Intro to Green Buildings

Green buildings strive to minimize the adverse impact that regular buildings have on the environment. From selecting the location to daily operation, green buildings are held to the highest standards of environmental responsibility and resource efficiency. These buildings optimize their use of local materials, minimize their impact on local ecology and, most importantly, are built to reduce power, water and material requirements. There are certifying agencies, such as the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) that assist real estate developers to implement environmentally-friendly practices and get green building certification.

There are 5 fundamental principles of green buildings.

1. Sustainable Site Design ensures that key environmental assets are preserved and needless destruction of valuable land, habitat and open space is prevented.
2. Water Quality & Conservation preserves the existing natural water cycle and minimize the inefficient use of potable water while maximizing the recycling of water, including rainwater harvesting.
3. Focus on Energy & Environment maximizes the use of renewable energy and other low impact energy sources, while minimizing the adverse impact on the environment through optimized building design, material selection and use of energy conservation measures.
4. Making sure Indoor Environmental Quality is high provides a healthy, comfortable and productive environment for building occupants. This involves utilizing the best possible conditions in terms of air quality, heat management, natural ventilation and lighting.
5. Sourcing Materials and Resources is an important part of the construction process. Green construction minimizes the use of non-renewable construction materials while maximizing the use of sustainably managed recycled materials.