GREEN BUILDINGS
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.
India’s green building market is still in its nascent stages, but it is rapidly growing. An increasing number of people are now well aware of the positive impact green building brings for our environment, hence they are considering investing in them even if they have to pay a few extra bucks for it. Owing to features like sustainability and environment-friendly, the idea of green buildings largely focuses on the efficient use of energy, water, and material. It also helps in cutting down the negative impact of the building structure on human health. Furthermore, it expands the overall life cycle of the building.
India is a large country with almost too many people, and therefore, it has a never-ending appetite for commercial and residential developments. There are thousands of developers in the country.
Green construction methods when integrated while design and construction provide the most significant benefits. Benefits of green building Include reducing water wastage, Conserving natural resources, Improving occupant productivity, Improving the quality of life, Minimizing strain on local infrastructure, Improve occupant health and comfort.
CONCEPTS OF GREEN BUILDINGS :-
Green building is a whole-systems approach for designing and constructing buildings that conserve energy, water, and material resources and are more healthy, safe, and more comfortable. Many think of solar panels when they think of “green” buildings.
We should consider the goals of green building. Of course, one of the main goals is to make the earth more sustainable, but it does go lower than that. When you decide to go green, your goal will be to help to sustain the environment without disrupting the natural habitats around it.
Buildings across the globe are adopting sustainable operational and construction strategies. The increase in the number of initiatives doesn’t just accrue from increased awareness about climate change but green buildings offer significant cost savings. It’s not just the new establishments that are integrating it into their building design blueprints but even existing structures are being refurbished. Green buildings do offer a large potential to the real estate industry. A green building is aimed at minimizing the use of water, optimizing energy efficiency, low waste generation, conservation of natural resources and thereby offering the occupants a healthy environment to live and work in. The push towards sustainability has also been helped by the new government initiatives taken across India.
WHY SHOULD BE FORWARD FOR THIS CONCEPT?
Every concept that is thought have its own merits, some of the very interesting merits of this concept-
1. Low operating costs. (About 30%-40%)
2. Improve occupant health.
3. Reduce Pollution.
4. Reduce water usage. (About 20%-30%)
5. Reduce Power consumption by 40%-50%.
6. Eliminates the creation of waste.
7. What are the Green Features of a Green Building?
8. Minimal disturbance to landscapes and site condition.
9. Use of non-toxic and recycled/recyclable material.
10. Efficient use of water and water recycling.
11. Use of energy-efficient and eco-friendly pieces of equipment.
12. Use of renewable energy.
13. Quality of indoor air quality for human safety and comfort.
14. Effective controls and building management system.
WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR THIS CONCEPT?
Green Buildings are not a shocking concept to us, because in ancient times people were aware of their health and sustainability. So they built their structures for long-term sustainability.
01. Sustainable siting and design structure.
02. Indoor air quality.
03. On-site power generation.
04. Water efficiency.
05. Recycled materials.
06. Energy efficiency.
Energy-efficient equipment:- Use of efficient lighting fixtures and solar water heating systems.
Renewable energy:- Using renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind.
Eco-friendly building materials:– By using sustainable building materials such as recycled glass and steel in creating building design can be fruitful to the construction owners and managers. It results in tremendous waste reduction and helps to reduce the environmental impact of the building. Green buildings are built from natural, innocuous, and regenerated materials that are cheap.
APPLICATION OF GREEN BUILDING
In the face of deteriorating soil and water issues, white rubbish, resource shortages, air pollution, and other issues, people are aware of the importance of ecological construction and began to use their own energy, environmental protection technology, and equipment for their own, family and others’ health. The construction industry also follows the technical trend, satisfies the people to the green idea request, when constructs the massive integration in the green idea, has implemented a series of energy conservation environmental protection technical measures in the green construction.
In the green building in order to achieve sustainable development, as much as possible for building energy-saving and environmental protection technology for architectural design, construction and use of demand, reduce energy consumption, reduce people’s natural disturbance, the final construction suitable for people living in the building. Green building conceptually contains the following points:
(01) Energy-saving, here is mainly stressed that we need to reduce a variety of waste of resources.
(02) To protect the environment, where the main emphasis is to reduce environmental pollution and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions.
- Energy codes will keep raising the bar, and enforcement is catching up.
- Mandatory disclosure rules will motivate building owners to invest in energy efficiency.
- The pace of building certification will increase.
- Building energy management systems are in growing demand.
- The connection between efficient buildings and the smart grid will continue to grow.
IMPORTANCE OF GREEN BUILDING
The related concepts of sustainable development and sustainability are integral to green building. Effective green building can lead to:
01. Reduced operating costs by increasing productivity and using less energy and water.
02. Improved public and occupant health due to improved indoor air quality.
03. Reduced environmental impacts by, for example, reducing stormwater runoff and the heating effect.
ADVANTAGES OF GREEN BUILDING
01. Reduction of natural resource consumption
02. Reduction of operating costs
03. Health, comfort, and safety for all residents
04. Energy optimization and reduction of energy consumption
05. Increased productivity of the occupants
06. Better indoor air quality (IAQ has a tremendous impact on human health)
07. Green Building encourages companies to benefit from the Green corporate image and to leave a very positive impression on customers, employees, business partners, and shareholders.
BENEFITS OF GREEN BUILDING
01. Low Maintenance and Operation Cost:
Green buildings incorporate unique construction features that ensure the efficient use of resources such as water and energy. This allows users to save as much as a third of their water and energy bills.
02. Energy Efficiency:
Designers of green buildings try as much as possible to reduce dependency on energy from non-renewable sources such as coal. Other methods ensure that the building uses energy in an efficient manner.
03. Enhances Indoor Environment Quality:
Indoor environment quality depends on conditions inside a building and how they affect the occupants of the building. Good indoor environment quality protects the health of the building’s occupants, reduces stress, and improves their quality of life.
04. Water Efficiency:
Water efficiency involves using water resources to save water and ensure that today and future generations enjoy a reliable supply of clean water.
05. Better Health:
People who live in green buildings enjoy many health benefits because of the safety of materials used in the construction of such buildings. For instance, eco-friendly construction companies avoid using plastic by-products that have been found to release toxic materials.
06. Better Environment:
By reducing the usage of energy sources that pollute the environment such as coal, green buildings contribute to keeping the environment clean.
07. Reduces Strain on Local Resources:
As the population increases, local shared resources such as water and energy come under considerable pressure.
How can I afford green building materials?
Although you may be on a tight budget, there are creative ways to build a green home or office without compromising quality. We’re aware of the challenges and invite you to take advantage of our expertise in order to get the look and quality you want, at a price you can afford. We’ve done it with our own home and with hundreds of others — and we’re confident we can help you, too.
FAQ
Econaur is India’s first online aggregator platform that provides one-stop solutions for green and energy-efficient buildings by providing materials, products, technology, and expert guidance. We help people create beautiful, healthier homes by delivering high-performance, eco-friendly products we have personally tested. Our Vision is to be the number one trusted source for eco-friendly building products. On our website you can quickly and effortlessly browse through hundreds of natural and sustainable products—everything is well-organized and clearly defined.
Non-toxic and safe
Renewable, recycled or upcycled
Energy-efficient and Energy Star compliant
Good reputation in the industry
Personally tested by our company
Although you may be on a tight budget, there are creative ways to build a green home or office without compromising quality. We’re aware of the challenges and invite you to take advantage of our expertise in order to get the look and quality you want, at a price you can afford. We’ve done it with our own home and with hundreds of others — and we’re confident we can help you, too.
Because we know that if we do our homework properly,
- you’ll be happy with the results
- you’ll come to trust our expertise
- green building will become more popular
- you’ll continue to buy from our store
- there will be integrity and fulfillment in our work
We’ve reviewed hundreds of eco-products and have chosen only the best ones. In order for a product to qualify for our store we:
- personally test it or related product(s) in the same line, as consumers ourselves; we choose practical products that are easy to understand and that work well
- get feedback from other builders and homeowners
- visit job sites to see how these products are installed in the real world
- procure MSDS sheets from manufacturers and study the fine print
- attend trade shows, conferences and workshops to find the latest products
- for many products, we visit manufacturing facilities to see how the products are really made
As a rule, natural and non-toxic products (e.g. wood, bamboo, cork, wool carpet, natural linoleum, marble/granite/limestone/porcelain, natural finishes, etc.) tend to be our favorites. They are sometimes more expensive than other products initially, but that’s not the whole story.
Sustainable products tend to:
- last longer
- wear better
- clean easier
- smell better
- create a pleasing, healthier environment for residents
- be biodegradable
Non-sustainable products, on the other hand, tend to:
- be short-lived
- require more maintenance
- exhibit toxic and foul smells for many months, with some out-gassing undetected for years
- compromise the health of individuals and the environment
- provide only short-term pleasure
- sit in landfills almost forever
In the long run, the life-cycle costs of sustainable products are usually less expensive. Plus they bring greater satisfaction during installation and for generations of use.
Since 1991 we have supplied natural and non-toxic materials to countless homeowners and builders for new and remodeled homes and commercial buildings. Many of our clients forced us to find natural products that would compete in price with cheaper, unnatural products. This was a challenge, but we did it.
