Cover Story
By: uma bansal
Green
Buildings
Pay off
Businesses can lower their operating expenses and earn
goodwill too by operating from green buildings. The best part
is that these buildings would not cost you much more than a
normal building if designed the right way.
A
s the mercury level
continues a relentless climb, it calls
for measures to
combat it. Even before end-users gear up to take advantage of green developments,
‘cool by nature’ buildings have
notched the top position in global
debates on environment sustainability. With environment concerns
such as pollution, global warming
and shortage of greenery gaining
prominence, developing buildings
which are green and will not only
help protect the environment but
also save our natural resources
has become our necessity. In the
middle of steel and concrete constructions, eco-friendly buildings
or green building techniques can
actually help in saving the environment.
Informs Seemant Sharma,
director and general manager,
ES, Building Efficiency, Johnson
Controls India, “According to the
United Nations Environment
Program, buildings consume
30-40 per cent of global energy.
There is no single larger global
contributor—and thereby potential reducer—of carbon than the
building sector. Today’s building
owners and managers have an increasing responsibility to address
energy efficiency within their organisations.”
“As per Environment Protection Agency (EPA), green buildings—also known as sustainable
or high-performance buildings—
are the practice of increasing the
efficiency with which buildings
and their sites use and harvest
energy, water, and materials;
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Cover Story
Green buildings typically consume 40-50
per cent less energy and 20-30 per cent less
water— Seemant Sharma, director and general manager, ES,
Building Efficiency, Johnson Controls India
and protecting and restoring human health and the environment,
throughout the building life-cycle
(siting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and
deconstruction),” explains Sharma.
“Green buildings typically consume 40-50 per cent less energy
and 20-30 per cent less water; these
provide better daylight views and
a fresh quality of air, hence making the working/living environment
healthier. For building managers
and owners, the challenge today is
to design, build and operate buildings in the most efficient economical and environmentally responsible
way and green buildings certainly
have the answer for this need,” he
adds.
Vidur Bharadwaj, director, The
3C Company, sums up, “The main
idea behind any green development
is to reduce the adverse effect on the
environment by minimising wastage
of energy, material and water at every stage. A green building uses less
water, optimises energy efficiency,
conserves natural resources, generates less waste and provides healthier spaces for occupants.”
Benefits of green
buildings
In terms of benefits for developers and occupants, “green buildings offer developers with higher
rents and resale value along with
speedier environment related approvals. For tenants, green buildings offer lower operating expenses
in terms of reduction in energy and
water costs. Moving away from economics, a green building also leads
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FACTS FOR YOU
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January 2011
to improved health and well-being of
occupants,” informs Jayesh Kariya,
head-real estate and construction at
KPMG, India.
Businesses going for green buildings stand to enjoy the following
marketing advantages:
1. Enhanced brand image
2. Public goodwill
3. Enhanced marketing capability
4. Unique selling proposition
(USP)
5. Better employee retention and
attraction
6. Ecologically correct
7. Productivity benefits
Green measures
“Practices which make a building green include the way it is constructed, materials which are used,
and a number of active and passive
features. These also include the way
the building is maintained and run,
the embodied energy in a material
used in the building, usage of energy-efficient mechanical and electrical systems, correct quantity of glass
not only in usage but in kind and
location, and reduction in usage of
recycled and rapidly used material,”
informs Bharadwaj.
Says P.S. Deodhar, founder, MIT-
RAMAX Energy, “The five main aspects currently adopted are design
and architecture of a green building, water conservation, use of solar/
wind energy, solar water heating and
sewage and garbage processing:
Design and architecture.
Design and architecture of a green
building, including landscaping and
the exterior design, should ensure
there is more shaded area and also
the area to plant and grow local species of plants within the plot.
Conservation of water has to
be aimed in various ways. Rain
falling over the whole area of the
complex should be harvested and
used in the building. The toilet design should be chosen to flush with
minimal water and plumbing should
have separate lines for drinking and
flushing. Used water from kitchen
and bath has to be treated and reused for gardening.
Use of solar/wind energy.
The solar and wind energy has to
be used to supplement the electrical grid power. Rooms are to be designed to use the natural light so as
to minimise the usage of electricity.
CFL and LED light fixtures save
the energy. Efficient insulation in
walls, ceilings and floors should be
used for better temperature control.
Solar water heating. Fully
programmable solar hybrid water
heating systems make available hot
water instantaneously on 24×365
basis. Such a solar water heating
system will save at least 7.2 units/
flat/day for an average of 300 days.
Sewage and garbage process-
Practices which make a building green
include the way it is constructed, materials
which are used, and a number of active and
passive features— Vidur Bharadwaj, director, The 3C
Company
Cover Story
ing. Presently, sewage is treated by
physical and biological treatment
units using conventional method.
In another natural treatment system, they use wetland species for
sewage treatment. This ancient
technology using wetland species is
named root zone cleaning system.
Such a root zone of plant along with
the soil system plays an important
role in wastewater treatment. The
treatment efficiency is 90 to 98 per
cent.”
Green measures adopted by the
recently constructed green buildings include preservation and reuse
of fertile top soil, central courtyards,
maximum utilisation of natural day
lighting, ventilation, roof gardens to
The five main aspects currently adopted are
design and architecture of a green building,
water conservation, use of solar/wind
energy, solar water heating, and sewage and
garbage processing— P.S. Deodhar, founder, MITRAMAX
Energy
reduce heat impact, water recycling
for irrigation and air-conditioning,
treatment of wastewater, use of
energy-efficient
air-conditioning
systems, handling of construction
waste, use of materials with recycled
content, and use of paints, sealants
and adhesives with low volatile or-
Solutions to Achieve the Goals of Green Buildings
Building performance simulation. It refers to a range of analytic design services
that are essential for the design of an efficient, sustainable and green building. Some of
the various analyses available are energy analysis, fenestration analysis, solar insolation
analysis, daylight analysis, location analysis, light pollution analysis, reflection and glare
analysis, shadow analysis, visibility/views analysis, acoustic analysis and computational
fluid dynamics analysis.
Sustainable building management software. These monitor building performance
(for energy, water and indoor air quality) and provide facility management support (managing maintenance schedules, alerts), lease management and building/tenant asset management.
Water management system. It monitors the water usage of the property in real
time, enabling one to take corrective actions when required and drive significant cost and
resource savings.
Energy management systems. These enable property owners/managers to see the
big picture and monitor the energy usage of the property so as to make the property more
energy-efficient.
Building integrated photovoltaic systems. Integration of photovoltaic technology
into the architectural design of buildings and structures, thereby producing electricity. Use
of photovoltaics as building elements offsets wastage by reducing the amount spent on
building materials.
Integrated building management solutions. These control and monitor the building’s mechanical and electrical equipment such as ventilation, cooling/heating, lighting,
pumps, access control, fire systems and security systems.
Lighting automation systems. These use occupancy-based lighting control, electronic dimming ballast based lighting control and programmable time scheduling.
Others. Use of eco-friendly and less energy-intensive materials and energy-efficient
appliances in buildings; high-albedo and vegetated roofs to reduce heat absorption;
water conservation techniques like rainwater harvesting, waste water recycling, dual
plumbing systems and low-flow water fixtures; and integration of renewable energy
technologies.
—Raghav Adapa, sustainability consultant, Surmount Energy Solutions
ganic compound.
It is estimated that 40 per
cent of energy consumption in a
building is on account of heating,
ventilation and air-conditioning
(HVAC). Green buildings have
provision for solar protection to
prevent heat gain in the premises during the day, which further
helps in preserving the energy.
This is done by maintaining the
ambient temperature within the
premises so as to reduce the usage
of air-conditioning. In winters,
the natural heat can be allowed in
the premises using the same solar
shades, thereby helping the heating system perform better.
Thus the designing of the building plays a vital role. Green building techniques emphasise on taking
advantage of renewable resources
like sunlight (through passive solar, active solar and photovoltaic
techniques) and plants and trees
(through green roofs and rain gardens) and reduction of rainwater
run-off.
“At The 3C Company, we are
blending new technologies with
classic ones to develop high-performance sustainable buildings
which would help in reducing the
carbon footprints on earth. Innovative concepts like a courtyard as a
microclimate generator, a sunken
court and fins to ensure maximum
diffused natural light entering the
basement, use of grass pebbles or
green pavers to reduce day glaring,
a light well to produce an aesthetic
language, use of double glazed glass
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Cover Story
that it uses less energy or water?
To achieve the goal of the green building, a
coordinated effort of all project members is
needed from early stages of project design—
Dr Prem C. Jain, chairman of IGBC, and chairman and managing
director of Spectral Services Consultants
to reduce green house effect and a
green roof are the techniques used
to make green buildings. Water
harvesting and recycling, product
recycling and use of solar energy
are some of the other techniques
used in green buildings,” informs
Bharadwaj.
How to start?
Suggests Raghav Adapa, sustainability consultant, Surmount Energy Solutions, “Businesses which
are interested in developing a green
building must:
1. Evaluate return on investment
to understand financial implications
on capital costs of sustainability
2. Quantify the deliverables in
terms of energy savings, water efficiency, reduced wastages, increased
productivity and enhanced marketability
3. Assess intangibles that cannot
be directly quantified”
“To achieve the goal of the green
building, a coordinated effort of all
project members is needed from
early stages of project design to optimise the building’s energy, water
and material efficiency as well as reduce the amount of waste generated
during the project’s life-cycle,” says
Dr Prem C. Jain, chairman of Indian
Green Building Council (IGBC), and
chairman and managing director of
Spectral Services Consultants.
Explains Deepa Sathiaram, executive director, En3 Sustainability
Solution, “Anybody willing to have
a green building should involve a
green design team right from day
one working with their regular ar10
FACTS FOR YOU
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January 2011
chitect and consultant to see how to
incorporate and integrate all these
green measures. All through these
stages, the team will be doing a lot of
cost-benefit analysis.
“Also in green we look at not
only the investment but the lifecycle cost also. Let’s say you are
going to use a particular system
that costs you X Rs more today but
may save you, say, 5 per cent per
month in terms of energy, have a
payback period of 3-5 years and
last 15 years. So after five years, it
benefits you for the remaining ten
years. We look not just at the initial cost but also at the operational
cost, maintenance cost, replacement cost, etc and at the end of the
day provide the right environment
for the occupants.”
There are buildings which are
yet to be built and then there are
existing buildings which are already built and occupied and have
been operating for many years now.
In new buildings the focus is on
design. If designed right way with
right equipment and materials,
these can reduce water and energy
consumption. In existing buildings,
the approach is quite different. The
question here is: “Can we improve,
modify or retrofit the building so
Cost involved
Cost is over and above what it
would cost you otherwise. However,
it’s a relative parameter and a lot of
it depends on design. “If you do thorough design analysis and design the
building right way, it should actually cost you not much more than a
normal building. If you don’t do that
and try to use better material to save
energy, the cost will escalate,” says
Sathiaram.
For example, “if the building
has some kind of external shading
to prevent direct radiation on the
glass, the heat coming in on the
glass is lower and the specification
of the glass can be much lower to
achieve the same benefit. On the
other hand, for a completely exposed glass facade, the specification of the glass has to be very
superior to prevent heat from coming into the building. If you design
the building right way, you don’t
have to use very expensive materials to actually make it green. In
some cases where you miss the bus
at the time of designing and try to
add on green features at a later
date, it’s going to be little bit more
expensive. The point of green is not
additive design, it’s an integrated
design. If you start with building
design from concept stage and integrate sustainability to it, there
would be no separate cost element
at all,” she explains.
“Most green buildings in India
cost a premium of 4-5 per cent but
Most green buildings in India cost a
premium of 4-5 per cent but yield ten
times as much over the entire life of the
building— Raghav Adapa, sustainability consultant,
Surmount Energy Solutions
Cover Story
yield ten times as much over
the entire life of the building.
The typical payback period for
projects in India is estimated
to be 3-7 years according to
the World Green Building
Council,” says Adapa.
Informs M. Selvarasu,
LEED accredited professional
and director, LEAD Consultancy & Engineering Services,
“We have completed the following two buildings and results are as follows:
Computer Associate Building: The additional investment will get paid back in four
years. This project is LEED
Gold rated and located at Hyderabad.
Anna Centenary Library Platinum-rated Leed-certified company, Green Boulevard, Noida (UP), by the 3C Company
Building: This is a government building, located at Chennai.
ards. The developer has to submit
important issue and as an HVAC
Here again the payback period is
entire project related information
equipment manufacturer with York
four years and the building is LEED
including general drawings on probrand we bring the highest efficienGold rated.”
ject registration.”
cy standards. Our building management system accurately controls
and provides the maximum perforCertification
Services and solutions
mance using the least amount of
providers
energy,” claims Sharma of Johnson
Kariya says, “Presently, the
Controls India.
green building concept in India is
MITRAMAX Energy. It caters
Surmount Energy Solutions.
at a very nascent stage. Also the
to solar electricity and intelligent
It is a technology-driven organisalaws and codes are voluntary with
automatic water heating systems
tion focused on creating ‘green for
absence of an explicit nationalised
for apartment complexes. For the
lifetime’ solutions for urban develgreen building code. To be able to
rest, it has a line of agencies that can
opment and construction projects
achieve the goals, the concept of
work on a turnkey basis.
across the globe. It focuses on folgreen building has to be institutionJohnson Controls, Buildlowing service lines: Consulting,
alised with proper legal frameworks
ing Efficiency. It provides prodcommissioning, LEED facilitation;
clearly defining the role and responucts and services to optimise enbuilding simulation and analysis;
sibilities of stakeholders in a phased
ergy use and improve comfort and
building solutions like lighting,
manner. Currently, IGBC provides
security for buildings and homes.
building automation and controls,
LEED India certification on attain“For building owners seeking to go
and solar photovoltaic; and green
ment of certain prerequisite standgreen, equipment standards are an
building education and awareness.
En3 Sustainability Solution.
It claims to deliver sustainable design and solutions for any project.
Its footprint today encompasses
over 160 projects and 6.97 million
sq. metres (75 million square feet)
of green spaces that are being de— Deepa Sathiaram, executive director,
veloped in over 46 cities across the
En3 Sustainability Solution
world. Its areas of expertise are sus-
If you do thorough design analysis and
design the building right way, it should
actually not cost you much more than a
normal building
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tainable design, building energyefficiency studies, green materials
and products analysis, green building certifications and training, corporate sustainability strategy, and
development of green standards
and codes.
Some of En3’s completed and
certified green building projects
in India include Grundfos Pumps,
World Bank Building, Elnet Infrastructure’s BPO Park, Wipro CDC5
Campus, BCIL T-ZED Homes, Tamil
Nadu Legislative Assembly and Infosys BPO.
Surmount. It has executed numerous projects in India as well as
abroad. A few of its projects in India
are Commonwealth Games-Delhi,
Marathon Realty, Marathon Futurex, Marathon Innova, Larsen &
Toubro and Unitech.
Spectral Sustainability Group
(SSG). It provides a complete range
of green building services including
facilitation as well as energy simulation. It claims to be equipped with
state-of-the-art software to incorporate advanced sustainability features
in project design.
LEAD Consultancy & Engineering Services (India). It offers
services like green building facilitation, energy modeling and lighting
simulation, third-party commissioning for buildings, HVAC design, electrical engineering system
The additional investment on Computer
Associate Building completed by us will
get paid back in four years— M. Selvarasu, LEED
accredited professional and director, LEAD Consultancy &
Engineering Services
design, public health engineering
design, fire detection and protection systems design, lighting design
with software simulation analysis,
integrated building management
systems, sun path analysis with respect to building orientation, overshadowing and the design of exterior shading of the buildings, and
carbon advisory.
3C Company. The projects of
The 3C Company, such as Wipro
Campus (Gurgaon), Patni Campus (Noida) and Green Boulevard
(Noida), are platinum-rated LEEDcertified. “Our patrons at these campuses have been saving up to 45 per
cent on their energy cost,” informs
Bharadwaj.
Global Evolutionary Energy
Design (GEED) India. It is a lowcarbon consulting organisation with
expertise in building energy modeling, HVAC and air-flow modeling
using computational fluid dynamics
techniques, design of smart energy
management system, fault detection and diagnostics, sustainability
Major Contributors to This Report
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Deepa Sathiaram, executive director, En3 Sustainability Solution
Jayesh Kariya, head-real estate and construction, KPMG, India
M. Selvarasu, LEED accredited professional and director, LEAD Consultancy & Engineering Services
Dr Prem C. Jain, chairman of IGBC, and chairman and managing director of Spectral
Services Consultants
P.S. Deodhar, founder, MITRAMAX Energy
Raghav Adapa, sustainability consultant, Surmount Energy Solutions
Seemant Sharma, director and general manager, ES, Building Efficiency, Johnson
Controls India
SMH Adil, director, Global Evolutionary Energy Design (GEED) India
Vidur Bharadwaj, director, The 3C Company
FACTS FOR YOU
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January 2011
planning and advisory, design of netzero-energy building/housing complexes, utilisation of waste heat in
industrial processes, and cogeneration and tri-generation system feasibility study.
Looking forward
“With growing awareness about
green buildings and higher demand
for the same, the market for such
eco-friendly structures is expected
to reach an all-time high. The day
is not far off when going green and
constructing green buildings will
be the norm of the day and green
buildings will play a catalytic role in
addressing issues of climate change.
In fact, over a thousand green
buildings have been registered with
the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) till date. IGBC certifies green buildings based on their
energy efficiency and sensitivity
towards the environment. According to relevant sources, there is expected to be around 92.9 million sq.
metres (1 billion square feet or 1000
million sq. feet) of green developed
area in our country by 2012,” says
Bharadwaj.
The society needs to be a bit more
captivated for the future than by the
glory of the past. It is our responsibility to work towards a better and
greener world by trying to reduce
the carbon footprints on earth and
green building is one such initiative
to control climate change and lead
an eco-friendly lifestyle.
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The author is executive editor at EFY