Green building in India

A green building is one which uses less water, optimises energy efficiency, conserves natural resources, generates less waste and provides healthier spaces for occupants, as compared to a conventional building.

The residential building sector is one of the largest consumers of electricity in India. Continuous urbanisation and the growth of population result in increasing power consumption in buildings. Thus, while experts express the huge potential for energy conservations in this sector, the belief still predominates among stakeholders that energy-efficient buildings are more expensive than conventional buildings, which adversely affects the “greening” of the building sector. This belief is contested by studies finding evidence for the opposite being the case.

EDGE Program in India

The IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI), apex body of private real estate developers, have partnered to promote green buildings in the country through IFC’s EDGE certification. An MoU was signed in the presence of Minister for Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar on November 25, 2014.

BEE certification

The Indian Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) launched the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC). The code is set for energy efficiency standards for design and construction with any building of minimum conditioned area of 1000 Sq mts and a connected demand of power of 500 KW or 600 KVA. The energy performance index of the code is set from 90 kW·h/sqm/year to 200 kW·h/sqm/year where any buildings that fall under the index can be termed as "ECBC Compliant Building"

Moreover the BEE launched a five-star rating scheme for office buildings operated only in the day time in three climatic zones, composite, hot&dry, warm&humid on 25 February 2009. IGBC rated green buildings are also able to meet or exceed the ECBC compliance. The CII Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre is a BEE 5 star-rated building.

The Reserve Bank of India's buildings in Delhi, Bhubaneshwar in Orissa and in Kerala have been star rated.

In Tamil Nadu 11 buildings were star rated by BEE, in the year 2010, including RBI buildings.

Green houses

In Tamil Nadu, the government is planning to build solar-powered green houses for rural poor. It has allotted Rs.1,080 crore for construction of 60,000 houses.

In Maharashtra, near Mumbai in the Thane District, Govardhan Eco Village, a community in India, has built buildings with compressed stabilized Earth blocks, Rammed Earth Technique, Cob Houses(ADOBE Bricks) with traditional thatched roofs. These buildings have received a five-star rating from GRIHA, an Indian Nationwide Green Standards for Buildings, a wing of the famous TERI.

Traditional buildings

Traditional buildings were energy efficient because architecture depended on the places. Buildings in the hot and dry regions, had corridors directing the wind to cool naturally. In wet regions, structures using natural light and breeze, were used. Some examples are

• Hawa Mahal - Articulated windows provides cool breeze in a desert area
• Golkonda - Ventilation is designed to let in fresh cool breeze, in spite of summer.

The traditional building practices were utilized in constructing the Dhyanalinga. Mud mortar stabilized with lime, sand, alum and some herbal additives was used.

See also

• Energy Conservation Building Code
• Laurie Baker
• Solar power in India
• Green Building in Bangladesh