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Green and eco-friendly projects in India

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Indian real estate is fast catching up with the idea of green buildings. A number of big developers have started eco-friendly projects. One of such projects is Supertech’s Eco-City in Noida. Spread over an area of 12.6 acres, it consists of 2, 3, 3+1 and 4+1 BHK apartments with their areas in the range of 890 sq ft to 2,275 sq ft. There are 1,700 units in the complex, priced between Rs 19.79 lakh and Rs 1 crore.

his project incorporates ecologically responsive urbanism in which environment behind and between buildings is given equal importance as the building itself. Its main aim is to build zero-carbon emission by using special generators, machineries and ecological sanitation. The project’s Master Plan emphasizes the maximum use of eco-label products, energy-efficient landscaping, rain garden, design clubhouse ecodome and biomass for energy and steam. Moreover, use of low voltage LED lights, paper bottles, plastic recycling bins, self electricity generation by using solar panels and wind-mills and irrigation system to recycle grey water are some of its salient features.

3C Company’s Green Boulevard in Noida is listed among the ten green buildings in the world and one of the few commercial projects with a green status. The company was also awarded LEED Platinum rating by US Green Building Council for this project. It houses, among others, MNCs like Accenture and Sapient. It is a multi-tenant project with orientation of buildings, insulated walls, roof and use of high performance glass to minimise energy loads, water conservation and construction and waste management as some of its environment-friendly features.

According to building simulation results, its ecofriendly features help in saving 40% energy, compared to other office buildings in India. The orientation helps in harnessing natural diffused light from the North while pre-cooled air, heat-recovery wheel and free cooling in fair weather help in energy conservation. These are some of the unique features that set the project apart.

3C leads the way in development of green buildings. Lotus Panache is another of its project in the same league.Located in Sector 110, Noida and spread over 41 acres, it showcases a mix of 2, 3 and 4BHK apartments. It has Asia’s first Net Zero Energy and geothermal school building and Asia’s first geothermal club building. Carbon credit sharing, virtual landscaping, natural lighting are some of its other features.

To take this concept a step further, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) aims to build billion square feet in the next two years, covered with green buildings and then turn to the corresponding reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. It aims for India to become selfsufficient in energy use and sustainable development and make green buildings only. It has also developed the Indian Green Building Council, India’s first rating programme exclusively for the residential sector.

( via - Times of india )

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Posted in Color, Energy management, Green for All, acrylic, builders, buildings, eco friendly business, eco-friendly paints, energy modeling, energy saving, green, green building, green business, green initiatives, green movement | No Comments »

New govt buildings to comply with green rating norms

Friday, February 5th, 2010

New government and public sector unit buildings will have to mandatorily comply with new green rating norms to tackle climate change threats.

"This decision was taken by the Centre two days ago to ensure that buildings are environment-friendly aiming to achieve high energy utilisation," Farooq Abdullah , minister of new and renewable energy, said at a function in New Delhi on Monday.

He said all new buildings of government and PSUs will have to comply with the requirement of at least 3 star rating under the Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment.

Efforts will be, however, made for higher rating by such buildings subject to the site condition as western rating systems are not suited for Indian climate and GRIHA has been designed exclusively for Indian buildings, the minister added.

GRIHA is a national rating system under which green buildings will be rated by technical expertise from The Energy Resources Institute, headed by RK Pachauri.

The aim of a green building design is to minimise the demand of non-renewable sources and maximise its utilisation.

While emphasising on integrating traditional heritage with scientific tools, the Minister suggested that even small dwelling units being constructed under the Indira Awas Yojna be brought under the GRIHA ambit to ensure sustainability.

Deepak Gupta, secretary in the renewable ministry, said CPWD has already adopted GRIHA rating and efforts are being made to spread awareness in this direction among the concerned stakeholders including builders and architects.

"A technical group has also been constituted to study the feasibility of GRIHA in larger areas such as townships and campus. The team will submit its report within the next six months," Gupta said.

Buildings will be rated on the basis of design, system design, including ventilation, water and waste management, indoor environmental quality and selection of ecologically sustainable materials.

"The country is witnessing rapid boom in construction industry and the primary objective of the rating system is to help design green buildings and in turn help evaluate the greenness of buildings", Pachauri said.

"The rating systen follows best practices along with national and international codes that are applicable to achieve the intent of sustainable architecture and building design."

( via - Rediff.com )

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Posted in Energy management, Green for All, architecture, buildings, carbon credit, carbon dioxide, colour, construction, decorative, eco friendly business, eco friendly office, economy, energy modeling, energy saving, environment, exterior paints, green building, green business, green initiatives, green movement, green office building | No Comments »

Kurla gets country’s greenest hospital

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

You might have heard of eco-friendly corporate offices, but the concept of a green hospital is still relatively new in India. On Sunday, the country got its greenest healthcare centre when Kohinoor Hospital, a 100-bed multi-specialty hospital, was inaugurated at LBS Marg in Kurla.

It is the first hospital in the country to bag a platinum rating in the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (Leed) certification for a ‘green building’. The US certification sets standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

"Several corporate buildings have been developed as eco-friendly structures, but no one really thought of constructing an eco-friendly hospital," said Shailesh Dalvie, CEO, Kohinoor Hospital. "Thus, we decided to tap this environment-friendly concept and relate it to healthcare."

According to Dalvie, the hospital will be one of its kind for patients, whose healing process will begin as soon they enters the premises. "We have made many arrangements for energy conservation, which will automatically reduce our operational costs," said Dalvie, adding that the quality of air and the environment in the hospital will help boost the healing process.

The hospital will also recycle water, a scarce resource in the city these days. Besides, the hospital is built to maximise absorption of natural light to save electricity. Special carbon dioxide sensors, which trigger injection of fresh air when CO2 exceeds a certain level, have also been installed.

The hospital has a team of over 150 doctors who are well-known in the medical fraternity. "Gradually, we plan to add 75 more beds, and also get more reputed doctors," said Dalvie.

(  via - dnaindia.com )

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Posted in Energy management, GREEN Paints, Green Seal, Green for All, Green-As-Grass Buildings, builders, buildings, carbon dioxide, colour, eco friendly business, energy modeling, energy saving, environment, green building, green business, green initiatives, green movement, green office building | No Comments »

Green Building Design Principles

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

( via - youtube.com )

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Constro to showcase green homes

Monday, November 9th, 2009

Constro 2009, an exhibition focused on construction machinery, materials, methods and projects, will highlight the latest trends in green design

Constro 2009, the international exhibition on construction machinery, materials, methods and projects organized by Pune Construction Engineering Research Foundation (P.C.E.R.F.), will showcase innovative and eco-friendly Green houses of tomorrow at the exhibition. The exhibition will be held in the city from December 2 to December 6.

Mr. K.P Baney, President of PCERF, Mr. Naren Kothari, Hon Secretary PCERF and Mr. J.P Shroff, Chairman of Constro 2009, said that the Green House prototypes would have eco-friendly features like mud tiles flooring, water based internal and external paints, fly ash bricks, UPVC doors and windows, cane furniture, bamboo chik blinds, energy saver CFL fittings, roof thermal resistance chemicals, solar water heating systems, solar lamps, solar geysers and solar cookers.

The novel house is being developed by Mr. R.B Chapalkar and will be fully functional at the exhibition for display.
  
As a follow-up to the symposium on "Bamboo as a versatile material in building construction for structural and architectural applications’ organised by PCERF in March a showcase house built by using bamboo will also be displayed on the occasion.

All these projects and prototypes will be in line with Constro 2009’s theme of "Green and Eco Friendly Materials for the Construction Industry".

Mr. Baney added that Constro 2009 will have Pune Municipal Corporation, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, Maharashtra Energy Development Agency, and National Bamboo Mission as partners and sponsors for the exhibition.

Mr. Naren Kothari also announced that the Indian Green Building Council will be organising a twoday seminar on Green Building Concepts in Pune. The objective of this conference would be to introduce various Green Building Concepts and expose participants to green building initiatives.

Mr. Shroff added that the Constro organising committee has also decided to award the best designed Green stall for stalls using eco-friendly display materials, and conducting energy audits.

Mr. Shroff also announced the Constro 2009 Gate Design Contest for all engineering and architectural colleges in Maharashtra.

This competition is unique, as it gives an opportunity of real life professional practice scenario to students. The gate has to be entirely designed from recycled material or entirely in Bamboo.

The first stage will judge entries based on the concept of the Gate. Winners of the first stage will be given a further task of detailing, and resolving their concepts in a set of executable drawings and instruction.

The winners will get Rs 21,000 plus a citation apart from the design being translated into a gate for the exhibition. The second prize-winner will get Rs 15,000 plus a citation, and the third prize-winner will get Rs 11,000 plus a citation. A special prize of Rs 10,000 is also being offered exclusively for bamboo gate designs, he added.

( via - times of india )

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Posted in Biofuel, GREEN Paints, Green Rings, Green Seal, arts, bricks, builders, buildings, carbon credit, construction, consultant, eco friendly business, eco friendly office, eco-friendly paints, exterior, exterior paints, green, green building, green business, green initiatives, green movement, green office building, home improvement, housing | No Comments »

Green building concept on the rise in India

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

Green building development has gained momentum in India despite global economic slowdown, with its supply rising manifold to 6.8 million sq ft in the last seven years, a study said.

“The supply of green space has seen substantial jump from 20,000 sq ft in 2002 to 6.8 million sq ft in 2009,” property consultant DTZ said in a report.

The total supply of green space has increased to 6.8 million square ft till September from 3.8 million square ft in early 2007, mostly contributed by IT/ITeS sector, the report said.

Green buildings are designed to have a longer life-cycle, and help conserve natural resources like water, while consuming minimal power and energy.

“The concept of green building development in the country has witnessed a sustained momentum despite the overall weakening macroeconomic environment, witnessed in the last one year,” the consultant said.

The supply of green space has been contributed by various industrial segments but IT/ITeS sector contributed the maximum at 58 per cent of the total supply in the country, it said.

The report highlighted that Turbo Energy R&D and administrative block in Paiyanur, Chennai, has been certified by globally renowned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as the greenest building in India.

Other prominent green projects include ITC Green Centre (Gurgaon), CII-Godrej Green Business Centre (Hyderabad) and Kalpataru Square (Mumbai).

( via - Propertynice.com )

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Rainwater harvesting

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

The scarcity of water is commonplace; so don’t let those gallons of rainwater slip away. By adopting rainwater harvesting, you can conserve the most of this essential commodity called water at its natural best!

Rainwater harvesting is essentially a method in which you can capture the rainwater when it rains, store that water above ground or under the ground and use it later. In rural areas, where there is plenty of open land, the collection of rainwater takes place naturally. But in cities and congested places, techniques like rainwater harvesting can play a vital role.

There are various ways to do rainwater harvesting. Under rooftop catchments, rainwater is collected in simple vessels at the edge of the roof. Alternatively, the water can also be collected in gutters, which drain to the collection vessel through downpipes constructed for this purpose and can be then used for domestic use. As the rooftop is the main catchment area, the amount and quality of rainwater collected depends on the area and type of roofing material.

Rainwater harvesting using ground or land surface catchment areas is a less complex way of collecting rainwater. One can collect the ground water and stop their flow at the gate. Put a concrete slab with holes in it, build a 2 feet deep pit, across the full width of the gate. Collect and connect a pipe and flow the water to a well or a baby well. One can also charge the groundwater table by creating a soak pit and then build a borewell to pump the water collected under the ground.

Elaborating on the costs, architect Uday Dighe shares, "The cost depends on the size of the operation but, say, a rough estimate for a 500-metre area where you are charging the ground would amount to Rs 2 lakh, of which almost Rs. 70,000 will be the cost of your borewell. If you want to build a water tank, then it will be more expensive."

The capital cost of rainwater harvesting systems is highly dependent on the type of catchment, conveyance and storage tank materials used. But in the long run, the benefits outweigh the overheads hands down.

There are several benefits of rainwater harvesting. Much of it is used for flushing and gardening activities that take care of 50% of the water requirements.

For drinking however, the collected rainwater has to be processed and purified to be used. It not only increases independence if you can collect and use your own water but it also enables proper use of water. It reduces strain on other sources of water, restores groundwater levels, ensures more water security, helps improve plant growth and in turn contributes towards a more sustainable way of living.

In fact, it is the most fulfilling ‘do-it-yourself’ activity because it is not only beneficial in everyday life as it ensures you get your daily supply of water but it also helps in maintaining the ecological balance of nature without harming the environment in any way.
In fact, if done properly, it can help conserve the ecosystem, thereby making it sustainable in the long run.
There is so much water that is unleashed during rains that can be stored and used even after the monsoons are over.

So make sure you have the rainwater harvesting system installed right there in your compound to make the best of the upcoming monsoons!

( via - Times of india )

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Posted in Energy management, Rainwater, architecture, buildings, construction, consultant, disposal, environment, green building, harvesting | No Comments »

The RainShine House: one of the greenest designs in the world

Monday, September 7th, 2009

 A two-storey, 2,800-sq.-ft modern design in Decatur, Georgia by Robert M. Cain, proves its competence as a clean design being awarded the highest possible LEED rating – Platinum – for having exceeded the requirements by a significant 11 points and being certified “Energy Star”.

What is so unique about the RainShine House to make it a prominent example of green architectural design? Above all, it is the butterfly shaped roof that collects the rain for recycling. Photovoltaic cells mounted on the roof are positioned southward to take full advantage of the solar energy. The roof, being suspended on the continious celerestroies also “lets the sunshine in” and saves extra energy.

Also the thick walls and thermal glass are other eco-friendly components of The RainShine House.

( via - green-design )

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IGBC Green Homes Rating System

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Green Homes is the first rating programme developed in India, exclusively for the residential sector. It is based on accepted energy and environmental principles and strikes a balance between known established practices and emerging concepts. The system is designed to be comprehensive in scope, yet simple in operation.

Benefits of Green Homes

A Green Home can have tremendous benefits, both tangible and intangible. The immediate and most tangible benefit is in the reduction in water and operating energy costs right from day one, during the entire life cycle of the building.

Tangible benefits

Energy savings : 20 - 30 %

Water savings : 30 - 50%

Intangible benefits

Enhanced air quality,

Excellent day lighting,

Health & wellbeing of the occupants,

Conservation of scarce national resources

Enhance marketability for the project.

Eligibility

IGBC Green Homes Rating System is a measurement system designed for rating new residential buildings which include construction categories such as

Individual homes

High rise residential apartments,

Gated communities

Row houses

Existing residential buildings which retrofit and edesigned in accordance with the IGBC Green Homes criteria.

The project team can evaluate all the possible points to apply under the rating system using a suitable checklist. The project can apply for IGBC Green Homes certification if it can meet all mandatory requirements and achieve the minimum required points.

IGBC Green Homes Rating System and other resources

The rating system describes in detail goal, compliance options, documentation required and approach and methodologies for each credit under each module.

( via - Indian Green building council )

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‘Reuse waste to construct buildings’

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Reuse of waste material and industrial by-products should be promoted for a environment-friendly lifestyle, suggested experts and architects 
working on innovative environment-friendly projects.

They were speaking at a programme called Waste Buster’, organised by the Pune Construction Engineering Research Foundation (PCERF) on Sunday as part of an year-long symposium series at the conference hall of Dr Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture, Karvenagar.

The symposium was addressed by UK-based architect Alex Leoor, who with his team has taken up the task of building the first of its kind house built entirely with tyres at Kodaikanal. Such buildings are called earthship.

Leoor informed the audience that earthship are solar independent buildings that heat and cool themselves are self-powered, harvest their own water and deal with their own waste. With free energy from the sun and free materials from waste, the earthship is based on earth rammed tyre walls giving thermal mass to store heat.

"Becoming self-sufficient by every means has become a need so that we are better prepared to deal with issues like climate change. In such a scenario we must construct buildings that are in harmony with the nature," he said.

"Building earthships is very easy. It hardly requires any skilled manpower. So they could be build anywhere," he said.

S S Shinde, Joint Municipal Commissioner of Mumbai Corporation, highlighted the experiments done in the project by his team where bricks made out of municipal solid waste were used.

The third speaker, a well known personality in the field of Indian Architecture, Yatin Pandya from Ahmedabad shared his experiences of building multipurpose buildings with waste materials.

( via - Times of India )

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Posted in Energy management, Indian Architecture, Save Energy, architecture, eco friendly office, energy saving, environment, global warming, green building, green movement, recycling, waste | No Comments »

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