandscapeplanshouldindicatetreesthathavebeenpreservedandalsothosethat
hadtobetransplantedorremoved,clearlydifferentiatingbetweenthesethreecategories.
Protecting site vegetation during
construction
P Whenopeningthesite,careshouldbetakentokeep
vegetationclearingataminimum.
P Protectionofexistingvegetation,wherepossible,by
preventing disturbance or damage to specifed areas during
constructionshouldbeundertaken.
P Thepreservedvegetatedareashouldbeinspectedbythelandscape
architect/architect/engineer-in-chargeatregularintervalssothatitremainsundisturbed.
Natural state of a site is of intrinsic
ecological value
Maintaining pre-development ecological
footprint has many advantages
Adequate protection and enhancement of site
vegetation is very important
51
Guideline
Soil conservation and erosion control during construction
Site demarcation and material storage
P Theconstructionsiteandtheareainthevicinityshouldbeclearlydemarcated
fromtheundisturbedarea.
P Spaceforstorageofconstructionmaterialshouldbedemarcatedeitheron-siteor
intheclosestspaceavailable(withpermission)beforetheconstructionwork
begins.Roads,pavementsorcommunityparksshouldnotbeusedforstorage.
Controlling soil pollution
P Topsoil,otherthanblackcottonsoil,shouldberemovedtilladepthof200
mmandpreservedforreusebeforeconstructionstartson-site.
P Adequatemeasuresshouldbetakentocontrolspillagesofpaintsandother
hazardousmaterialsonthesoilandtodisposeofcontaminatedmaterialandhazardouswaste.
Controlling erosion and water pollution
P Temporarydrainagechannelsshouldbeconstructedforcollectingconstructionrun-offwaterandstorm
waterrun-offwaterfromtheconstructionsite.Thepollutant-ladenwatershouldbedivertedtoanon-
sitetreatmentplant.
P Temporarydrainagechannelsandswalesshouldbeconstructedontheperipheryoftheconstruction
sitefordivertingstormwaterrun-offfromthesurroundingareasawayfromtheconstructionsite.
P Erosioncontrolmeasuressuchasseeding,mulching,andeffectiveplantingshouldbeundertakenduring
andafterconstructionon-site.
Benefts envisaged
P Properconstructionmaterialstoragewillsecurethebuildingmaterialfromtheftandreducematerial
wastage, and prevent traffc problems.
P Erosioncontrolandsoilprotectionmeasureserosionduetostormwaterrun-offandwind,siltationof
drains,dustpollutionduringconstruction,andwaterpollution.Theywillimprovethegreencoverand
groundwaterlevel.
Measures to protect soil
P Site demarcation and material storage Thesitethatwillbedisturbedduring
constructionshouldbedemarcated.Spaceforstoringsandandmetalshouldbe
clearlyshownonthesiteplan.Thisspaceshouldnotbeontheroadorpavementor
anyothercommunityspace.
P Controlling soil pollution Thesoilbecomeslooseduetotheremovalofstabilizing
material.Hence,atopsoilpreservationplanandasoilerosionandsedimentation
controlplanshouldbepreparedpriortoconstructionandshouldbe
followeddiligently.
P Controllingwaterpollutionduringconstruction
vAseparatedrainagechannelandsedimentationpitshouldbeprovided
fortheconstructionwastewatersothatitdoesnotmixwithsewage
waterorpercolateintothesoil.
vTemporarystormwaterdrainageswalesshouldbeconstructedaround
theconstructionsitetodivertstormwaterrun-offfromthesite.
P Controlling soil erosion during and after construction Itisimportantto
understandsoilcharacteristics,climate,rainfallintensityandduration,and
vegetationandtopographytopredicttheextentandconsequencesofsoilerosion.Plantation
effectivelypreventsoilerosion.Mulchesonslopescanhelppreventrun-offanderosionproblems.

Top soil takes

million of years
to form and
supports native
vegetation
Swales and drainage channels
control soil erosion and pollution
52
P Overtheyears,thehouseofNarendraLuther,tuckedawayat
BanjaraHillsRoad,hasbecomeatextbookexampleinincorporating
arockcompletelyintoahouse.
P SomeoftherocksthathavebeendeclaredasHeritagePrecinctsin
Hyderabadareasfollows.
vRockParkonOldBombayRoadnearDargahHussainShahWali
vHillocksaroundDurgamCheruvuLake,JubileeHills
vBearsNoseinsideShilparamam,Madhapur
vCliffRockbetweenRoadNo.45and46,JubileeHills
vMushroomRockinsidetheUniversityofHyderabadCampus
Guideline
On-site geology conservation
P Forasitewithrockysubstrata,basementconstructionthatinvolvesblastingordisturbingtherocky
substratawillnotbeallowed.
P RockformationsdeclaredasheritagesitesorimportantrockformationsbytheSocietytoSave
Rocksshouldnotbedisturbed.
P Rock formations located on and within 50 m of the site boundary have to be identifed prior to
construction.
Geologicalfeaturessuchasrocks,lakes,andsoonon-siteshouldbe
integratedintothebuildingorlandscapedesign.
Priorpermissionfromanaccreditedgeologisthastobetakenifany
formationhastobedisturbed.
P Whileintegratingrockformationsintoabuildingorlandscapedesign,
followingrulesshouldbefollowed.
Naturalstabilityoftherockformationshouldnotbedisturbed.
Stabilizing rocks by artifcial means should be as per the
recommendationsofanaccreditedgeologist.
Native fora and fauna existing amidst rock clusters should be left undisturbed.
Importance of rock formations
P Rocksareancientecosystemsofgreatgeological,cultural,andaestheticvalues,andplaya
fundamentalroleinpreservingbiodiversity.
P Owingtotheiruniqueness,ninerocksitesinHyderabadhavebeendeclaredasheritageprecinctsand
20moreformationsarebeingconsideredtobeincludedinthislist.
P Theserocksystemsarealsopartofthehydrologicalregimeofanarea.
Aim of the guideline
P Conservingtherocksitesthatareconsideredtheoldestgeologicalformations.
P Increasing awareness of the geological signifcance of the rocks among people so that they are proactive
towardstheirconservation..
P Preventingdestructionofrocksforconstructionpurposesandencouragesustainable,eco-friendly
integrationofrocksinbuildings.
P Compellingconstructionindustryprofessionalstointegraterockformationsintothebuildingand
landscapedesign,leadingtoanewarchitecturalstyleevolution.
Examples of rocks integrated in architecture
P Shilparamam,thecraftsvillagelocatedintheJubileeHillsarea,celebratesthesymphonyofrocks,
enhancingtheirbeautybylandscapingandbringfocustothismarvelofnaturebyasensitiveuseof
spacewithoutdisturbingthenaturalsettings.
Pathar Dil one of the rocky
wonders of Hyderabad
Rock in the drawing room exclusive
identity of Mr Narendra Luthers house
BUILDING MATERIALS
T
he use of readily available, environment-friendly materials contributes
towards a sustainable habitat.An environment-friendly material is made
fromrecycledmaterialthatusesonlyrenewableenergyinitsextraction,
production,andtransport,andcanbereclaimedandrecycled.
Ontheonehand,thephenomenalgrowthofbuildingindustryresults
in unplanned and unchecked exploitation of natural resources, while on the other
hand, growth catalyses the need for intensive efforts to standardize energy-effcient
productionprocesses,reuseproductionwaste,andanalyseamaterialintermsofits
sustainable footprint. To meet the goal of fnding a suitable material, there needs
tobeaframeofreferencetoselectmaterialsbasedonenvironmentalconcerns.Of
the many available alternatives, the use of fy ash in concrete products such as fy-
ash-basedbricks,blocks,andpaversaresomesustainabletechnologiesbeingusedin
Hyderabadfortheconstructionofbuildings.Someofthekeyconcernsinthebuilding
industrythatusesvarioustypesofbuildingmaterialsareasfollows.
P Useofenvironment-unfriendlymaterials.
P Increaseinheatgaineffect,asthesematerialsareclimatologicallyinappropriate,
therebyeffectingtheindoorcomfortlevels
P Movingawayfromtraditionalarchitecture.
P Increasingnaturalresourceextraction,leadingtothedepletionoffossilfuels.
P Increase in transportation and other related costs due to the use of locally
unavailablematerials.
Theuseofenvironment-friendlymaterialshasfollowingadvantages.
P Use of fy ash and its variants in building construction helps in reducing the use of
cement,sand,andsoon.
P Use of recycled materials like material made from industrial wastes helps in
environmentconservation.
P Useofnaturallyavailablestonesenableinregainingthevernacularimportanceof
buildings
P Reuse of building materials from construction debris reduces the stress on the
fossilfuelsandothernon-renewableresources
Inviewofitsimmensepotential,theframeworkofEBRGsfor
buildingmaterialshavefocusedonuseofmaterialswhich
are
P Locallyavailable
P Climatologicallyappropriate
P Recycledorreusedmaterials
P Lowembodiedenergymaterials
54
Guideline
Using building materials that are recycled/reused or have low
embodied energy or are locally available
P 15% of fy ash should be used in RC (reinforced cement) using PCC (Portland
pozzolona cement) containing fy ash.
P For building blocks for walls, 25% of total masonry should comprise fy ash.
P For plastering and masonry mortar, 15% of cement should comprise fy ash.
P 20%oftotalmasonryforstructuralandnon-structuralapplicationsshould
compriselow-energy/recycledmaterials.
P For the interior fnishes and components, 50% of total masonry should
compriserecycledmaterials.
P Alternativebuildingmaterialsshouldbeincreasinglyusedinconstruction.
Benefts of using traditional/locally available building materials
P Compriserenewableresources.
P Sensitivetoecologyandenvironmentfriendly.
P Environment-friendly,asimpactsareconsideredoverthelifeofthematerial.
P Reducemaintenance/replacementcostsoverlifeofthebuilding.
P Increase resource effciency, energy effciency, and conservation in buildings.
P Enhanceoccupanthealthandproductivity.
P Reducewaterconsumptioninbuildingsandconservewaterinlandscapeareas.
P Climatologicallyappropriateandleaveminimumenvironmentalfootprintsduring
theirlifecycle.
P Reducecostbyusinglocallyavailablematerials.
Alternative building materials
P Ready mix concrete or high-volume fy ash concrete or PPC concrete.
P PPC AlternativetoOPC(ordinaryPortlandcement),withanadditionaladvantage
ofhavingmildsulphateresistance.
P High-volume fy ash concrete.
P Fly-ash-based building products Cellular light weight concrete blocks, fy-ash-based
polymer composites, ready mix fy ash concrete, fy ash bricks/blocks, and clay fy ash bricks.
Low-energy materials (precast systems)
P Stabilized compressed earth blocksMadeupofmudstabilizedwith5%cementlimeandothermaterials.
P Precast stone blocksManufacturedusingwastestonepiecesofvarioussizesandleancementconcrete.
P Precast concrete blocks Use coarse and fne aggregate with cement.
P Precast hollow concrete blocksManufacturedusingleancementconcretemixesandneedlessercement
mortar.
P Composite ferrocement systemsMadeofrichmortarreinforcedwithchickenorweldedwiremesh.
Recycled (low-energy) materials for interiors/fnishes
P Composite wood products Examplesarehardboards,blackboards,lumber-
coreplywood,andsoon.
P Renewable materials/products Madefromsmalldiametertreesandfast-
growinglow-utilizedspeciesharvestedwithina10-yearorshortercycle,such
asbamboo,rubber,eucrasia,poplar,andsoon.
P Products utilizing industrial waste Industrialwasteincludeswoodwaste,
agricultural waste, and natural fbres.
P Salvaged timber and reused wood products Example,furniture.
P Low-embodied energy products Userecycledmaterialslikeglass,crushedstone,andotherwaste.
Fly ash bricks and blocks
manufacturing unit
Types of eco-friendly building
materials and products
Use of low energy materials
in buildings
GLOSSARY
Energy
Air change per hour: The number of times per hour that
the volume of a specifc room or building is supplied or
removed from that space by mechanical and natural
ventilation. Air handler, or AHU (air handling unit)
central unit consisting of a blower, heating and cooling
elements, flter racks or chamber, dampers, humidifer,
andothercentralequipmentindirectcontactwiththe
airfow. This does not include the ductwork through the
building.
British thermal unit: Anyofseveralunitsofenergy(heat)in
theHVACindustry,eachslightlymorethan1kJ.OneBTU
(Britishthermalunit)istheenergyrequiredtoraiseone
pound of water 1 Fahrenheit, but the many different
types of BTU are based on different interpretations of
this defnition. In the United States the power of HVAC
systems(therateofcoolinganddehumidifyingorheating)
issometimesexpressedinBTU/hourinsteadofwatts.
Chiller: A device that removes heat from a liquid via a
vapor-compression or absorption refrigeration cycle.
This cooled liquid fows through pipes in a building and
passes through coils in air handlers, fan-coil units or
other systems, cooling and usually dehumidifying the
airinthebuilding.Chillersareoftwotypesaircooled
or water cooled.Air-cooled chillers are usually outside
and consist of condenser coils cooled by fan-driven air.
Water-cooled chillers are usually inside a building and
heatfromthesechillersiscarriedbyre-circulatingwater
tooutdoorcoolingtowers.
Coil:Equipmentthatperformsheattransferwhenmounted
inside an air handling unit or ductwork. It is heated
or cooled by electrical means or by circulating liquid
or steam within it. Air fowing across it is heated or
cooled.
Condenser: A component in the basic refrigeration cycle
that ejects or removes heat from the system. The
condenser is the hot side of an air conditioner or heat
pump.Condensersareheatexchangersandcantransfer
heat to air or to an intermediate fuid (such as water or
anaqueoussolutionofethyleneglycol)tocarryheattoa
distantsinksuchasground(earthsink),abodyofwater,
orair(aswithcoolingtowers).
Constant air volume: AsystemdesignedtoprovideaCAV
(constantairvolume)perunittime.Thistermisappliedto
HVACsystemsthathavevariablesupply-airtemperature
but constant air fow rates. Most residential forced air
systemsaresmallCAVsystemswithon/offcontrol.
Controller: Adevicethatcontrolstheoperationofpartorall
ofasystem.Itmaysimplyturnadeviceonandofforit
maymoresubtlymodulateburners,compressors,pumps,
valves,fans,dampers,andthelike.Mostcontrollersare
automatic but have user inputs such as temperature set
points,forexampleathermostat.Controlsmaybeanalog,
ordigital,orpneumaticoracombinationofthese.
Damper: A plate or gate placed in a duct to control air fow
byintroducingaconstrictionintheduct.
T
T (delta T) is a reference to a temperature difference.
It is used to describe the difference in temperature of
a heating or cooling fuid as it enters and as it leaves a
heattransferdevice.Thistermisusedinthecalculation
of coil effciency.
Ecotect:Ecotectanalysesthe3Dmodelswithintheactual
context of design. It does surface mapping, spatial
volumetricrenderingsorsimpleshadowanimations.One
caninteractwithdatausuallyinrealtimetogetvisual
feedbackinEcotect.
Evaporator: A component in the basic refrigeration cycle
thatabsorbsoraddsheattothesystem.Evaporatorscan
beusedtoabsorbheatfromair(byreducingtemperature
andbyremovingwater)orfromaliquid.Theevaporator
isthecoldsideofanairconditionerorheatpump.
Fan coil unit: Asmallterminalunitthatisoftencomposed
ofonlyablowerandaheatingand/orcoolingcoil(heat
exchanger), as is often used in hotels, condominiums,
orapartments.OnetypeofDCU(fancoilunit)isaunit
ventilator.
Fenestration: Allareas(includingtheframes)inthebuilding
envelope that let in light including windows, plastic
panels,clerestories,skylights,glassdoorsthataremore
thanone-halfglass,andglassblockwalls.
Fresh air intake: An opening through which outside air is
drawn into the building. This may be to replace air in
thebuildingthathasbeenexhaustedbytheventilation
systemortoprovidefreshairforcombustionoffuel.
Furnace: AcomponentofanHVACsystemthataddsheatto
air or an intermediate fuid by burning fuel (natural gas,
oil, propane, butane or other fammable substances) in
aheatexchanger.
Grille: Afacingacrossaductopening,usuallyrectangular
isshape,containingmultipleparallelslotsthroughwhich
56
air may be delivered or withdrawn from a ventilated
space.
Heat load, heat loss or heat gain: Terms for the amount
of heating (heat loss) or cooling (heat gain) needed to
maintaindesiredtemperaturesandhumidityincontrolled
air.Regardlessofhowwell-insulatedandsealedabuilding
is,buildingsgainheatfromwarmairorsunlightorlose
heatduetocoldairandradiation.Engineersuseaheat
load calculation to determine the HVAC needs of the
spacebeingcooledorheated.
Hottest average day:Theaveragetemperatureofthisday
ishighestintheyear.
Louvers: Blades,sometimesadjustable,placedinductsor
duct entries to control the volume of air fow. The term
mayalsorefertobladesinarectangularframeplacedin
doorsorwallstopermitthemovementofair.
Makeup air unit: Anairhandlerthatconditions100%outside
air.MAUs(makeupairunit)aretypicallyusedinindustrial
or commercial settings, or in once-through blower
sections that only blow air one-way into the building),
low fow (air handling systems that blow air at a low
fow rate) or primary-secondary (air handling systems
thathaveanairhandlerorrooftopunitconnectedtoan
add-onmakeupunitorhood)commercialHVACsystems.
Orientation:Itisthedirectionanenvelopeelementfaces,
that is, the direction of a vector perpendicular to and
pointingawayfromthesurfaceoutsideoftheelement.
Packaged terminal air conditioner: Anairconditionerand
heater combined into a single, electrically-powered
unit, typically installed through a wall and often found
inhotels.
Packaged unit or rooftop unit: An air-handling unit, defned
aseitherrecirculatingoronce-throughdesign,made
specifcally for outdoor installation. They most often
include,internally,theirownheatingandcoolingdevices.
RTUs are very common in some regions, particularly in
single-storycommercialbuildings(rooftopunit).
Refectance: The fraction of radiant energy that is refected
fromasurface.
Solar heat gain coeffcient: SHGC (Solar heat gain coeffcient)
isthefractionofexternalsolarradiationthatisadmitted
throughawindoworskylight,bothdirectlytransmitted,
absorbed,andsubsequentlyreleasedinward.
Thermal zone: A single or group of neighboring indoor
spacesthattheHVACdesignerexpectswillhavesimilar
thermalloads.Buildingcodesmayrequirezoningtosave
energy in commercial buildings. Zones are defned in
thebuildingtoreducethenumberofHVACsubsystems,
and thus initial cost. For example, for perimeter offces,
rather than one zone for each offce, all offces facing
west can be combined into one zone. Small residences
typically have only one conditioned thermal zone, plus
unconditioned spaces such as unconditioned garages,
attics,andcrawlspaces,andunconditionedbasements.
Transmittance:Thefractionofradiantenergythatpasses
throughasurface.
U-factor: It measures the rate of heat transfer through a
buildingelementoveragivenarea,understandardized
conditions. The usual standard is at a temperature
gradientof24Cat50%humiditywithnowind.
Variable air volume system: An HVAC system that has a
stable supply-air temperature and varies the air fow
ratetomeetthetemperaturerequirements.Compared
toCAVsystems,thesesystemswastelessenergythrough
unnecessarily high fan speeds. Most new commercial
buildingshaveVAV(variableairvolume)systems.
Lighting power density: Itiscalculatedbydividingthe
totallightingloadinwattagewithtotalarea(m
2
).The
unitsareW/m
2
.
Energy performance Index: Itiscalculatedastheratio
oftotalbuildingenergyconsumptioninayeartothe
totalbuiltuparea.
Chiller Performance: It is calculated based on the
formulagivenbelow.
The refrigeration TR is assessed as TR = Q Cp (Ti
To) / 3024
Where Q is mass fow rate of coolant in kg/hr
Cp is coolant specifc heat in kCal /kg deg C
Ti is inlet, temperature of coolant to evaporator
(chiller) in C
To is outlet temperature of coolant from evaporator
(chiller) in C.
TheaboveTRisalsocalledaschillertonnage.
The specifc power consumption kW/TR is a useful
indicatoroftheperformanceofrefrigerationsystem.By
measuring refrigeration duty performed in TR and the
kilowattinputs,kW/TR128
Pump performance: Pump effciency can be calculated
basedontheformulagivenbelow.
Effciency: hydraulic power/electrical input power
Hydraulicpower:Q(m
3
/s)Totalhead,(hdhs)(m)
(kg/m
3
)g(m/s
2
)/1000
Wherehddischargehead,
hssuctionhead,
density of the fuid,
gaccelerationduetogravity
Cooling tower performance: Coolingtowerperformance
iscalculatedbasedontheformulagiven
Effciency:range/(range+approach)
Range: Difference between the cooling tower water
inletandoutlettemperature.
Approach: Difference between the cooling tower
outletcoldwatertemperatureandambientwetbulb
temperature
Window wall ratio: It is the fraction of the cumulative
window area to the wall area (including fenestration
area)onthesamefacade.
Comfort
Air change rate:Itisameasureofhowquicklytheairin
an interior space is replace by outside (or conditioned)
air by ventilation and infltration. Air change rate is
measuredinappropriateunitssuchascubicmetersper
hourdividedbythevolumeofairintheroom.
57
Dry bulb temperature: Itisthetemperatureofairmeasured
byathermometerfreelyexposedtotheairbutshielded
fromradiationandmoisture.
Metabolic rate: The metabolic rate, expressed in met, is
usedasameasuringunitofhumanheatproduction.
Day light factor:Theratioofinteriorilluminanceatagiven
point on a given plane (usually the work plane) to the
exterior illuminance (reference) under the same sky
conditions.
Decibel: The dB (decibel) is a logarithmic unit of
measurementthatexpressesthemagnitudeofaphysical
quantity (usually power or intensity) relative to a
specifed or implied reference level.
Fenestration: Allareas(includingtheframes)inthebuilding
envelope that let in light including windows, plastic
panels,clerestories,skylights,glassdoorsthataremore
thanone-halfglass,andglassblockwalls.
Illuminance: Illuminance is the total luminous fux incident
onasurfaceperunitarea.
Noise: Noise (in sound) is generally any unpleasant sound
and, more technically, any unwanted sound that is
unintentionallyaddedtoadesiredsound.
Orientation:Itisthedirectionanenvelopeelementfaces,
that is, the direction of a vector perpendicular to and
pointingawayfromthesurfaceoutsideoftheelement.
Refectance: The fraction of radiant energy that is refected
fromasurface.
Transmittance: Thefractionofradiantenergythatpasses
throughasurface.
Volatile organic compounds: VOCs (volatile organic
compounds)areorganicchemicalcompoundsthathave
highenoughvaporpressuresundernormalconditionsto
signifcantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere.
Window wall ratio: It is the fraction of the cumulative
window area to the wall area (including fenestration
area)onthesamefacade.
Solid waste management
Aerobic:Abiochemicalprocessorenvironmentalcondition
occurringinthepresenceofoxygen.
Anaerobic: A biochemical process or environmental
conditionoccurringintheabsenceofoxygen
Biodegradable: A compound that can be shredded or
convertedtosimplercompoundsbymicroorganisms
E-waste: It includes discarded materials from a range of
electronic devices such as computers, refrigerators,
televisions, air-conditioners, personal stereos, MP3
players,mobilephones,amongothers.
Pollution
Decibels: Themostcommonmeasureofasoundslevelis
SPL(soundpressurelevel)expressedindB,abbreviated
dB.Decibelsarenottypicalunitslikemetersorkilograms
in that they do not linearly relate to a specifc quantity.
Instead, decibels are based on the logarithmic ratio of
the sound power or intensity to a reference power or
intensity. Sound power and intensity are not easy to
measure. However, sound pressure is easily measured
with a sound level meter. Sound pressure may also
be expressed in dB since sound pressure squared is
proportional to sound power or intensity. We use dB
insteadoftheactualamplitudeofthesoundinunitsof
pressure because its logarithmic value represents the
wayourearsinterpret soundand because the numbers
are moremanageable forourcalculations. Most sounds
fall in the range of 0 to140 dB, which is equivalent to
waves with pressures of 20 to 200000000 micropascals
(or21010to2102atm).TheapproximateSPLs
ofsomecommonsoundsourcesaregiveninthefollowing
table.
Water conservation
Activated carbon fltration: A water fltration process,
which utilizes an activated carbon fltering medium
toremovetaste,odor,someorganiccompounds,and
radon. Activated carbon is effective as a flter for
organicchemicalsbecauseitisanexcellentmedium
forbothadsorption(wherethechemicalinteracts
withthesurfaceofthecarbon)andabsorption(where
thechemicalisincorporatedintothecarbonssurface
structure).
Aerator:Faucetaeratorsaresmallplug-indevicesthat
canreducehomewaterconsumptioncostsbyasmuch
as50%.Faucetaeratorsreplacethefaucetheadscreen,
lowering the fow by adding air to the spray.
Biological contamination:Contaminationarisingdueto
presence,activity,andgrowthofanyandallliving
organisms
Borewell:Adrilledboreinearththatismadedeep
intoanimperviouslayerinordertoreachawater-
bearingstratum.Thewaterreachedcouldbeeither
SPL of common sound sources
Source SPL(dDA)
Faintestaudiblesound 0
Whisper 20
Quietresidence 30
Softstereoinresidence 40
Speechrange 5070
Cafeteria 80
Pneumaticjackhammer 90
Loudcrowdnoise 100
Acceleratingmotorcycle 100
Rockconcert 120
Jetengine(75feetaway) 140
However,calculatingtheSPLoftwosourcestogetheris
notassimpleasaddingtheirindividualdecibellevels.
Twopeoplespeakingat70dBAeacharenotasloudasa
jetengineat140dBA.Tocombinetwodecibelvalues,
theymustbeconvertedbacktopressuresquared,
summed,andconvertedbacktodecibel.
non-replenishablefossilwaterorreplenishableby
infltration of surface water after fowing certain
distancesthroughporousgeologicalformations.In
thisprocess,inproperconditions,thewatergets(or
usedtoget)mostlyfreefromorganicmatter,including
pathogenicorganisms.
Brackish water:Watercontainingdissolvedsolidsinthe
rangeof1000tolessthan15000partspermillion.
Catchment area:Itistheareadrainedbyastreamor
otherwaterbodiesbodyofwater.Theamountofwater
reachingtheriver,reservoirorlakefromitscatchment
areadependsonthesizeofthearea,theamountof
precipitation,andthelossthroughevaporationand
throughabsorptionbytheearthorbyvegetation.
Conductivity:Thepropertyofasubstancetoconduct
(carry)heatorelectricity;theunitofmeasureisthe
Siemens.
Deionization:Theremovalofallionizedmineralsandsalts
(bothorganicandinorganic)fromasolutionbyatwo-
phaseionexchangeprocedure
Demineralization:Theactorprocessofremovingminerals
ormineralsaltsfromaliquidsuchaswater.Wateris
passedthroughamixed-bedionexchangertoremove
solubleionicimpurities.
Distribution downtakes:Thepipelines/ductworkthat
distributewaterfromanoverheadwater-storage
facilitytothevariouswatersupplypointsinthe
building,thatis,bathrooms,kitchens,washareas,and
soon.
Drip irrigation:Dripirrigationcanhelpusewater
effciently in meeting the irrigation requirements of a
landscape.Anirrigationmethodinvolvingsmallpipes
placedatthebaseofplantsdeliveringwaterslowlyto
theplantroots.Awell-designeddripirrigationsystem
losespracticallynowatertorunoff,deeppercolationor
evaporation.
Dual fush toilet: A dual-fush toilet is a variation of the
fush toilet that uses two handles to fush different
levelsofwater.Themainfeatureofthetoiletisthatit
hastwobuttonsforreleasingwater.Thesmallerlevelis
designedforliquidwaste,andthelargerisdesignedfor
solidwaste.
Ecological balance:Astateofdynamicequilibriumwithin
acommunityoforganismsinwhichgenetic,species,
andecosystemdiversityremainrelativelystable,
subjecttogradualchangesthroughnaturalselection.
Economic feasibility:Termusedtounderstandwhether
expectedcostsavings;increasedrevenue,increased
profts, and reductions in required investment exceed
thecostsofdevelopingandoperatingaproposed
system.
Exotic/ornamental plants:Thetermisoftenusedto
describeplantspeciesthathavebeen,orarebeing,
introducedintopartsoftheworldotherthantheir
historicalordocumentedrangebyhumans,oftenas
ornamentalplants.
Flow rate: Flowrateisaparameterusedtomarkthe
effciency of appliances using liquids. For water
fxtures, fow rate gives the amount of water (in litres
or gallons) that fows from a particular fxture in a given
time(inminutesorseconds).
Flow regulator: A device that controls the fow of water
(inthepresentcontext)tothedesiredlevel,generally
used to reduce the fow coming from faucets where
conservingwateristheaim.
Habitat:Theplacewhereapopulation(forexample,
human,animal,plantormicroorganism)lives,withits
surroundings,bothlivingandnonliving.
Hardness:Acommonqualityofwater,whichcontains
dissolvedcompoundsofcalciumandmagnesiumand,
sometimes,otherdivalentandtrivalentmetallic
elements.Hardnesspreventssoapfromlathering
bycausingthedevelopmentofaninsolublecurdy
precipitateinthewater;hardnesstypicallycauses
thebuildupofhardnessscale(suchasseenincooking
pans).Dissolvedcalciumandmagnesiumsaltsare
primarilyresponsibleformostscalinginpipesand
waterheatersandcausenumerousproblemsinlaundry,
kitchen,andbath.
Household:Ahouseholdincludesallthepersonswho
occupyahousingunit.Ahousingunitisahouse,an
apartment,amobilehome,agroupofrooms,ora
singleroomthatisoccupied(orifvacant,isintended
foroccupancy)asseparatelivingquarters.
Ion-exchange systems:Aninstallationhavingawater-
softeningmethodoftenfoundonalargescaleat
water purifcation plants; the treatment removes some
organicsandradiumbyaddingcalciumoxideorcalcium
hydroxidetoincreasethepHtoalevelatwhichthe
metalswillprecipitateout.
IR sensors:Itisanelectronicdevice,whichmeasures
infrared light radiating from objects in its feld of view.
TheyarenowbeingusedintheconstructionofPIR-
basedmotiondetectorsinstalledontapsthatactivate
assoonashandscomewithinafewinchesabove,
beloworalongthesidesofthespout.
KPA:KiloPascalisaunitofmeasuringpressure.
Lake beds:Referstothebottomofalakethedepression
formingthegroundunderalake.
Lakes:Aninlandbodyofusuallyfreshwater,largerthan
apoolorpond,generallyformedbysomeobstruction
in the course of fowing water. This could be naturally
occurringorman-made.
Landscape:Theartofarrangingormodifyingtheexisting
featuresof(anareaofland,ahighway,andsoon),to
improveitsappearancebyplantingtrees,shrubs,or
grassoralteringthecontoursoftheground.
Lawns:Alawnisanareaofrecreationaloramenityland
plantedwithgrass,andsometimescloverandother
plants,whicharemaintainedatalow,evenheight.
Lawnsareastandardfeatureofornamentalprivate
andpublicgardensandlandscapesinmuchoftheworld
today.
Leakage (water-related):Wastageofwaterfrom
dysfunctionaldysfunctional water appliances/fxtures
duetochinks,breachesorlooseningofinternal
58
59
mechanicalpartsleadingtoconstantunintended
dripping, seepage or outfow of water.
Low-fow fxtures: Low-fow fxtures use high pressure
and/or aeration to produce a comfortable, pleasing fow
withoutusingmuchwater.Therearetwomaintypesof
low-fow faucets and showerheadsaerating (the most
popular)andnon-aerating.Aeratingmixesairintothe
waterstream.Thismaintainssteadypressuresothe
fow has an even, full shower spray. Non-aerating adds a
pulsetothewaterstreamdeliveringastrongspray.
Llpcd:Litrespercapitaperday.Aunitthatdenotesthe
averagedailywaterquantityusage/supplybyasingle
person.
Mm head:Metresheadisaunittomeasurepressure
availabletoashowerhead.Thehigherthemetrehead,
thegreaterwillbethepressurewithwhichtheshower
headoperates.
Mg/l:Milligramsperlitreistheunitusedtomeasurethe
dissolvedandsuspendedsolidspresentinwater.WHO
recommendsvariousTDS(totaldisolvedsolids)andTSS
levelsforwaterqualityintendedforvariouspurposes.
Micro-irrigation systems:Micro-irrigationreferstolow-
pressureirrigationsystemsthatspray,mist,sprinkle
ordrip.Thetermmicro-irrigationdescribesafamily
ofirrigationsystemsthatapplywaterthroughsmall
devices.Thesedevicesdeliverwaterontothesoilsurface
veryneartheplantorbelowthesoilsurfacedirectlyinto
theplantrootzone.Inurbanlandscapes,micro-irrigation
iswidelyusedwithornamentalplantings.
Municipal water: Purifed and chlorinated water supplied
bythelocalutilityagencyanddeliveredtovarious
buildings.InHyderabad,municipalwaterrefersto
watersuppliedbyHMWSSBthroughpipedwater
connectionstoindividualbuildingsorPSPs(publicstand
posts.
Native species:Anyplantspeciesthatoccursandgrows
naturally in a specifc region or locality. Native plant
speciesdonotrequirewateringotherthanduringthe
initialyearsofestablishment.
Network coverage:Thisreferstotheextentof
connectivityofapolitico-geographicalareatothe
utilityprovidedpuredrinkingwatersupply,existing
inthearea.Itisexpressedasapercentageofthe
totalareacoveredbythenetworkofwatersupply
connectionsgiven.
Pathogenic:Capableofcausingdisease.Pathogensare
mMicroorganismsthatcancausediseaseinother
organismsorinhumans,otheranimals,andplants.They
maybebacteria,viruses,orparasitesandarefound
insewage,inrunofffromanimalfarmsorruralareas
populatedwithdomesticorwildanimals,andinwater
usedforswimming.
Physical feasibility:Thistermreferstotheissueof
consideringfeasibilityofaproposedoptionwithrespect
toitsphysicalimplementationavailabilityofphysical
components,externalconstraints,interactionand
compatibilitywithexistingandothersystems,andso
on.
Piped connections:Thisreferstoonetypeofwater
supplyconnectionsgivenbythecorrespondingutility
in an Indian city. The purifed and chlorinated water is
suppliedtovalidconnectionsviapipednetworkrunning
fromthesupplysourcetothesupplydestination,
whichisusuallythroughvalves/tapsinstalledinthe
destinationbuilding.
Potable water:Waterthatissafefordrinkingandcooking.
Rainwater collection and reuse:Collectionandre-useor
recyclingofrainwatermainlyfromthebuildingrooftop
forthepurposeofgardenirrigation,carwashing,
toilet fushing, and so on. Infrastructure installation for
water collection and storage, fltration and reuse to
implementthissystemofharvestingrainwaterwillbe
required. With an effcient fltration system in place,
thecollectedrainwatermayevenbeusedforpotable
purposes.
Rainwater harvesting system: It is defned as an induced
humanactivityinvolvingcollectionandstorageof
rainwater in some natural or artifcial container either
forimmediateuseorusebeforetheonsetofthenext
monsoon.
Recycled water: Water taken from any waste (effuent)
streamandtreatedtoalevelsuitableforfurtheruse,
where it is used safely and sustainably for benefcial
purposes.Thisisageneraltermthatcanincudedinclude
reclaimedwater.
RO systems:Aninstallationwithawatertreatment
processusedinsmallwatersystemsbyaddingpressure
toforcewaterthroughasemi-permeablemembrane,
RO(reverseosmosis)removesmostdrinkingwater
contaminants.Itisalsousedinwastewatertreatment.
Large-scaleROplantsarenowbeingdeveloped.
Shower: A plumbing fxture with an overhead nozzle
thatsprayswaterdownonthebodywithaccelerated
pressure.
Sprinkler irrigation:Irrigationbypumpingwaterunder
pressurethroughnozzlesandsprayingitovertheland
iscalledsprinklerirrigation.Thereareseveraltypes
ofportablesprinklers,andeachtypeisbestsuitedto
certain lawn shapes and landscape confgurations.
TDS:Itrefertodisintegratedorganicandinorganic
materialcontainedinwater.Excessiveamounts
make water unft for drinking or for use in industrial
processes.
Vegetated area:Anareaorpartofanysitethathas
plantationorgreeneryonitinanyform,thatis,grass,
plants,trees,andsoon.
Water consumption calculator:Acustomizedanduser-
friendlycalculatorhasbeendesignedforprofessional
sandpublictocalculatetheirwaterconsumptionlevels
in various sectors, viz., wWater fxtures, waste water
treatment,rainwaterharvesting,landscapewater
requirement,andsoon.Ithasbeendevelopedtoaidin
understandingtheconventionalconsumptionpatterns
andhighlightsareaswherewaterconservationcanbe
practicedandachieved,followingimplementationof
theGuidelines.
60
Water demand:Thetotalamountofwaterrequired
to satisfy/fulfll the various daily needs physical or
industrialorcommercial,ofanycommunity,which
isthebasisofvolumedeterminationofwatersupply
requirementsforinhabitantsofapolitico-geographical
area,thatis,village,town,city,andsoon.
Water treatment/ fltration/ purifcation systems:Various
mechanical,electricalorothersystems/installations
employingdifferenttechnologiestopurifywaterto
thedesiredquality,determinedbytheenduseofthe
same. Various water treatment/purifcation systems are
fltration, boiling, demineralization, activated carbon
fltration, RO systems, ion-exchange systems, nano
fltration systems, UV fltration systems, and so on.
Water- effcient showerheads: They refer to low-fow
showerheadsthatcanreducehomewaterconsumption
costs by as much as 50%. Low-fow showerheads either
drawinair,orhaveitforcedintothewaterstream
byusingcompressedair.Theair-watermixtureunder
pressurecreatesahighvelocityspray,whichmakes
itseemlikemorewateriscomingoutthanthere
actuallyis.
Water- saving potential:Itreferstothepotential/
possibilityofsavingwaterbyimplementingvarious
waterconservingpractices,andisexpressedasa
percentageofthetotalwatervolumethatisrequired
tooperatethesystemswithconventionalpractices.
Xeriscape: Landscaping designed specifcally for areas that
aresusceptibletodroughtorwherewaterconservation
ispracticed.Itreferstogardeninginwaysthatreduce
oreliminatetheneedforsupplementalirrigation.
DerivedfromtheGreekxerosmeaningdry,theterm
xeriscapemeansliterallydrylandscape.
Stom water management
Amenity:Afeaturethataddsvalueorperceivedvalue
tosomething.Forexample,aswimmingpoolisan
importantamenityofmanyapartmentcomplexes..
Breast height:Toallowmeasurementsoftreetrunksizeto
be compared, a standard point on the trunk is defned.
Itisimportantthatthispointisataconvenientheight
nearthegroundandthatitcanbereliablylocated(and
relocated)bydifferentmeasurers.Thisstandardheight
istermedbreastheight.Thediameterofthestemofa
treemeasuredatbreastheight(4.5ftor1.37m)from
theground.
Catchment neighbourhoods:Communities,developments,
areasthataredevelopedforhabitationaround
catchmentareasofsurfacewaterbodies,viz.,lakes.
Channels:Trenchesorgroovesthatcarrywaterfromone
placetoanother;theycouldbenaturaldrainagechannels
or man-made to satisfy any specifc requirement.
Clogging agent:Amaterialthataidstheobstructionor
hindersthemotionofanyliquidpassingthrougha
surface
Critical Slope area:Themaximumanglewiththe
horizontalatwhichaslopedbankofsoilofagiven
heightwillremainundeformedunreformedwithout
someformofsupport.
Detention ponds:Depressedlandscapedareasusedto
detainstormwaterrunoffduringheavyrainstorms.A
detentionpondisalowlyingareathatisdesignedto
temporarilyholdasetamountofwaterwhileslowly
draining to another location. They are used for food
control when large amounts of rain could cause fash
fooding if not dealt with properly.
Drainage pattern: The confguration of a natural or
artifcial drainage network that drain a watershed
Effuent: Wastewater treated or untreated that fows
outofatreatmentplant,sewer,orindustrial
Filter strips:Filterstripsarelandareasofeitherplanted
orindigenousvegetation,situatedbetweenapotential,
pollutant-sourcearea,andasurface-waterbodythat
receivesrunoff.
Flash foods: A fash food is a rapid fooding of geomorphic
low-lyingareaswashes,rivers,andstreams.Itis
causedbyheavyrainassociatedwithathunderstormor
tropicalstorm.
Flora and Fauna:Plantsconsideredasagroup,especially
theplantsofaparticularcountry,region,ortimeare
termedasFloraandanimals,especiallytheanimalsof
aparticularregionorperiod,consideredasagroupare
termedasFauna.
Fresh water resources:Sourcesofwaterthatare
usefulorpotentiallyusefultohumansthatinclude
agricultural,industrial,household,recreational,and
environmentalactivities.Freshwaterresourcesare
renewableandarecontainedassurfacewater(rivers,
lakes,streams),groundwater,andfrozenwater
(glaciersandpolarcaps)onearth.
Grading:Theactormethodofchangingthenaturalor
existingsurfaceofgroundleveltoasmoothhorizontal
orgentlyslopingsurfacetothedesiredleveliscalled
gradingorleveling.
Grass pavers:Cellularblockswithgrassgrowinginthe
voids.Thesearemostlyusedforexternalpavingviz.,
compounds of factories, offce complex, gardens, and
soon.Theyneedextensivemaintenanceandhavegood
infltration capacity.
Gravel:Aloosemixtureofpebblesandrockfragments
coarserthansand,oftenmixedwithclay,andsoon.
Green roofs:Greenroofsarerooftopsplantedwith
vegetation.Intensivegreenroofshavethicklayersof
soil(6to12inchesormore)thatcansupportabroad
varietyofplantoreventreespecies.Extensiveroofs
aresimplergreenroofswithasoillayerof6inchesor
lesstosupportturf,grass,orothergroundcover.
Ground water recharge:Thesupplyoffreshwaterfound
beneaththeearthssurface(usuallyinaquifers),is
knownasgroundwater.Anyinterventionthatleads
toincreasingthegroundwaterlevelsoraidsthe
availabilityofgroundwateratshallowerdepthsis
understoodtofacilitategroundwaterrecharge.
Hard paving:Pavingmadewithimpervious,hard,and
durablesurfacematerialssuchasstone,ceramictiles,
61
concrete,andsoon.Theconstructionjointsarealso
sealedcompletelytomakethesurfacelong-lastingand
strong.Hardpavingcontributestoincreasedrunoff
frombuildingsitesandalsoaddstoincreasingthe
UrbanurbanheatIslandeffect.
Illegal encroachment:Encroachmentisthesituationthat
existswhenastructureisbuiltinwholeorinpartona
propertythatisnotlegallyownedbytheowner.
Impervious:Aqualityofamaterialthatdoesnotallow
watertopenetratethroughit.
Infltration rate:Thequantityofwaterthatcanenterthe
soil in a specifed time interval
Infltration technique:Thepenetrationofwaterthrough
thegroundsurfaceintosub-surfacesoilistermedas
iInfltration and the various techniques that aid this
phenomenon are called iInfltration techniques.
Infltration trenches and basins:Twoslightlyaltered
techniques that use the infltration method of
controllingstormwaterrunofffromsite.
Land contamination:Landcontaminationisabroadterm
usedtodescribesituationswhereelevatedlevelsof
contaminantsarepresentinlandduetoindustrialuse,
wastedisposal,accidentsorspillages,aerialdeposition
ormigrationofcontaminantsfromadjacentareas.
Land use planning:Thelong-termdevelopmentor
conservationofanareaandtheestablishmentofa
relationshipbetweenlocalobjectivesandregional
goalsisthemainobjectiveofLanduseplanning.Land-
useplanningisoftenguidedbylawsandregulations.
Themajorinstrumentforcurrentland-useplanning
istheestablishmentofzonesthatdivideanareainto
districts, which are subject to specifed regulations.
Low-lying area:Areahavinglittleornoelevationabovea
surfaceorlevel,especiallygroundlevelorwaterlevel
mm/hour:Millimetresperhouristhestandardunitof
measuringrainfallintensity.
Natural drainage: The naturally occurring channelled fow
formedbylandcontoursandridgesandthenstreams
andrivers,whichremoveswaterfromthelandsurface.
Natural site contours/topography:Naturallyoccurring
elevationsandsurfacefeaturesofasite.Thestudy
andrecordingofthesefeaturesonamapistermedof
topography.
Natural water courses:Naturalchannelthroughwhich
water fows to the receiving water bodies outfall;
generallyreferstowastesdischargedintosurface
waters.
Percolation capacity:Percolationisthemovementof
waterdownwardandradiallythroughthesubsurface
soillayers,usuallycontinuingdownwardtothe
groundwater.Thecapacityofasurfacematerialor
thesoilitselftoallowpercolationintothesub-soilis
percolationcapacity.
Percolation pit:Oneoftheeasiestandmosteffective
formsofrainwaterharvestingaredesignedonthe
basis of expected runoff and flled with pebbles or brick
jelly,andriversandandcoveredwithperforatedslabs
wherevernecessary
Pergola:Aframeworkofcrossraftersorlatticeworkonan
openroofsupportedonpostsorcolumns,usuallywith
climbingvines
Permeable/pervious pavements:Permeabilityistherate
atwhichliquidspassthroughsoilorothermaterialsin
a specifed direction. Permeable/pervious paving refers
toarangeofmaterialsandtechniquesforpavingroads,
parkinglotsandwalkwaysthatallowthemovementof
waterandairaroundthepavingmaterial.
Planters:Containersholdsaplingsorplantsthatareused
forvegetatinganysurrounding
Pollutant concentration:Ameasureoftheamountofa
pollutingsubstanceinagivenamountofwater,soil,air,
foodorothermedium.
Precipitation:Anyandallformsofwater,whetherliquid
orsolid,thosefallfromtheatmosphereandreachthe
eEarthssurface.Adaywithmeasurableprecipitation/
rainfallisadaywhenthewaterequivalentofthe
precipitationisequaltoorgreaterthan0.2mm/hour.
Quarrying:Theprocessofextractingstonefor
commercialusefromnaturalrockdepositsiscalled
quarrying.Theextractedmaterialisusedforvarious
purposes,includingconstruction,ornamentation,road
building,andasanindustrialrawmaterial.
Receiving water course:Ariver,lake,ocean,stream,or
otherwatercourseintowhichwastewaterorstormwater
runoffgoesto.
Reseeding:Tosowsimilarseedonthesamesurfaceor
areaagain.
Retention ponds:Aretentionpondisdesignedtoholda
specifc amount of water indefnitely. Usually the pond
isdesignedtohavedrainageleadingtoanotherlocation
whenthewaterlevelgetsabovethepondcapacity,but
stillmaintainsacertaincapacity.
Ridgelines:Theyareformedattheintersectionoftwo
slopes,dividingthedrainagebasinsofseparatewater
bodies.Theirexistenceiscriticalbecausetheyform
naturaldrainagechannelsthatcarryrunoffintothe
receivingwaterbodies.
Runoff volume and rate:Thequantityofthetotalrunoff
emergingfromaparticularsiteduringarainfalleventis
termedasrunoffvolumeandisexpressedincubicmetres
orthousandlitres.Thetimetakenbythetotalrunoffto
fnally leave a particular site gives the runoff rate. Both
runoffvolumeandratearedirectlyproportionaltothe
imperviousnessandbuilt-upareaonsite.
Scale (on appliances):Thewhitishharddepositsleft
behindbydissolvedcalciumandmagnesiumsaltsin
waterareprimarilyresponsibleformostscalingin
pipesandwaterheatersandcausenumerousproblems
inlaundry,kitchen,andbath.
Sediment:Solidfragmentsofinorganicororganicmaterial
thatcomefromtheweatheringofrockandarecarried
anddepositedbywindorwater.
Silt:Fineparticlesofsandorrockthatcanbepickedup
bytheairorwateranddepositedassediment.
Site disturbance:Anyman-madeactivitythataltersa
sitesnaturalcontours,elevations,vegetationcoveror
62
anyotherfeaturescanbetermedassitedisturbance.
Softeners:Chemicalagentsorsolutionsthatareusedas
additivestowatertoreducethehardness,torender
thewatermoreutilitarianarecalledsofteners.
Soil erosion:Soilerosionisthewearingawayoftheland
surface by physical forces such as rainfall, fowing
water,wind,ice,temperaturechange,gravityorother
naturaloranthropogenicagents.
Solar radiation:Energythatisradiatedortransmittedin
theformofraysorwavesorparticles
Storm water drainage management:Stormwaterisof
concernfortwomainissuesonerelatedtothevolume
and timing of runoff water (food control and water
supplies)andtheotherrelatedtopotentialcontaminants
thatthewateriscarrying,thatis,waterpollution.
Stormwaterdrainagemanagementincludespractices
developedinanattempttoreducethenegativeimpacts
ofstormwateronstreamandwatershedhealth.
Storm water:Stormwaterisatermusedtodescribewater
thatoriginatesduringprecipitationevents.Stormwater
thatdoesnotsoakintothegroundbecomessurface
runoff, which either fows directly into receiving water
bodiesorischanneledintostormwaterdrains,which
eventuallydischargetosurfacewaters.
Sub-soil/sub strata:Thelayerofearthimmediatelybelow
thetopsoil,consistingpredominantlyofminerals
andleachedmaterialssuchasironandaluminium
compounds.
Sub-surface storage:Waterthatisstoredbelowthe
surfaceoftheearthwhereeitheraseparatefacility
isconstructedoritsoccupiesspaceinsoilsorgeologic
strata.
Surface runoff:Thatpartofprecipitation,snowmelt,or
irrigationwaterthatrunsoffthelandintostreamsor
othersurfacewater;cancarrypollutantsfromtheair
andlandintothereceivingwaters.
Sustainable urban drainage systems:Aimtoreduce
fooding by managing urban run off in the way most
suited to the specifc development. Examples of SUDS
(sustainableurbandrainagesystem)measuresinclude:
excavationofswales,basins,pondsandsoak-aways;
permeablepavingorotherpervioussurfaces,and
plantingofreedbeds/wetlands.
Urban Heat Island Effect:Thewell-knownphenomenon
allusivetotheatmospherictemperaturerise
experiencedbyanyurbanizedarea.Theheatisland
phenomenonhasbeencommonlyassociatedtocities,
becausetheirsurfacesarecharacterizedbylowalbedo,
highimpermeabilityandfavourablethermalproperties
fortheenergystorageandheatrelease.
Urbanization:Urbanizationisanindexoftransformation
fromtraditionalruralagrarianeconomiestomodern
industrialones.
Vacuum sweeping machine:Anappliancethatcleans
outdoorareas,mainlypavements,roads,parkingareas,
andsoon,bysuctionsoastoremoveparticulate
matterandridthesurfaceofanycloggingofthepores.
Variance:Avarianceisanexceptiontoazoning/rule/
orderrestriction,whichallowsuseofthelandoutside
therequirementsofthezoningforthatarea.Avariance
applicationgenerallyincludedthepremiseanddegree
ofdeviationfromanestablishedsetofrules.
Vegetated roof/ green roof:Roofsthatarevegetated,
andhaveplantlifegrowingonthemarealsocalled
greenroofs.Greenroofslastlongerthanconventional
roofs,reduceenergycostswithnaturalinsulation,
createpeacefulretreatsforpeopleandanimals,and
absorbstormwater,potentiallylesseningtheneedfor
complexandexpensivedrainagesystems.
Water logging:Waterstagnatingonground,siteorroads
with no draining route or because of fooding. This
generally occurs during fash foods in low lying areas
wheredrainagechannelsarealtered.
Water pollution:Theman-madeorman-inducedalteration
ofthephysical,biological,andradiologicalintegrityof
water.
Water scarcity:Thisisarelativeconceptdescribing
therelationshipbetweendemandforwaterandits
availability. It can be defned as a situation where there
is insuffcient water to satisfy normal requirements.
Water-holding capacity:Theabilityofthesoiltoretainor
storewater.Generally,thetermisappliedtosystems
that act as infltration instruments, for example, lakes.
Wetlands:Constructedwetlandsforthepurposeof
stormwatermanagementareafurtherenhancement
ofretentionponds,andincorporateshallowareas
plantedwithmarshorwetlandvegetation.These
provide a much greater degree of fltering and removal
ofnutrientsbyalgaeand,toalesserextent,by
incorporationintoplantmaterial.
Sewage management
Aerobic:Lifeorprocessesthatrequire,orarenot
destroyedby,thepresenceofoxygen
Anaerobic:Alifeorprocessthatoccursin,orisnot
destroyedby,theabsenceofoxygen
Aquifer:Anundergroundgeologicalformation,,orgroupof
formations,containingusableamountsofgroundwater
thatcansupplywellsandsprings
Biomethanization:Productionofmethanegasfrombio-
degradablematerialbyanaerobicdigestionofmunicipal
solidwasteiscalledBio-methanization.
Chlorides:Compoundsofchlorine,whichisahighly
reactivehalogenelement,usedmostoftenintheform
ofapungentgastodisinfectdrinkingwater
Compliance:Thestateofbeinginaccordancewith
established guidelines, specifcations or legislation or
theprocessofbecomingso
Discharge: The releasing of any liquid, generally effuent
fromatreatmentprocessoruntreatedwastewaterinto
anintendedorunplanneddestinationbyconnectingto
thesame
Disposal:Finalplacementordestructionoftoxic,
radioactiveorotherwastes;surplusorbanned
pesticidesorotherchemicals;pollutedsoils.Disposal
63
maybeaccomplishedthroughuseofapprovedsecure
landflls, surface impoundments, land farming, deep
wellinjection,oceandumpingorincineration.
Dual plumbing:Separatepipingsystemsinstalledfor
freshwaterandrecycled/treatedgreyorblackwater
reusewithinafacility,whichcouldbewaterusage
areasinthebuildingorsiteliketoilets,washareas,
landscaping,andsoon.
Effective microorganisms:EM(effectivemicroorganism)
technologyasitisistrademarkednowusesalaboratory
culturedmixtureofmicroorganisms,whichcoexist
for the beneft of whichever environment they are
introduced,andisbeingextensivelyusedinsewageand
solidwastetreatment.
Fertilizer:Materialssuchasnitrogenandphosphorus
thatprovidenutrientsforplants.Commerciallysold
fertilizersmaycontainotherchemicalsormaybeinthe
formofprocessedsewagesludge.
Grey water:Wastewaterfromclothes,washingmachines,
showers,bathtubs,handwashingandsinks,butnot
sewage
Groundwater:Thesupplyoffreshwaterfoundbeneath
theearthssurface(usuallyinaquifers),whichisoften
accessedthroughwellsandsprings
Irrigation:Techniqueforapplyingwaterorwastewaterto
landareastosupplythewaterandnutrientneedsof
plants
Land application:Dischargeofwastewaterontothe
groundfortreatmentorreuse
Landfll: Landflls are land disposal sites for non-hazardous
solidwastesatwhichwastesarespreadinlayers,
compactedtothesmallestpracticalvolume,and
coveredattheendofeachoperatingday
Manure:Material,especiallyorganicrefuse,oftenwith
discardedanimaldung,usedtofertilizesoil
On-site:Theperformanceofanyrelatedactivity,either
duringconstructionoroperationandmaintenanceon
theconstruction/buildingsiteitselfistermedasan
on-siteactivity.
Operation and maintenance:Actionstakenafter
constructiontoensurethatfacilitiesconstructed
totreatwastewaterwillbeproperlyoperated,
maintained, and managed to achieve effciency levels
and prescribed effuent levels in an optimum manner
Organic:Referringtoorderivedfromlivingorganisms.In
chemistry,anycompoundcontainingcarbon
pH:Ameasureofbothacidityandalkalinityonascale
of014,withsevenrepresentingneutrality;numbers
lessthansevenindicateincreasingacidityandnumbers
greaterthansevenindicateincreasingalkalinity.Acid
raincanincreasethepHlevelofthewaterinalake,
thereby,killingalllife.
Potable water:Waterthatissafefordrinkingandcooking
Recharge (groundwater):Theadditionofwaterto
anaquiferbynaturalorinducedmeasures,soasto
increaseitavailabilitylevels
Recycle:Theprocessofminimizingthegeneration
ofwastebyrecoveringusableproductsthatmight
otherwisebecomewastes
Regulations:Principles,rulesorlawsdesignedtocontrol
orgovernconductaimedatachievingsocialwellbeing
Residual:Amountofapollutantremaininginthe
environmentafteranaturalortechnologicalprocess
hastakenplace,forexample,thesludgeremaining
afterinitialwastewatertreatment,orparticulates
remaininginairaftertheairpassesthroughascrubbing
orotherpollutantremovalprocess
Retroftting:Theprocessofadditionofnewtechnologyor
featurestooldersystemstoenhanceoroptimizetheir
performance
Reuse:Theadditionaluseofacomponent,part,or
productafterithasbeenremovedfromaclearly
defned service cycle. Reuse does not include
reformation.However,cleaning,repairorrefurbishing
maybedonebetweenuses.
Sewage:Thewasteandwastewaterproducedby
residentialandcommercialestablishmentsand
dischargedintosewers
Sewer:Achannelorconduitthatcarrieswastewaterand
stormwaterrunofffromthesourcetoatreatment
plantorreceivingstream.Sanitarysewerscarry
household,industrial,andcommercialwastes.Storm
sewerscarryrunofffromrainorsnow.Combinedsewers
areusedforbothpurposes.
Sludge:Asemisolidresiduefromanyofanumberofairor
watertreatmentprocesses.Sludgecanbeahazardous
waste.
Suspended solids:Smallparticlesofsolidpollutantsthat
foat on the surface of or are suspended in sewage or
otherliquids.Theyresistremovalbyconventionalmeans.
Sustainable:Developmentthatensuresthattheuse
ofresourcesandtheenvironmenttodaydoesnot
compromisetheiruseinthefuture
Temperature:Thedegreeofhotnessorcoldnessofabody
ormaterial.
Volatile:Descriptionofanysubstancethatevaporates
readily
Waste water treatment:Afacilitycontainingaseriesof
tanks, screens, flters, and other processes by which
pollutantsareremovedfromwater
Waste water:Waterthatcarrieswastesfromhomes,
businesses,andindustries.Itisusuallyamixtureof
wateranddissolvedorsuspendedsolids.
Building material
Building materials:Referstovariousmaterialsusedfor
constructingbuildings
Compressed earth blocks:CEB(compressedearthblocks),
areconstructionblocksmadewithclay,sand,anda
stabilizingingredientsuchaslimeorPortlandcement.
Theearthmixtureispouredintoahydraulicpress
machine.Sincetheyaremachine-made,compressed
earthblocksareuniforminsizeandshape.
64
Ecology:Therelationshipoflivingthingstooneanother
andtheirenvironmentorthestudyofsuchrelationships
Embodied energy:Energyrequiredtoextract,process,
package,transport,install,andrecycleordisposeoff
materialsthatmakeupabuildingsconstruction.
Environmental footprint:Theenvironmentalimpact
thatanentitymakesasitperformsanyactivity.A
footprintisdeterminedbyhowwellrawmaterialsor
by-productsareorarenotabsorbedbythesurrounding
environment.
Ferro-cement systems:Athinshellofhighlyreinforced
Portlandcementmortar.Generally,ferroFerrocement
shellsrangefrom1/2inchto2inchesinthickness,
andthereinforcementconsistsoflayersofsteelmesh,
usuallywithsteelreinforcingbarssandwichedmidway
between
Fly ash:Non-combustibleresidualparticlesfromthe
combustion process carried by fue gas
Lumber:Woodorwoodproductsusedforconstruction
Masonry:Constructionachievedthroughtheuseofunits
of various natural or artifcial mineral products, such
asstone,brickorconcrete.Thetermmaybeapplied
to the craft itself or to the fnished product. Nowadays
good quality fy ash is available from thermal power
plants,whichareprocessedandusedinmanufacturing
ofPPC(Portlandpozzolanacement).
Portland pozzolona cement:Itisobtainedbyeitherinter-
grindingapozzolanicmaterialwithclinkerandgypsum
orbyblendinggroundpozzolanawithPortlandcement.
Precast systems:Componentswhicharecastandpartly
maturedinafactoryoronthesitebeforebeinglifted
into their fnal position on a structure. Precasting
increases the strength and fnish durability of the
memberanddecreasestimeandconstructioncosts.
Ready mix concrete:Ready-mixconcreteisatypeof
concretethatismanufacturedinafactoryorbatching
plant,accordingtoasetrecipe,andthendeliveredtoa
worksite,bytruckmountedtransitmixers.
Reinforced cement:Pouredconcrete(astronghard
buildingmaterialcomposedofsand,gravel,cement,
andwater)containingsteelbarsormetalnettingto
increaseitstensilestrength
Renewable:Resourcesthathavethecapacitytobe
naturallyreplenisheddespitebeingharvested(for
example, forests, fsh). The supply of these resources
can,intheory,neverbeexhausted,usuallybecauseitis
continuouslyproduced
Salvaged timber:Second-handtimber;alsocalled
reclaimedtimber.Timberavailableforharvestin
connectionwithincidentaldevelopment,geologicalor
geo-physicalexplorationoractsofnature
Ecology and geological conservation
Accredited geologist: A professionally qualifed and
certifed scientist, who, by virtue of his/her education
andexperienceiseligibletosurvey,analyseandadvise
appropriatelyregardingthegeologicalsuitability/
viabilityofdevelopmentalplansofaparticularsite
Aesthetic quality:Thevisualandfunctionalappealofa
naturalorman-madeassetthatincreasestheperceived
qualityofthesame
Air quality:Ameasurementofthepollutantsintheair;a
descriptionofhealthinessandsafetyoftheatmosphere
Basement: One or more foors of a building that are
either completely or partially below the ground foor.
Basementsaretypicallyusedasutilityspaceswhere
suchitemsascarparking,airconditioningsystem,and
electricaldistributionsystemsarelocated.
Biodiversity:Thevarietyofdifferentlivingorganisms
fromallsourcesincludingterrestrial,marineand
otheraquaticecosystemsandthevarietyofdifferent
ecosystemsthattheyform.Thisincludesdiversity
withinspecies,betweenspeciesandofecosystems,and
thegeneticvariabilityofeachspecies.
Black cotton soil:Soiltypethatischaracterizedbyhigh
claycontent,absorbwaterheavily,swell,becomesoft,
losestrength,easilycompressibleandisunsuitablefor
constructionactivitiesgenerally.
Conservation zone:Adesignatedareaoflocal,nationalor
globalarchitectural,historicorecologicalimportance,
thecharacterandappearanceofwhichisdesirableto
preserveorenhance
Construction runoff/ waste water:Runoffthatis
generatedduetowaterusedinvariousconstruction
relatedactivitiesonasite,viz.,curing,concreteand
mortarmixing,etc.Duetothenatureofthevarious
chemicalsusedinmanufacturingvariousbuilding
materials,constructionrunoffishighlypollutedand
ladenwithsediments.
Contaminated material:Materialthatispollutedby
hazardousornon-hazardouschemicalsandcannotbe
acceptedforits
Demarcation:Thesettingormarkingofboundariesor
limits to delineate a specifed area from a larger area
Divert:Theactofchanginganaturalcourseor
intentionallycreatingadirectionalchanneltoallow
materialtobecarriedfromonepointtoanother.
Dust pollution:Airpollutioncausedbydustparticles
Ecosystems:Naturalunitconsistingofallplants,animals
andmicro-organismsinanareafunctioningtogether
withallthephysicalfactorsoftheenvironment.Itisa
unitofinter-dependentorganismswhichsharethesame
habitat.
Effective planting:Plantingvegetationthatismost
suitableforthesoilcharacteristicsandthelocal
climate, and it also gives the additional beneft of
preventingsoilerosionandconservingthetopsoil
Erosion control:Thewearingawayoflandsurfaceby
wind,water,glaciers,chemicals,andexposureto
theatmosphere.Erosionoccursnaturallybutcan
be intensifed by land-clearing practices related to
farming,residentialorindustrialdevelopment,road
buildingordeforestation.
Evolution:Agradualprocessinwhichsomethingchanges
intoadifferentandusuallymorecomplexorbetterform
65
Geology:Sciencethatdealswiththeorigin,history,and
structureoftheearth,includingthestudyofrocksand
minerals
Hazardous:Anymaterial/substancethatcanposea
substantialorpotentialhazardtohumanhealthorthe
environmentwhenimproperlymanaged
Heritage:Aproperty,structure,cultureorsomethingthat
defnes the unique identity of a place and comes or
belongstoacommunitybyvirtueofbirthorlivinginit.
Hydrological regime:Thenaturalbehavioralpattern
ofwatermovementoverthesurfaceandbelowit,
consisting of magnitude, fow direction and timing,
and so on that that defne the water resource scenario
ofaregion.Thegeology,climate,andtheecological
activitiesoftheregionhaveahighbearingtothe
formationofthisregime.
Inventory:Anevaluationorasurveyconsistingofa
detailed,itemizedlist,reportorrecordofassetsor
resourcesmakingupaparticularproperty
Landscape architect:Onewhoseprofessionisthe
decorativeandfunctionalalterationandplanting
ofgrounds,especiallyatoraroundabuildingsite.
Landscapearchitectsareconcernedwithimprovingthe
waysinwhichpeopleinteractwiththelandscape,as
wellaswithreducingthenegativeimpactsthathuman
usehasuponsensitivelandscapes.
Mature tree:Atreethathasreachedadesiredsizeorage
foritsintendeduse.Size,ageoreconomicmaturity
variesdependingonthespeciesandintendeduse.It
alsoreferstoatreethathasawell-developedtree
canopy(thatis,maturecanopy).Smallertreesare
usuallyconsideredmatureat20yearsandforlarger
trees,25years.
Micro habitats:Asmall,localizedhabitatwithinalarger
ecosystem,asadecomposingloginaforest,having
conditionsthatsustainalimitedrangeofanimalsand
plants
Migratory birds:Birdstravellingfromoneplacetoanother
atregulartimesoftheyear,oftenoverlongdistances.
Mulch:Anyloosematerialplacedoverthesoiltocontrol
weedsandconservesoilmoisture.Usuallythisisa
coarseorganicmatter,suchasleaves,clippingsorbark,
butplasticsheetingandothercommercialproductscan
alsobeused.Ifplacedaroundplants,mulchprovides
additional benefts, including the diminution of erosion
andwaterloss,andtheregulationofsoiltemperature.
Non-invasive:Species,whichareabletoproliferateand
aggressivelyalterordisplaceindigenousbiological
communities.
Non-native:Notindigenousororiginatingfromaparticular
area
Onsite treatment plant:Atreatmentfacilitysetupon
theverysitethatisgeneratingthewastewater/runoff,
sothatconveyingtheuntreatedwatertoacommon
facilityordisposingwithouttreatmentcanbeavoided.
Percolate:Thepropertyofamaterial/systemthatallows
liquidtopassthroughordrainthroughsmallholes
Peripheral areas:Areasonornearanedgeorconstituting
anouterboundaryofacentrallocation
Preservation:Theactorprocessofsafeguardingany
resourcefrominjury,destructionordecay
Rainfall intensity:Theamountofrainfalloccurringina
unitoftime,usuallyexpressedininchesormillimetres
perhour
Recreational space:Apublicspacethatisallocated
anddesignedforrecreationalpurposes.Forexample,
parks,auditoria,galleries,riverandlakefronts,and
soon
Regulated green zones:Earmarkedordesignatedzones
protected by law where specifc human activities are
restrictedforwantofprotectingandenhancingthe
ecologicalvalueofthesame
Remote sensing:Theuseofsatellitestogatherdata,
images,andso,soastostudyvariousphenomenaon
earthorotherbodiesofthesolarsystem
Replantation:Toplantagainorinanewplace;refersto
compensatoryreplantationintheeventofunavoidable
removalofatree/plantfromaparticularsite
Rock formations:Isolated,scenicorspectacular
surfaceroofoutcrops.Theseareusuallytheresultof
weatheringanderosionsculptingtheexistingrockover
millionsofyears.
Rock gardens:Rockgardensreallyoffersomeofthemost
spectaculargardenvistas.Alongwithextensiveusage
ofrocksandstonestheplantsnativetotherockyor
alpineenvironmentsarefeaturedintherockgardens
orrockeries.Therockgardenisusuallyobservedasa
pileofrocksofdifferentsizesthatareaesthetically
arrangedwithsmallgapsbeingintroducedinbetween
them for planting of fora.
Rock stabilization:Theapplicationofvarioustechniques
tomakeanunstablerockslopeorstructure,stable,and
safe
Sapling: A young tree; specifcally one that is not over four
inchesindiameteratbreastheight
Sedimentation pit:Atemporarypit,whichisconstructed
totrapthesedimentscomingfromconstructionrunoff
so that it is fltered before being disposed or further
treated
Seeding:Tosprinklewithseedorsowseedsfordeveloping
anyvegetation
Settlement:Acommunityofpeoplelivingtogether,thatis
smallerthanatown
Site planning:Theorganizationalstageofplanningany
sitedevelopment.Itincludesoutliningofallstructures
alongwithsiteimprovements,suchasdriveways,
parkinglots,landscaping,andutilityconnections.
Soil characteristics:Thevariousphysical,chemical,
hydrological,andgeologicalcharacteristicsofsoiltypes
thatcollectivelydetermineitssuitabilityforsupporting
plantlifeandothersitedevelopments
Soil pollution:Build-upofsoilsofpersistenttoxic
compounds,chemicals,salts,radio-activematerials,or
diseasecausingagents,whichhaveadverseeffectson
plantgrowthandanimalhealth
Spillages:Theaccidentalcausingoffallingordrainingof
liquids
Stabilizing material:Materialusedtocoversoiltogive
additionalsupportorstabilityandpreventitfrom
erodingawayfromslopes,incaseofrainfallorother
causes,andsoon.
Survey:Thecollectionofdatafromagivenpopulation
forthepurposeofanalysisofaparticularissue.Data
isoftencollectedfromonlyasampleofapopulation,
whichisknownasasamplesurvey.
Swales:Lowtractofland,especiallyonethatismoist
andmarshy.Thetermcanrefertoanaturallandscape
featureorahuman-createdone.Whencreated
specifcally, this open drain system is usually designed
tomanagerunoff.
Top soil conservation:Theactivityortheprocess
ofremovingandprotectingthetopsoilfromany
constructionordevelopmentsiteforreusingitonsite
lateronfordevelopingalandscape;basicallydoneto
conservethetopsoilthathavehighgeologicalvalue.
Transplantation:Theprocessofdiggingupaplant/tree
andmovingittoanotherlocation
Urban niches:Nicheorspecializedzonesinurbanareas
thatareassemblagesofvariousnativeecological
factors(water,food,energy,land,climate,andso
on)andecologicalrelationships(qualityoflife,inter-
relationswithotherlifesystems,andsoon)
Others
Particulate:Fineliquidorsolidparticles,suchasdust,
smoke,mist,fumesorsmog,foundinairoremissions
66
An abri dged manual on
Energy
Comfort

Water
Storm water
Sewage
Solid waste management
Pollution
Ecology and geology
Building materials
visual, thermal, noise level, air quality
Energy
Comfort

Water
Storm water Solid waste management
Pollution
Ecology and geology
Building materials
visual, thermal, noise level, air quality)
Sewage
Ecology and geology
Building materials
Water
Comfort
Comfort

visual, thermal, noise level, air quality)
Water
Sewage
Like other cities, Hyderabad has been growing at an extremely fast rate. The ever-increasing
population is exerting tremendous pressure on the existing resources and infrastructure facilities. This
has led to negative impacts on the natural environment of Hyderabad. Given this backdrop, the HMDA
(Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority) initiated the development of EBRGs (Environmental
Building Regulation Guidelines) in association with TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) and
Terraviridis Environmental Building Design Consultants, in order to promote the design, construction,
and retroft of habitats and buildings that are environmentally sustainable and help in minimizing their
impacts on the environment in the Greater Hyderabad area.
This booklet aims to provide a concise summary of the ERBGs in an easy-to-understand format.
EBRGs cover various aspects of sustainable design at the building level, as well as the neighbourhood
levels. These guidelines attempt to provide information and direction to various stakeholders in order to
create an environment-friendly sustainable habitat. Divided into various sub-heads energy, comfort,
water, storm water, sewage, solid waste management, pollution, ecology and geology, and materials
the booklet contains simple solutions and tips to improve the energy and resource performance of
the new as well as existing buildings.