Concepts of Sustainable Building

CONCEPTS OF SUSTAINABLE BUILDING
REPORT ON CONCEPTS OF
SUSTAINABLE BUILDING
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
KOMAL ARORA
SR NO :07
SEM : IX
pg. 1 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

CONTENTS
 What is sustainable development?
 What is a green Building?
 Features of a Green Building
 Benefits of Green Building
 Different rating system of Green buildings
 Susatainability with respect to NBC
 Case study

What is sustainable development?

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present, without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
The concept of sustainable development can be interpreted in many different ways, but at its
core is an approach to development that looks to balance different, and often competing, needs
against an awareness of the environmental, social and economic limitations we face as a society.
All too often, development is driven by one particular need, without fully considering the wider
or future impacts. We are already seeing the damage this kind of approach can cause, from
large-scale financial crises caused by irresponsible banking, to changes in global climate resulting
from our dependence on fossil fuel-based energy sources. The longer we pursue unsustainable
development, the more frequent and severe its consequences are likely to become, which is why
we need to take action now.
So is it all just about the environment?
Living within our environmental limits is one of the central principles of sustainable
development. One implication of not doing so is climate change.
But the focus of sustainable development is far broader than just the environment. It's also
about ensuring a strong, healthy and just society. This means meeting the diverse needs of all
people in existing and future communities, promoting personal wellbeing, social cohesion and
inclusion, and creating equal opportunity.
If sustainable development focuses on the future, does that mean we lose out now?
Not necessarily. Sustainable development is about finding better ways of doing things, both for
the future and the present. We might need to change the way we work and live now, but this
doesn't mean our quality of life will be reduced.
Health & Transport - Instead of driving, switching to walking or cycling for short journeys will
save you money, improve your health and is often just as quick and convenient.
How does it affect us?
The way we approach development affects everyone. The impacts of our decisions as a society
have very real consequences for people's lives. Poor planning of communities, for example,
reduces the quality of life for the people who live in them Sustainable development provides an
approach to making better decisions on the issues that affect all of our lives. By incorporating
health plans into the planning of new communities, for instance, we can ensure that residents
have easy access to healthcare and leisure facilities.
How do we make it happen?

We all have a part to play. Small actions, taken collectively, can add up to real change. However,
to achieve.
Sustainable development is often illustrated

by a simple diagram showing three
overlapping circles representing social,
economic and environmental progress,
implying the need for balancing and
managing the trade-offs between them.

The distinction between ‘strong’ and ‘weak’ sustainability can also lead to very different practical
policies and ways forward. Strong sustainability is not optimistic about the role of technology in
solving all environmental challenges, implying changes to our lifestyles and economic models;
whereas ‘weak’ sustainability believes more strongly in the potential for innovation to solve
resource and pollution challenges.
The language itself has caused some tensions, and proved a barrier to widespread engagement.
‘Development’ is often used only in relation to relatively income-poor countries, implying that
sustainable development is not relevant everywhere. On the other hand, the phrase can usefully
imply that more ‘developed’ countries have not reached an endpoint but need to rethink their
strategies to ensure continued economic, social and environmental wellbeing.

“Far from being a burden, sustainable development is an exceptional opportunity – economically,

to build markets and create jobs; socially, to bring people in from the margins; and politically, to
give every man and woman a voice, and a choice, in deciding their own future.”
What is green building? A ‘green’ building is a building that, in its design, construction or
operation, reduces or eliminates negative impacts, and can create positive impacts, on our climate
and natural environment. Green buildings preserve precious natural resources and improve our
quality of life.

There are a number of features which can make a building ‘green’. These include:
 Efficient use of energy, water and other resources

 Use of renewable energy, such as solar energy
 Pollution and waste reduction measures, and the enabling of re-use and recycling
 Good indoor environmental air quality
 Use of materials that are non-toxic, ethical and sustainable
 Consideration of the environment in design, construction and operation
 Consideration of the quality of life of occupants in design, construction and operation
 A design that enables adaptation to a changing environment
Any building can be a green building, whether it’s a home, an office, a school, a hospital, a
community centre, or any other type of structure, provided it includes features listed above.
However, it is worth noting that not all green buildings are – and need to be - the same. Different
countries and regions have a variety of characteristics such as distinctive climatic conditions,
unique cultures and traditions, diverse building types and ages, or wide-ranging environmental,
economic and social priorities – all of which shape their approach to green building.

How can we make our buildings green?

There are a number of ways to make a building green. These include:
Taking an intelligent approach to energy
 Minimising energy use in all stages of a building’s life-cycle, making new and renovated buildings more
comfortable and less expensive to run, and helping building users learn to be efficient too.
 Integrating renewable and low-carbon technologies to supply buildings’ energy needs, once their design
has maximised inbuilt and natural efficiencies.
Safeguarding water resources
 Exploring ways to improve drinking and waste water efficiency and management, harvesting water for
safe indoor use in innovative ways, and generally minimising water use in buildings.
 Considering the impact of buildings and their surroundings on stormwater and drainage infrastructure,
ensuring these are not put under undue stress or prevented from doing their job.
Minimising waste and maximising reuse
 Using fewer, more durable materials and generating less waste, as well as accounting for a building’s end
of life stage by designing for demolition waste recovery and reuse.
 Engaging building users in reuse and recycling.
Promoting health and wellbeing
 Bringing fresh air inside, delivering good indoor air quality through ventilation, and avoiding materials and
chemicals that create harmful or toxic emissions.
 Incorporating natural light and views to ensure building users’ comfort and enjoyment of their
surroundings, and reducing lighting energy needs in the process.
 Designing for ears as well as eyes. Acoustics and proper sound insulation play important roles in helping
concentration, recuperation, and peaceful enjoyment of a building in educational, health and residential
buildings.
 Ensuring people are comfortable in their everyday environments, creating the right indoor temperature
through passive design or building management and monitoring systems.
Keeping our environment green

 Recognizing that our urban environment should preserve nature, and ensuring diverse wildlife and land
quality are protected or enhanced, by, for example, remediating and building on polluted land or creating
new green spaces.
 Looking for ways we can make our urban areas more productive, bringing agriculture into our cities.
Creating resilient and flexible structures
 Adapting to our changing climate, ensuring resilience to events such as flooding, earthquakes or fires so
that our buildings stand the test of time and keep people and their belongings safe. 
 Designing flexible and dynamic spaces, anticipating changes in their use over time, and avoiding the need
to demolish, rebuild or significantly renovate buildings to prevent them becoming obsolete. 
Connecting communities and people
 Creating diverse environments that connect and enhance communities, asking what a building will add to
its context in terms of positive economic and social effects, and engaging local communities in planning.
 Ensuring transport and distance to amenities are considered in design, reducing the impact of personal
transport on the environment, and encouraging environmentally friendly options such as walking or
cycling.
 Exploring the potential of both ‘smart’ and information communications technologies to communicate
better with the world around us, for example through smart electricity grids that understand how to
transport energy where and when it is needed.
Considering all stages of a building's life-cycle
 Seeking to lower environmental impacts and maximise social and economic value over a building's whole
life-cycle (from design, construction, operation and maintenance, through to renovation and eventual
demolition).
 Ensuring that embodied resources, such as the energy or water used to produce and transport the
materials in the building are minimised so that buildings are truly low impact.

Features of a Green Building

 A green building incorporates environmental considerations into every stage of the
building construction and focuses on the design, construction, operation and
maintenance phases.
 The key process difference between green and conventional buildings is the concept of
integration, whereby a multi-disciplinary team of building professionals work together
from the pre-design phase through post-occupancy to optimize the building for
environmental sustainability, performance, and cost saving.
 Green buildings offer widespread benefits to a number of building industry stakeholders,

including building occupants and society as a whole.
 Green buildings typically incorporate superior air quality, abundant natural light, access to
views and noise control which benefits building occupants, making these building better
places to work or live.
 The major considerations taken into account are the lot design and development
efficiency, energy and water efficiency, resource efficiency, indoor environmental quality
and the building’s overall impact on the environment.
 An integral characteristic of a green building is its stress on protecting existing ecologies,

and improving ecologies that may have been damaged in the past.

 Green buildings are usually constructed on environmentally sensitive lands or previously

developed property, with measures taken to restore plant life.
 Green buildings also utilize fewer materials, through efficient design and elimination of
unnecessary finish materials. In addition, green building operations promote material as
well as water recycling in their operation.
 Energy efficiency is one of the most important factors in almost all green building
programs. Careful window selection, building envelope air sealing, duct sealing, proper
placement of air and vapour barriers, use of clean energy-powered heating/cooling
systems contribute towards an energy efficient building.
 Use of renewable energy, such as solar, wind or biomass energy, to meet energy
requirements can significantly reduce carbon footprints of such buildings.

 Energy efficiency is one of the most important factors in almost all green building
programs. Careful window selection, building envelope air sealing, duct sealing, proper
placement of air and vapour barriers, use of clean energy-powered heating/cooling
systems contribute towards an energy efficient building. Use of renewable energy, such as
solar, wind or biomass energy, to meet energy requirements can significantly reduce
carbon footprints of such buildings.
 Green homes lay stress on water conservation by implementing more efficient water
delivery and recycling system. Minimization of water use is another characteristic feature
of a green building which helps in reducing the detrimental effects of water use and its
effects on local ecologies, such as aquatic life.

 An increase in respiratory ailments and allergies and the use of chemicals that can give off
gas from materials have greatly contributed to sensitive awareness of the air we breathe
inside our homes. The green building also focuses on reducing respiratory ailments and
allergies by improving the quality of in-house air by controlling the contamination source,
diluting the source, and capturing the source through filtration.
10 FEATURES OF A 'GREEN' BUILDING

1. Air tightness and vapor barrier in building walls and surfaces
Walls that are able to keep out moisture and humidity from outside will make the building
naturally cooler. Because of this, air-conditioning systems will not have to work so hard to cool
down the building. This lowers electricity costs.
2. Low solar heat gain coefficient of glass (SHGC)
Solar heat gain coefficient is the amount of solar radiation that enters through glass and is
released as heat inside a building. The lower the SHGC, the less solar heat it transmits, the cooler
the building. This also lowers electricity cost because air-conditioning systems don't have to do
all the work.
3. Enthalpy recovery of exhaust air
A device called an enthalpy wheel recovers cooled air from the inside and uses the coolness of
this "spent" air to cool fresh air from outside. The process also dehumidifies the air from outside.
This is a cost-efficient way to improve indoor air quality and lessen energy consumed by air
conditioning systems.
4. Daylight-controlled lighting systems
This type of lighting system has sensors that can detect daylight. During the day, the sensor
switches off the lights since there is enough light from the sun. When the sun sets, the system
will switch the lights on.
This way, the use of artificial lighting during the daytime is reduced. It prevents cases when
occupants are too lazy or forget to turn off the lights when they aren't needed.
5. Occupancy sensors

This lighting system only turns on when it senses people in the room. This technology can also be
found in escalators that activate only when there are people to ride on them.
6. Water-efficient fittings
The latest faucets and flush mechanisms use less water to do the same thing.
7. Rain-water harvesting
A structure catches rainwater and then stores it in big containers. The water can then be used to
water plants, flush toilets, or supply cooling towers.
8. Materials recovery facility (MRF)
An MRF is where the building's garbage is segregated into biodegradable, recyclable, non-
recyclable, and special or hazardous waste.
Biodegradable waste can be composted and used as fertilizer for the building's plants. Here is an
example of a successful MRF in San Fernando, Pampanga.
9. Vegetation
A significant portion of the building's unpaved area should be devoted to vegetation. This helps
reduce the heat urban island effect – when concrete surfaces so common in urban areas absorbs
heat from the sun and radiates it to the surroundings.
Plants also help absorb some rainwater which would otherwise go to sewers and drainage, later
on contributing to flooding.
10. Site sustainability
The building's design, construction. and operation practices should have minimum impact on
ecosystems and water resources.
BENEFITS OF GREEN BUILDING
With new technologies constantly being developed to complement current practices in creating
greener structures, the benefits of green building can range from environmental to economic to

social. By adopting greener practices, we can take maximum advantage of environmental and
economic performance. Green construction methods when integrated while design and
construction provide most significant benefits. Benefits of green building include:
Environmental Benefits:
 Reduce wastage of water

 Conserve natural resources
 Improve air and water quality
 Protect biodiversity and ecosystems
Economic Benefits:
 Reduce operating costs

 Improve occupant productivity
 Create market for green product and services
Social Benefits:
 Improve quality of life

 Minimize strain on local infrastructure
 Improve occupant health and comfort
The world over, evidence is growing that green buildings bring multiple benefits.
They provide some of the most effective means to achieving a range of global goals, such as
addressing climate change, creating sustainable and thriving communities, and driving economic
growth.
Highlighting these benefits, and facilitating a growing evidence base for proving them, is at the
heart of what we do as an organisation.
The benefits of green buildings (according to world green building

council are as follows)

The benefits of green buildings can be grouped within three categories: environmental,
economic and social.
Environmental
One of the most important types of benefit green buildings offer is to our climate and the
natural environment. Green buildings can not only reduce or eliminate negative impacts on the
environment, by using less water, energy or natural resources, but they can - in many cases -
have a positive impact on the environment (at the building or city scales) by generating their
own energy or increasing biodiversity.
At a global level:
 The building sector has the largest potential for significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions
compared to other major emitting sectors – UNEP, 2009.
 This emissions savings potential is said to be as much as 84 gigatonnes of CO2 (GtCO2) by 2050,
through direct measures in buildings such as energy efficiency, fuel switching and the use of
renewable energy – UNEP, 2016.
 The building sector has the potential to make energy savings of 50% or more in 2050, in support
of limiting global temperature rises to 2°C (above pre-industrial levels) – UNEP, 2016.
At a building level:
 Green buildings achieving the Green Star certification in Australia have been shown to produce
62% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than average Australian buildings, and 51% less potable
water than if they had been built to meet minimum industry requirements.
 Green buildings certified by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) results in energy savings of
40 - 50% and water savings of 20 - 30% compared to conventional buildings in India.
 Green buildings achieving the Green Star certification in South Africa have been shown to save
on average between 30 - 40% energy and carbon emissions every year, and between 20 - 30%
potable water every year, when compared to the industry norm.
 Green buildings achieving the LEED certification in the US and other countries have been shown
to consume 25 per cent less energy and 11 per cent less water, than non-green buildings.
Economic Green buildings offer a number of economic or financial benefits, which are relevant
to a range of different people or groups of people. These include cost savings on utility bills for
tenants or households (through energy and water efficiency); lower construction costs and
higher property value for building developers; increased occupancy rates or operating costs for
building owners; and job creation. Since the publication of WorldGBC’s groundbreaking 2013

report, The Business Case for Green Building, we have sought to strengthen the link between
green buildings and the economic benefits they can offer.
At a global level:
 Global energy efficiency measures could save an estimated €280 to €410 billion in savings on
energy spending (and the equivalent to almost double the annual electricity consumption of the
United States) – European Commission, 2015.
At a country level:
 Canada’s green building industry generated $23.45 billion in GDP and represented nearly
300,000 full-time jobs in 2014 – Canada Green Building Council / The Delphi Group, 2016.
 Green building is projected to account for more than 3.3 million U.S. jobs by 2018 – US Green
Building Council / Booz Allen Hamilton, 2015.
At a building level:
 Building owners report that green buildings - whether new or renovated - command a 7 per cent
increase in asset value over traditional buildings – Dodge Data & Analytics, 2016.
Social
Green building benefits go beyond economics and the environment, and have been shown to
bring positive social impacts too. Many of these benefits are around the health and wellbeing of
people who work in green offices or live in green homes.
THREE PRIMARY RATING SYSTEMS FOR GREEN BUILDINGS IN INDIA

What is Green building certification and why is it required?
Whether Green buildings are really green is to be decided against the predefined rating systems.
There are three primary Rating systems in India.
1. GRIHA
2. IGBC
3. BEE
Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA)

Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is India’s own rating system jointly
developed by TERI and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. It is a
green building design evaluation system where buildings are rated in a three-tier process. The

process initiates with the online submission of documents as per the prescribed criteria followed
by on site visit and evaluation of the building by a team of professionals and experts from GRIHA
Secretariat. GRIHA rating system consists of 34 criteria categorised in four different sections.
Some of them are –
( 1) Site selection and site planning
(2) Conservation and efficient utilization of resources
(3) Building operation and maintenance
(4) Innovation.
Commonwealth Games Village, New Delhi, Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, CESE (Centre for
Environmental Sciences & Engineering) Bldg, IIT Kanpur, Suzlon One Earth, Pune and many other
buildings has received GRIHA rating
Indian Green Building Council (IGBC)

The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is the rating system developed for
certifying Green Buildings. LEED is developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the
organization promoting sustainability through Green Buildings. LEED is a framework for assessing
building performance against set criteria and standard points of references. The benchmarks for
the LEED Green Building Rating System were developed in year 2000 and are currently available
for new and existing constructions.
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
formed the Indian Green Building Council
(IGBC) in year 2001. IGBC is the non profit
research institution having its offices in
CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business
Centre, which is itself a LEED certified
Green building. Indian Green Building
Council (IGBC) has licensed
the LEED Green Building Standard from
the USGBC. IGBC facilitates Indian green
structures to become one of the green
buildings.
IGBC has developed the following green
building rating systems for different types
of building in line and conformity with US
Green Building Council. Till date, following
Green Building rating systems are available under IGBC
1. LEED India for New Construction

2. LEED India for Core and Shell
3. IGBC Green Homes
4. IGBC Green Factory Building
5. IGBC Green SEZ
6. IGBC Green Townships

Some examples of LEED rated building in India
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)

BEE developed its own rating system for the buildings based on a 1 to 5 star scale. More stars
mean more energy efficiency. BEE has developed the Energy Performance Index (EPI). The unit
of Kilo watt hours per square meter per year is considered for rating the building and especially
targets air conditioned and non-air conditioned office buildings. The Reserve Bank of India’s
buildings in Delhi and Bhubaneshwar, the CII Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre and many
other buildings have received BEE 5 star ratings.

SUSTAINIBILITY WITH RESPECT TO CHAPTER 11 OF NBC

Sustainable Buildings -A building that meets the specified building performance requirements
while minimizing disturbance to and improving the functioning of local, regional, and global
ecosystem both during and after its construction and specified service life.
Need for Sustainable Development- Building construction, occupancy and additions/

alterations including preventive and remedial maintenance are always energy and material
intensive. Large amount of primary form of natural materials, water, air, energy, etc, are
consumed.
 The energy and material resources required for a building can be categorised as
embodied energy, recurring operation energy, refurbishment energy, and end of life
disposal. These elements and their use are inter-dependent
 There is need for integrated approach of considering them all together in general design
development and construction practice
Elements of Sustainability
The generalized design process towards sustainability should creatively address the following
considerations:
a) Set the design parameters to be implemented to be equal to or higher than

benchmarking standards given in this Code.
b) Make the basic performance requirements and set standards, applicable/ selectively
adaptable to the climatic zone and geological conditions in which the construction is
proposed
c) Have deep understanding of requirements of performance and human comfort in a

building and its surroundings, considering building type and use, quality of building and
plumbing services as desired, needs of persons with disabilities and of different age
groups, and other parameters.
d) Question the need, identify their optimum levels in long term scenario, and take the
design provisions to that level only.
e) Ensure what is sustainable today, remains that way in decades to come, and ensure the
required performance levels of systems designed. If required extensive damages done
could also be rectified/reversed in course of time.
f) Ensure that sustainability is not only in parts, but also a holistic effort and local action
should contribute to sustainability

g) Make efforts to maximize the use of traditional wisdom in design, wherever applicable,
as it represents the knowledge about the long-term behavior of materials and technology
and their strengths as well as weaknesses.
Technology Options
The consequential building envelope to create harmonious development and productive
living environment with neighborhood and building environments poses one of the biggest
challenges in selection of building materials, technologies and practices. It may be a
combination of natural and manmade materials with least embodied energy and also leading
to use of rapidly renewable resources. The trade-off between choice of the materials and
technologies and their effect on environment has to be balanced with the aim of a closed-
loop system. As a holistic approach, all efforts should be made towards
a) Encouraging and harnessing building materials out of agricultural, industrial and bio-
wastes, which have an enormous scope for regeneration
b) Encouraging indigenous environment-friendly and acceptable cost-effective technologies

and practices in identifying and pursuing sustainable developments amenable to local,
cultural and resource diversity.
c) Identifying and encouraging appropriate technologies for more research and

development applications.
d) Making building construction more indigenous, more adaptable to local climatic zone and
executable to achieve the basic provisions for sustainable development to ensure
sustained availability of building resources through regeneration and/or reuse/ recycle
e) Encouraging use of traditional materials, technologies, vernacular design and

construction practices, which have stood the test of time and which may be blended with
the modern technology applications
OTHER FACTORS
Energy Efficient Design and Processes
 All efforts need to be made towards optimum and efficient use of energy sources for
life sustenance
Reduced Embodied and Operational Energy

 All designs, materials and technologies, construction practices should be selected and
employed, aimed at reducing the overall embodied and operational energy involved
in construction and operation of the built facility.

Integrated Water Management

 The use of water conserving fixtures, landscaping, rainwater harvesting, aquifer
recharging and waste water recycling need to be given due priority consideration.
Operation and Maintenance of Services

 This should involve use of efficient building and plumbing services components and
fixtures tailor-made to meet sustainability objectives and creating sufficient
awareness among the users of building facility and its services, during the occupancy
stage.
Monitoring Compliances
 The measures adopted during design, construction and occupancy stages should be
monitored against norms as per this Code at periodic time interval to ensure
sustainability.
Corporate Governance
 The environmental impact assessment should be carried out and remedial measures
based on the findings should be taken during the life cycle of the buildings.
SITING, FORM AND DESIGN

 Before initiating the formal design process, it is critical to evaluate all the passive
design options to take advantage of local site and climatic conditions, acceptable
thermal comfort conditions and other occupant requirements.
 Passive techniques are very cost effective, climate responsive and energy efficient
and help a building integrate better with its immediate environment and most
importantly do not create any negative impact on the environment unlike active
systems that may cause various negative impacts including ozone depletion, global
warming and environmental disruptions.
 The objective, therefore, is to encourage passive design strategies for every building
as a means to reducing overall energy demand before pursuing active and mechanical
means in an effort to not only save energy but also to minimise the overall negative
impact on the environment.
SITE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

 Site Assessment Prior to Design
 Building Form, Orientation and Shading

 Thermal Massing
 Reduced Building Footprint in Multi-Storeyed Building Designs
 Optimum Building Volume
 Building Form Development Plan
 Natural Ventilation, Cooling and Wind Effects
 Optimal Day lighting
 Defining Building Service Life in Terms of Minimum Component Service Life
 Life Cycle Assessment
EXTERNAL DEVELOPMENT AND LANDSCAPE

A. Landscape Planning and Design
1. Landscape Design
 Proper landscaping helps in maintaining natural capacity of site for storm water
management, filtration, groundwater recharge and maintenance of soil structure
thereby contributing to soil organic matter, and preventing erosion.
 It helps in moderating microclimate through evaporation, transpiration and the

uptake and storage of carbon in trees and other vegetation.
 Microclimatic conditions
 External noise reduction/mitigation practices
 Building shadow considerations on landscape
2. Hard Landscape Design

 Pervious paving design
 Heat island effect and parking design
 Post-occupancy maintenance
3. Soft Landscape Design

 Preserving top soil
 Ecological design/conserving biodiversity
a. Protection and use of existing vegetation

b. Use of vegetation that promotes a regional identity and a sense

of place
c. Conservation of native endangered species
 Landscape design for controlling solar gain
 Vertical landscaping and roof gardens
 Urban agricultural practices/social forestry

 Rainwater Harvesting Surface Runoff
 Water Elements and Irrigation Practices

4. External Access Design
 Reduced Environmental Impacts from Parking Facilities
 Long term Public and Private Transportation Plan

 Bicycle Lanes and Pedestrian Access Safety and Comfort
 Off Street Parking
 Discouraging Subsidized Parking in Public Realm
 Providing Neighborhood Connectivity, Walkability and Safety
5. External Lighting Design
 Landscape Lighting Design Allowable Lighting Power Density (LPD)
 External Signage Design
 External Lighting
 Light Trespass Allowance
ENVELOPE OPTIMIZATION
Building Envelope
 The building envelope acts as the interface between indoor and external climatic
conditions.
 The building envelope should be designed to conserve energy substantially.

 Well designed building envelope maximizes daylight, natural ventilation (access to

fresh air) and views to the exterior, and enables to modulate solar heat gain and
control/reduce noise
 The primary components of building envelope which affect the performance of a

building are,
a) walls
b) roof (including skylights and clerestories)
c) fenestration (openings with or without glazing)
d) floor
e) surface finishes.
Walls
Walls are a major part of the building envelope, which are exposed to external environment
conditions such as solar radiation, outside air temperature, wind and precipitation. The
construction of wall and thereby its heat storing capacity and heat conduction property has a
major impact on indoor thermal comfort in naturally ventilated buildings and on cooling loads in
air conditioned buildings.
 Enhancement of thermal performance of walls

Thermal performance of walls can be improved by following ways:

a) Thermal insulation (applying insulation on wall surface) Thermal insulation plays an

important role in reducing the thermal conductance or U-value of walls.
 The effect of insulation is to reduce heat gain and heat loss. Insulation should always
be placed on the hotter side of the surface. In hot climate zone, insulation should be
placed on the external side of wall
b) Thermal mass (increasing wall thickness) Thermal mass in walls enables time delay in
impact of external environment on internal conditions.
 Thermally massive walls have high thermal capacity, and thermal storage capacity
increases with increasing compactness, density and specific heat capacity of the
materials.
c) Air cavities (Providing air cavities in walls)
 Air cavities in wall reduces heat gain factor. Performance is improved if the cavity is
ventilated.
 Heat is transmitted through air cavity by convection and radiation. Cavity represents
resistance that is not proportional to the thickness of the cavity. For thicknesses
greater than 20 mm, the resistance to heat flow is nearly constant.
d) Surface finishes (Applying light colored paints on walls)
 Surface color and finish plays an important role in heat gain and loss from a structure.
If external surface of a building is painted with light color, it will reflect solar radiation.
But if the emissivity of the surface color in the long wave region is also high, the heat
flux into the building is considerably reduced.
 Ongoing research has made possible paints that are dark but reflect most off infrared
(IR) radiation, thereby preventing excessive heat gain.
ROOFS
The roofs of buildings receive most of heat throughout the day. Predominantly used
construction practices in the country especially in urban areas, mainly involve reinforced
cement concrete (RCC) as the roofing element, which has high thermal conductivity. If the
roof is exposed to solar heat, the temperature inside will also rise as the day progresses.
When buildings are air conditioned, the purpose of the system is to maintain inside the
building, a lower temperature than the ambient.
Over-deck and under-deck insulation

 In this system a thermal barrier or insulation is provided over RCC roof, so that the
amount of heat of the sun reaching the RCC slab of the roof is substantially reduced
to prevent the slab from getting excessively heated up.
 In contrast, if the thermal barrier is provided under RCC roof, as in under-deck
insulation ,some heat passes through it and heats up the ambience of the room. This
decreases the comfort level of the room and if the building is air conditioned,
increases the air conditioning load.

a) Use of preformed insulation materials- Preformed insulation materials used are

classified as given below which may be laid, over the roof surface as per the
manufacturers’ recommendations
b) In-situ application using spray applied polyurethane- This is applied directly over the
roof by spraying. This insulation has advantage of non-interference with internal
constructional/operational activities of a building, joint less adhesion to the roof
surface due to seamless and monolithic nature of spray, and speedy application
c) Conventional roof insulation practices- There are a number of traditional roof
insulation practices followed in the country which have been effectively employed.
These may include mud phuska and brick bat coba.
d) Other traditional practices of roof insulation Inverted earthen pots may also be used
for roof insulation. In this system burnt clay pots are placed in inverted positions and
covered with filler material. The air trapped inside the pots act as insulator and
renders insulating property to roof
e) Other over-deck systems that minimize heat gains There are other systems employing
use of highly reflective and emissivity coatings that stay cooler in the summer thereby
reducing energy costs, improving occupant comfort, cutting maintenance costs,
increasing the life of the roof, and contributing to the reduction of heat island effect.
GREEN ROOF SYSTEM

 Green roofs have the potential to improve the thermal performance of a roofing
system through shading, insulation, evapotranspiration and thermal mass, thus
reducing energy demand of building for space conditioning.
 The green roof moderates the heat flow through the roofing system and helps in
reducing the temperature fluctuations due to changing outside environment.
 If widely used, green roofs can reduce the problem of heat island effect which in turn
reduces the energy consumption in urban areas
 Green roof systems comprise a lightweight growing medium, plants and a root
repellent layer in addition to the regular components of a roof. The additional
components and thickness of the growing medium provides thermal insulation, while
the green cover lowers ambient temperatures through evapotranspiration
a) Intensive green roof It is like a conventional garden or park with almost no limit on the
type of available plants including trees and shrubs.
b) Extensive green roof It is designed for little maintenance or human intervention once it is
established
c) Modular block green roof It is designed in modular units which interlock and each module
contains drainage systems and plants.

FENESTRATION
 Of all the elements of building envelope, windows and glazed areas are most
vulnerable to heat gains.
 Windows are required to bring inside natural daylight and wind, however, with light it
also bring in heat. Proper location, sizing and detailing of windows and shading form
is therefore a very important aspect in a solar passive building design.
Window size and placement

The following may be taken into consideration
a) Height of window head
b) Sill height (height from floor to the bottom of the
window)
c) Use of separate apertures for view and daylight
d) Window wall ratio (WWR)
Glazing
 The most commonly used glazing material in openings is glass, though recently
polycarbonate sheets are being used for skylights.
 Use of insulated glazing units(IGU) may be considered in appropriate cases. IGU are
hermetically sealed, multiple pane assemblies consisting of two or more glazing layers
held and bonded at their perimeter by a space bar typically containing a desiccant
material
Frame
 The type and quality of window frame affects air infiltration and heat gain/heat loss
characteristics of windows. Window frames are usually made of aluminium, steel, wood,
PVC, RCC, fibre Glass or composites of these materials
SHADING DEVICES
Direct sunlight can cause glare. Controls are therefore necessary to allow diffused natural light.
Windows shading devices may be employed which help in keeping out the heat, block
uncomfortable direct sun, and soften harsh daylight contrasts. Shading devices are also critical
for visual and thermal comfort and for minimizing mechanical cooling loads.
The three main ways of controlling direct sunlight are:
a) External shading and screens/Jalis,

b) Internal shading,
c) Use of solar control glass (spectrally selective
d) Horizontal/vertical or angled louvers
Following are various parameters, related to the
thermal performance of a window which should be
considered to achieve energy efficiency in air
conditioned building:
1) U-value of fenestration
2) Solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of fenestration
3) ) Shading and adjusted SHGC
4) Projection factor (PF)
5) Impact on lighting energy consumption
BIBLOGRAPHY
https://www.ecomena.org/salient-features-of-a-green-building/
https://www.rappler.com/science-nature/environment/56190-ten-features-green-building
https://www.worldgbc.org/benefits-green-buildings
https://new.usgbc.org/press/benefits-of-green-building
http://grnbuilt.com/8-benefits-green-building/
https://www.uml.edu/docs/buildinggreen_tcm18-52566.pdf
https://greencleanguide.com/three-primary-rating-systems-for-green-buildings-in-india/
file:///E:/DATA/USER-DATA/Downloads/india-national-building-code-nbc-2016-vo.pdf
http://manofsteel.in/capital-building-green-technology-in-an-everyday-building/

Concepts of Sustainable Building

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Concepts of Sustainable Building

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Concepts of Sustainable Building

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

CONCEPTS OF SUSTAINABLE BUILDING

pg. 1 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

pg. 2 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

What is sustainable development?

So is it all just about the environment?

How does it affect us?

How do we make it happen?

pg. 3 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

Sustainable development is often illustrated

pg. 4 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

pg. 5 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

“Far from being a burden, sustainable development is an exceptional opportunity – economically,

pg. 6 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

 Efficient use of energy, water and other resources

pg. 7 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

How can we make our buildings green?

Taking an intelligent approach to energy

Safeguarding water resources

Minimising waste and maximising reuse

Promoting health and wellbeing

Keeping our environment green

pg. 8 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

Creating resilient and flexible structures

Connecting communities and people

Considering all stages of a building's life-cycle

pg. 9 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

Features of a Green Building

 Green buildings offer widespread benefits to a number of building industry stakeholders,

 An integral characteristic of a green building is its stress on protecting existing ecologies,

pg. 10 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

 Green buildings are usually constructed on environmentally sensitive lands or previously

pg. 11 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

carbon footprints of such buildings.

pg. 12 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

10 FEATURES OF A 'GREEN' BUILDING

2. Low solar heat gain coefficient of glass (SHGC)

3. Enthalpy recovery of exhaust air

4. Daylight-controlled lighting systems

pg. 13 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

8. Materials recovery facility (MRF)

10. Site sustainability

BENEFITS OF GREEN BUILDING

pg. 14 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

 Reduce wastage of water

 Reduce operating costs

 Improve quality of life

The benefits of green buildings (according to world green building

pg. 15 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

pg. 16 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

THREE PRIMARY RATING SYSTEMS FOR GREEN BUILDINGS IN INDIA

Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA)

pg. 17 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

Indian Green Building Council (IGBC)

Green Building rating systems are available under IGBC

1. LEED India for New Construction

pg. 18 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07

Some examples of LEED rated building in India

Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)

pg. 19 KOMAL ARORA SR NO :07