Nowadays the focus the world over is on constructing 'Green Buildings', which address environmentally sustainable issues in a holistic manner. In countries like the US the concept of green buildings is highly evolved, whereas in Canada and Brazil green buildings are quite prevalent. The concept is catching up even in China.
"It was around 2000 that the concept started gaining momentum across the world. In India it was going on in bits and pieces. People were not aware of the facets of green buildings, '' says
S. Srinivas, Senior Counsellor, CII -Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre (CII-SGGBC).
However, the market for green buildings in India is now growing. Corporates, too, are showing interest in the concept. About 10 years down the line, people will not hear about green buildings in India, as the idea would be incorporated in the planning as well as designing stages of buildings, asserts Abhin Alimchandani, Director, STUP Consultants Pvt. Ltd.
It seems the Platinum rating under the Leed rating system for CII-SGGBC buildings has sensitised the market as well as stakeholders of the construction industry. Today, several corporates and governments are considering green buildings in a major way. This has resulted in sudden demand for green materials and equipment.
CII-Godrej Green Business Centre is considered the greenest building in the world under the Leed rating system, according to Air Commodore S. C. Kumar, Senior Advisor, CII-Godrej. Other green buildings are ITC Green Centre, Gurgaon which also received the Platinum rating. IOCL building in New Delhi is another marvel in this line. Upcoming green buildings include NDPL, New Delhi; Grundfos, Chennai; NEG Micon, Chennai; Wipro, Gurgaon; and IMTMA, Bangalore. Wipro and Grundfos are in the advance stage of completion. Reputed builders like Raheja and Hiranandani have plans for green buildings.
Conventional buildings use 40 per cent of the world's total energy, 25 per cent of wood harvested and 16 per cent of clean water. People spend 90 per cent of their time indoors and Air quality inside building is 2-5 times worse than that outside. The building sector is growing at a rapid pace and is the third largest consumer of energy, after industry and agriculture. Environmentally benign technologies and practices in this sector can address sustainability issues and contribute to conservation of national resources, besides saving on the operating costs.
A green building enables 30 to 40 per cent reduction in annual operational cost of buildings, and approximately 25 per cent increase in the building cost in comparison to a conventional building. Then why do we still need green buildings? Kumar says that for any building there are two types of costs. The total maintenance cost for conventional buildings over their life is much higher than the construction cost of green buildings.
Green buildings require less maintenance. Moreover, they encompass the use of clean energy, renewable energy, efficient use of water, use of recycled materials and provide healthy indoor air quality and lighting by natural means. Some of the typical green features include adopting erosion control techniques like temporary seeding, permanent seeding and mulching, reduction of impervious areas to prevent storm water run-off.
Green buildings ensure that waste is minimised during construction and operation of the building, resulting in low costs. The approach addresses varied issues right from construction to occupancy.
| Year |
Projected Certified Green Buildings (Nos. per year) |
Estimated Market Potential in Million US $ |
| 2005 |
10 |
40 |
| 2006 |
20 |
80 |
| 2007 |
30 |
120 |
| 2008 |
45 |
180 |
| 2009 |
70 |
280 |
| 2010 |
100 |
400 |
S. Srinivas says that it's a concept which needs to be propagated. However, when the market is educated, the cost of constructing green buildings will substantially come down. For instance, he adds, when we were constructing Godrej GBC Centre, we used waterless urinals which cost around Rs 13,000 to Rs 14,000, and now the same product is available at Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000. You are saving both energy and water, thus protecting the environment.
The projected growth potential for Green Buildings in India is shown in the table.
The overall annual investment towards urban building construction in India is estimated to be Rs 5,000 crore (as per NICMR data). Even if five per cent of this could be diverted to the construction of green buildings, the potential is huge. The overall potential for green building materials and equipment would be at least 10-fold and estimated to touch $ 4,000 million by 2010. A few green materials and equipment are available in the country such as fly ash cement, fly ash block, recycled aluminium, steel, and tiles, low VOC paints, bamboo-based products, HFC based high efficiency chillers, building controls, green roof and recycled wood.
The Indian materials and equipment manufacturers are now faced with the challenge to seriously look at green features to meet the growing demand for green buildings. However, there is huge market for green materials, which is still untapped. For instance, compositing toilets, waterless urinals and CTI certified cooling towers. With the overall annual investment towards urban building construction in India estimated to be $ 1,000 million, the potential for green buildings is enormous. This could open up a opportunities for stakeholders like the construction industry, architects, materials, equipment manufacturers in India and abroad.
The focus of the Central Public Works Department during the next two decades could be in evolving and implementing the 10-point mission given by President Abdul Kalam. Some of the points include: Building design which uses maximum solar energy and reduces energy consumption per sq. mtr. by half, water harvesting, water recycling and water management schemes in all buildings to reduce fresh water consumption by at least 50 per cent within five years, and buildings are to be water-proof free for at least ten years without any maintenance. Services such as civil, electrical, water, drainage, gas and communication integrated in the conceptual stage itself, thereby needing no rework after building construction. All buildings should be made friendly for disabled persons.
