Improving energy efficiency in your building can be simple & easy

One positive trend all across the globe is how people are turning to simple, low-cost measures that can save of energy and money. Saving energy in existing buildings is very simple and easy once you make up your mind to do it. For example, a group planted 'green curtains' around 20 of its facilities on 3 continents. These lightweight green curtains allow flower or fruit-bearing plants to grow and in turn shade walls and windows, reducing direct solar gain through the windows and the buildings' opaque surface temperature by over 25 degrees F.

The building’s energy efficiency not only affects the utility bills, but can also have an impact on the property’s value and if its an office then the workers’ performance too gets boost! Improving energy efficiency in your building can also be simple & easy. Here are few measures one can take to improve the energy efficiency of any commercial building:

Measure your energy consumption
The first step one can take to boost energy efficiency is to measure the energy consumption. And the take steps where you can make the greatest improvements in energy efficiency.

Put proper insulation in place
The outside envelop of building should be designed to lower heating and cooling needs. A proper insulation can help make your building as airtight as possible. Replace doors and windows to stop air leaks in existing buildings can provide additional insulation.

Select the right ventilation system
An effective ventilation system to maintain good air quality and prevent the buildup of moisture can go a long way to improve the energy efficiency in your building.

Use energy-efficient systems and equipment
Use certified equipment and save on energy consumption and money. An Energy Star certified computer, for example, will use 30% to 65% less energy than a typical non-certified model, depending on its use.

Use LED lights
LED lights can help you reduce your energy use by 75% compared to incandescent lighting. Also, use sensors in infrequently used spaces such as conference rooms and restrooms to cut down on energy use.

Design Atelier is a New Delhi based Green Architecture Firm that can help you achieve 'green and energy saving goals'.  

2019 - The year of a green new deal?

Richard Murphy and Colin Hines have suggested a number of ways on how to raise revenue that could be used to fund energy efficiency in all buildings, renewable and local transport systems. They hope that this green new deal would also provide jobs in every constituency and dramatically reduce carbon emissions.

To deliver this 'green' will, Richard Murphy and Colin Hines writes in the guardian.com, require that people be convinced that they will benefit and that there is the money to pay for such a transformation. Also, taxes on the wealthy can be increased.

According to them these funding can be raised in many ways including private savings via “green war bonds”. Another mechanism would be to improve tax collection. Also, bank could purchase new debt issued in the form of green bonds by a national investment bank to fund energy efficiency in all buildings, renewable and local transport systems.
 
Murphy and Colin suggests to use quantitative easing to fund the transition to a sustainable economy. Read more

Architects Can Now Test Energy Efficiency Before Construction!

A California lab has designed a rotating, customizable lab that allows commercial real estate developers to create mock-ups of planned buildings to test out their energy use. According to a story published in GreenWire, the architects can test the energy efficiency of the interior of a building before the building is constructed. This Energy Department-funded 'Flexlab', is aimed at bridging the gulf between expected savings from buildings’ efficiency and actual results.

Buildings which consume up to 40 percent of the country’s (USA) energy use often don’t deliver on their promises of efficiency. According to a study, it was found that a quarter of efficiently designed buildings underestimated their energy intensity by at least 25 percent.

“If we don’t really bend the curve on efficiency, we’re just not going to make the targets,” he said. “You’re going to have to pull together every muscle and sinew, and that’s what this facility does,” said Daniel Poneman, DOE Deputy Secretary. 

The lab facility, which was funded with $15.7 million from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, allows building planners to create mock-ups of their interiors to see how they perform in the real world with an eye toward collecting data on energy efficiency as well as comfort and ease of use. 

Read full story at: http://greenbuildingelements.com/2014/07/16/lab-allows-designers-test-energy-efficiency-construction/

Why Build Green?

Good for environment, energy conservation and the world, green buildings are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout it's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. So, if we put into the practice of 'green' when we build or renovate any building, then we can significantly contribute to the health, wealth and well-being of our self, the families for whom we build, our community, and the world.

You'll be surprised to know that that worldwide, buildings consume nearly 40% of the world's energy, 25% of its wood, and 15% of its water! By adopting green building strategies, we can maximize both economic and environmental performance. Therefore, we make smarter choice when we decide to go green.

Benefits of green buildings

There are numerous Social, economic and environmental benefits for building green. Below we are highlighting only the economic benefits (compared with normal buildings):

• 88% reduction in lighting consumption

• 35% reduction in potable water use

• 20% of the building’s energy requirement is provided by photovoltaics

• 15-20% less load on AC thanks to aerated concrete blocks used in facades 

• 80% of materials used are either recycled or recyclable

• 90% of building daylit

• Zero water discharge building

• 75% of occupants have outside view

• 50% savings in overall energy consumption

India can lead the world in energy efficiency construction

The emphasis on green buildings continues to gain momentum in India and all over the world. This is inspite of the fact that the green buildings are making up less than 5 percent of the booming Indian building market. Today developers, government and experts realize that there is a tremendous opportunity for expanding energy efficiency construction in India. During a congress held last year in India, the Chairman of the Indian Green Building Council, Dr. Prem Jain emphasized “India is going to lead the world in new construction. The opportunity is huge.” 

A green building is one which uses less water, optimizes energy efficiency, conserves natural resources, generates less waste and provides healthier spaces for its inhabitants. And, therefore, the pressure to implement sustainable energy systems, use natural resources and source eco-friendly green products and services is overwhelming.

Currently there are only 2,204 green buildings, including hospitals, hotels, colleges and IT parks in the country. This number is expected to grow to about one lakh by 2025 across India, say estimates by the Indian Green Building Council. You'll be surprised to know that in the year 2001, there was only one green building in India.

Sustainable buildings experts say that green buildings are beneficial not just in energy conservation, but also in cost reduction. Green buildings can help save a lot of energy and reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health.

The Green Building Movement in India got a major impetus when Chimes building in Gurgaon was awarded LEED/IGBC Gold Rating. Designed by India's famous architectural firm Design Atelier, the building addresses issues of sustainability, sociability, making room for nature and program flexibility. The Architecture of the Chimes is about creating public spaces that are accessible and enable the experience of nature within the spaces of the building, symbolizing life inside the building. Chimes Building of Gurgaon was also awarded the "Green Project of the Year" by Construction Week Awards 2013. 

Green Buildings Gain Momentum in Indian Cities

The Indian cities have been plagued with numerous environmental problems because of increasing population, escalating economic development and migration from rural areas. The health and well-being of its residents, therefore, gets negatively affected. The demand for residential buildings which offers better environmental quality and have facilities that reduce environmental pollution and have provision for energy efficiency, water conservation and waste management processes are increasing.

The buildings in India consumes one-third of the country’s total electricity. According to BEE, lighting and air-conditioning use 80 per cent of the energy in commercial buildings, while fans and refrigerators guzzle maximum energy in residential buildings. The lifestyle of residents of cities have changed the electric appliance market. The National Habitat Standard Mission states that building energy consumption has increased from 14 per cent in 1970 to 33 per cent in 2004-05.

  

Green architecture ensures that the buildings are constructed in a way that the threshold level of water and energy requirements are low and waste is minimized, while the comfort level is improved. Now, there are enormous opportunities for innovation in energy-efficient technology and market, too, have taken notice of green building policies and thus abuzz with green building products for lighting, insulation and glazing.

Give attention to architect's advise before you select concrete blocks and vitrified tiles, plastering surfaces with cement and painting them. Green building is common sense and a mix of nature and modern science.

Green Architecture For India

Almost non-existent in modern Indian cities till few years back, sustainable architecture is now gaining some attention. However, it may not be wrong to state that ambiguity on what exactly constitutes sustainable architecture do exists as well.

In India, ancient reservoir of knowledge can help reduce energy consumption in buildings today. To some extent "Vaastu Shastra" do advocate and guide us on how to create green buildings. Climate-responsive architectural design is age old tradition in India and courtyards, clusters, wind towers, roof terraces and jaalis (stone lattices) were built for effective climate control. The need is to combine modern technology with traditional methods. It may also be said that for an ideal green building all one has to do is to look and get ideas from nature. As in his hugely  successful book Design with Nature, published in 1969, Ian McHarg says that: “If one accepts the simple proposition that Nature is the arena of life and that a modicum of knowledge of her process is indispensable for survival and rather more for existence, health and delight, it is amazing that how many apparently difficult problems present a ready solution.”

While designing with nature at a building level, one should recognise sun paths, breezes, shade trees and rock formations so that people can inhabit comfortably. Natural features like trees, animal tracks, habitats and natural drainage systems must also be protected. Building a collection pond for rainwater is another ancient method to reduce consumption of supplied water. Rainwater flows are retained and water runs into a pond at the lower end of the site. 

It must also be understood that the social, political, economical and cultural context of India would also have to be addressed while designing environmentally sustainable architecture so that solutions are sensitive to its particularities.

"Using conservative design methods, a potentially staggering impact on the power-water consumption of the country could result if effective ways are found to support change in products and processes across the built environment. Imagine if buildings could be designed to be used through the day without electrical lights, or to run air-conditioning needs on pre-cooled recycled water or to use all natural and paid resources conservatively and then say multiply this model to the entire city to gauge the impact," points Aashish V. Karode (B.Arch.; M.U.D. (Berkeley) Principal, Planning and Design Services, Design Atelier, New Delhi)

CII - Godrej Green Business Centre, Hyderabad is the first platinum rated green building in the world outside the USA. It is the first platinum rated green building of the world under LEED version 2.0.