Green Building Project

1. Shelter is one of the fundamental needs of human beings. The need
to own a place for living is also seen in animals and birds. In the
beginning of human civilization man used to live in caves and on
trees, gradually he has identified materials suitable for construction
like clay, stone and timber. Basic purpose of these dwellings is to
protect man from weather and predators. These houses made way for
larger inhabitations like castles, forts and palaces which had built in
mechanism for providing sunlight and fresh air. As the time went on,
man with his knowledge invented latest technologies and materials
which helped him in construction of different types of buildings. These
buildings and the materials used for construction brought rapid
changes in the environment. Limitation of space, growth of population
and rapid urbanization lead to community dwelling culture which
increased problems like CFC emissions, insufficient ventilation,
increase of waste materials during construction and maintenance of
house arouse.
It is found that the building industry will consume 40% of total global
energy and release about 3800megatons of CO2 into atmosphere.
They have harmful impact on the nature. According to a report the
building industry has following impacts:
Consumption of 40% of world’s total energy.
Consumption of 30% of raw materials.
About 25% of timber harvest is going down.
35% of CO2 emission.
16% of fresh water is being depleted.
40% of municipal solid waste is being generated.
50% of ozone depleting CFC’s are still in use.
30% of the residents have sick building syndrome.
The above issues have forced man to think along the terms of
sustainable development which gave solution for his problem through
“green building” concept. Most of the people think that it is latest
technology which has been invented in recent times. But a very few
people know that this concept is being used since time immemorial.
The Hawa Mahal in Jaipur Rajasthan in India is constructed in such a
way that it has natural ventilation which is also one of the principles of

2. green construction. Similarly many buildings were constructed using
different principles of green construction unknowingly the concept.
A Green Building is the one whose construction and life time
operation provides healthiest possible environment having the most
efficient and least disruptive use of the land, water, energy and
resources. Green Building is the one that preserves and restores the
habitat which is vital for sustaining life by reducing negative
environmental impact. Construction of Green Building minimizes on-
site grading, saves natural resources by using alternative building
material and recycles construction waste rather than dumping in
landfill. Green Building’s interior spaces have natural lighting, outdoor
views while highly efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning
(HVAC) systems and low volatile organic compounds like paints,
flooring and furniture create a superior indoor air quality. Most of the
Green Buildings are designed according to LEED (Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design). Green Buildings are more
comfortable and easier to live with due to Row operating and owning
costs. It is estimated by the year 2050, residential, commercial and
institutional buildings consume about 38-40%global energy and
release3800-4000 mega tones of carbon in to the atmosphere.
Climate change by itself can also precipitate lager energy demand as
people seek greater comfort levels in more extreme conditions (2, 3).
NEED FOR GREEN BUILDINGS:
 The environmental impact of building design and construction
industry is significant. Buildings consume more than 20% of electricity
used in India.
 Normal construction deprives land usage from natural biologically
diverse habitats.

3.  Green Building practices can substantially reduce or eliminate
negative environmental impacts and improve existing unsustainable
design, construction and operational practices.
 As an advantage greendesign measures help in reducing running
costs and mitigate indoor air quality problems.
 Studies conducted on green buildings reported productivity gains up
to 16%.
 As a matter of fact green building enhances environmental and
economic benefit for occupants.
PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION OF GREEN BUIDING:
Site efficiency:
It is very important for careful planning before a Green Building project
is started. Though building green house does need to be expensive or
time consuming, final choice of type of green building will depend on
the space desired, home architecture, available site and costs. Green
building should be located in such a place where there is maximum
sunlight. The first choice of location is either south or south eastern
side. Sunlight all the day is best for proper lighting of the house and
growing trees like maple, oak, neem and tamarind can efficiently
shade the Green building from intense late summer afternoon. Good
drainage system is another important requirement for the site. The
Green building should be built above the ground level so that rain
water and irrigation water will drain in to the soil. Evolve strategies to
stockpile top soil for landscaping purpose. Consider adopting
measures such as temporary and permanent seeding, mulching,
dykes, silt fencing, sediment traps and sediment basins where ever
required. Open areas can be landscaped and paved areas can be
developed with permeable paving. For impermeable surfaces like
concrete surfaces direct entire runoff towards storm water collection
pits.
It is necessary to select a site which is nearer to all basic amenities
like grocery store, pharmacy, post office, police station, hospital,
railway station, bus station. Site should have provision for parking and
open space for growing plants.
Heat Island effect: Precautions are to be taken to reduce heat island
effect i.e., thermal gradient differences formed between heat
developed and undeveloped areas to minimize impact on micro

4. climate. Typical materials with high reflective properties like china
mosaic, white cement tiles and paints should be used for reducing
heat island effect.
WATER EFFICIENCY:
Reduction of water consumption and protection of water quality is
other important factor for Green building. The conservation and
protection of water throughout the life of a Green building can be
accomplished by designing for dual plumbing that recycles water in
toilet flushing. Waste -water may be minimized by using water
conserving fixtures like ultra low flush toilets and low flow shower
heads. Bidets may be used to reduce the usage of toilet papers,
reduce load on sewers and increasing possibilities of reusing water
on-site. Water treatment is a must for maintaining water quality.
Usage of grey water for growing plants will also helpful for water
conservation. There should be provision for rain water harvesting
systems. Water efficient fixtures are to be used to minimize indoor
water usage.
Rain Water Harvesting System :
Reuse of harvested rain water in plumbing systems in commercial or
residential setting proves to be environmentally and economically
effective. It can reduce usage of drinking water for other purposes. In
this system runoff water can be harvested from roofs via down pipes
that are connected to water reservoirs and under ground tanks. It will
be easy to install this system for new dwellings with down pipes at
one end and a cellar with a place for a low cost tank at other end. The
harvested water can be used for washing clothes and toilet flushing.
The factors to be considered while designing rain water harvesting
system are:
 Rainwater availability.
 Size based on average availability and consumption.
 Materials of cistern.
 Suitable location .
Basic Components :
o Catchment Area
o Gutters and downspouts

5. o Leaf screens and roof washers
o Cisterns
o Conveying systems
o Treatment of water.
Operation And Maintenance of Harvesting system:
• Cleaning must be done at beginning of summer and winter rainfall to
remove any foreign material.
• Filtering and distribution system should be maintained.
• Filtration is essential to prevent entry of contaminants.
• Preferred height of distribution line should be 30.48cm above bottom
of tank or reservoir
Water Efficient fixtures:

6. These are used to reduce indoor water usage. The water fixtures
which are being used should be efficient. Fixtures are available with
ultra high efficiency which can reduce substantial quantity of water
consumption.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY :
Green buildings are also useful to reduce energy consumption. Higher
performance buildings use less operating energy. Studies such as
U.S. LCI Database Project(6) show buildings built primarily with wood
will have a lower energy than those built with brick, concrete or
steel(7). Usage of high efficiency windows and insulation in walls,
ceiling and floors increase the efficiency of the energy envelope.
Passive solar building design can also be used in low energy homes.
Designers orient windows and walls, porches and trees to shade
windows and roofs during the summer while maximizing solar gain in
the winter(8). Apart from this proper window placement can provide
more natural light and lessen the need for electric lighting during the
day. Providing proper metering also saves energy. Solar water
heating also reduces energy costs. Onsite generation of renewable
energy through solar, wind, hydro or biomass energies can
significantly reduce the environmental impact on the building.
Energy saving measures in various equipments:
To conserve energy we can use following equipment
1) Level controllers in overhead water tanks.
2) Energy efficient lifts.
3) Minimise 60% efficiency in water pumps
4) Minimise 75% efficiency in motors.