If you thought that the green building concept was losing steam in the country, think again. As per data of the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), 2.49 billion square feet of built-up area has been constructed till November 2014.
C.N. Raghavendran, chairman of the Chennai chapter of the Indian Green Building Council, explains that the green building is all about a holistic approach to harness the maximum from nature with minimum wastage of energy and water.
In the city and its surroundings, there are a few buildings that stand out as models, including The ITC Grand Chola Hotel, Olympia Technology Park, the government multi super-specialty hospital at Omandurar Estate, Anna Centenary Library, and the Motorola manufacturing facility in Sriperumbudur. There are others too, Mr. Raghavendran adds. These buildings have different ratings — Platinum, Gold and Silver — which are given based on various criteria: water conservation, energy efficiency, handling of wastes, maintaining good air quality, reduced use of fossil fuels, and achieving carbon credits.
The difference between a normal building and a green building is that the latter scores in reducing electricity usage, saving water through recycling and creating a conducive working environment. The efficiency level, incorporating water, energy and indoor environment in a green building, is maintained through a building management system.
Mr. Raghavendran pointed out that the concept which was originally intended for office buildings was fast catching up in the residential sector too. This is despite the fact that there is, so far, no incentive from the State or Central governments to encourage the construction of green buildings. Quite a few countries abroad encourage people to go green with their buildings by giving tariff concessions in property tax or a higher floor space index (FSI). Pune is perhaps the only city in India that offers some concessions for green buildings, experts add.
