However, there is a misconception among people that eco friendly buildings are expensive and hence unaffordable for the common man. While it is true that the costs of construction of green buildings are marginally higher initially by 3-5 percent than the conventional buildings, the returns are realised soon thus making it a good business proposition. A 2009 report by the U.S. General Services
Administration found 12 sustainably designed
buildings cost less to operate and have excellent
energy performance. In addition, occupants were
more satisfied with the overall building than those in
typical commercial buildings
There are many builders in the country who are
currently developing new ways to encourage
recycling and reusing of waste material thereby
reducing the damage to the environment and at the
same time controlling the cost inflation. The efficient
re-use of water at a construction site is one such way to keep a check on expenditure.
Well designed projects which maximize utilization of
natural sunlight and ventilation lower the dependency on
electricity for light and air conditioning which in turn help
recover the initial investment put into the building.
Some developers are going completely green by using eco
friendly materials in their constructions such as the use of
low volatile organic compound paints, adhesives and
insulations inside the apartments that help with the
temperature regulation inside the buildings.
AAC blocks made from recycled industrial waste, contain
tiny air pores and provide excellent thermal insulation.
When used for external walls they reduce the need for an
air conditioner considerably. Solar Heat Reflective Tiles
are another favorite eco-friendly construction material
which are used in roofing and can reduce the roof
temperature up to 17 degrees Celsius in peak summers.
Solar water heater, solar panels, recycling facilities,
rainwater harvesting and other water conservation
facilities like low flow fixtures for toilets are also being
provided in a bid to make the building more environmental
friendly.
The incremental costs of using green technologies such as
insulation and hypo-thermal glass are maximum 5-8%. As
savings are also high, the additional cost can be recovered
in 3-5 years. A perfect example of a green building with almost negligible cost escalation would be our project - Sulzon
One Earth, the corporate headquarters of Suzlon located in
Pune. Sulzon One Earth recycles hundred percent of the
water it uses, employs roof gardens and insulation for
passive cooling. It is a one of its kind structure which is
100% powered by a combination of onsite & offsite
renewable energy sources. 154 KW of energy is produced
on site through a combination of windmills along with solar
panels & photovoltaic panels. All water heating is
accomplished through solar heating. Aluminum louvers
shade the glass walled interiors from direct sun light while
providing natural illumination within, saving on lighting
energy. The facility sets new benchmarks for energy efficiency in
all aspects of engineering and construction. This wholebuilding
approach has made it possible to construct the
facility at a lower cost compared to other facilities of
comparable size, ultimately leading to a lower lifecycle
cost and smaller environmental footprint in the long term.
In addition to the cost control measures taken by various
builders in their green constructions, the encouragement
given by the central and state government have also
helped cap cost escalation. In the last decade, the central
and state governments have introduced various schemes
to promote green projects across the country. The Kerala
State Housing Board recently announced the launch of
limited scale commercial ventures to build 60
environment-friendly apartments in Kochi and
Thiruvananthapuram. Early last year the Maharashtra
government began providing incentives in the form of
rationalization in property tax /electricity tariff and
reduction in state taxes including VAT and Octroi on
buildings adhering to green technology norms. Some
other states where the government is making efforts to
popularize green buildings include Delhi, West Bengal,
Karnataka and Rajasthan. With focus on environment protection, green buildings will
make inroads at a much faster pace than in the past.
According to IGBC nearly 2 billion square feet of sustained
building footprint are expected by 2015, up from 1,745 ecofriendly
building projects with over 1.65 billion sq ft of
green footprint registered so far with IGBC.
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