What is a green building?

A green building is one which uses less water, optimizes energy efficiency, conserves natural resources, generates less waste and provides healthier spaces for occupants, as compared to a conventional building. A building is assessed based on its predicted performance over its entire lifecycle. The stages identified for evaluation are:

Pre-construction: Intra- and inter-site issues like proximity to public transport, type of soil, kind of land, location, flora and fauna before construction activity starts, natural landscape and features. Planning and construction: Issues of resource conservation and reduction in resource demand, resource utilization efficiency and recovery, reuse, and provisions for occupant health and well-being. Prime resources considered are land, water, energy, air and green cover.

Operation and maintenance: Of building systems and processes, monitoring and recording of energy consumption, occupants' health and well-being and issues that affect the global and local environment.

How they are rated

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED India) Green Building Rating System is a nationally and internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. Part of the Confederation of Indian Industries, IGBC Green Homes is the first rating programme developed exclusively for the residential sector. It is designed to rate new residential buildings — individual homes, high-rise apartments, gated communities, row houses — and existing residential buildings. Builders have to register themselves for the green rating, once construction is complete. The project team then evaluates all the possible points under the rating system using a checklist.

GRIHA rating

Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (Griha) is the other popular system for evaluating green buildings. Launched by The Energy and Resources Institute, it is suitable for all kinds of buildings in different climatic zones of the country.