Green buildings are energy efficient buildings that consume energy without wasting it. Search type of constructions help in reducing the carbon footprint of humans. Carbon footprint is the amount of carbon that each individual leaves behind, which adversely affects the climate.
A green building’s design, construction and operation reduces the negative impact on natural environment and in turn creates positive impact. Green buildings make efficient use of renewable energy resources like solar energy, it focuses on harvesting water through rainwater harvesting and other sustainable methods. Pollution through wastage is curbed by reusing and recycling the garbage produced by the people living in the building. Materials used in construction of such buildings is seen that they are biodegradable and not harmful to the environment.
Currently India is among the top fivehttps://www.usgbc.org/articles/us-green-building-council-announces-top-10-countries-and-regions-leed-green-building countries in the world to have green building footprint. Such plans will help us to achieve our sustainable development goals mandated to be completed by 2030. The way we live and the way we function affects the environment by a large scale. This is caused by the things that we consume, the garbage that we create and the carbon footprint that we leave behind.
Our choices must be sustainable and the creation of new options of living must also be sustainable and inclusive. Construction of of infrastructure takes up space and in urban areas especially, many trees are fell for the purpose of constructions. Green buildings accommodate the concept of an inclusive construction strategy wherein the environment is not harmed and the forest cover around is protected.
Green buildings also make efficient use of power. Studies say that energy can be saved up to 20% by adapting the strategies of green building. Sustainable living by such buildings emit 62% less GHG emissions. Eco friendly methods are incorporated to recycle the grey water from kitchens and the rain water in the monsoon season to reuse it. The wet garbage can be segregated and bio compost can be created.
Such methods are cost effective in the long run but require a lot of investment in the beginning. Such changes cannot be done at a small scale. Huge colonies and buildings must accommodate these plans first so that they can be a role model for others.
Recently, Ministry of power launched the energy conservation building code for residential buildings. It is called energy conservation eco samhita, launched in 2018. Apart from this the bureau of energy efficiency has released the code for commercial buildings. The energy conservation building code 2017 has been revised and updated. It recommends the energy performance standards for commercial buildings.
Bureau of energy efficiency has launched a star rating campaign for commercial buildings which shall be judged based on the efficient use of energy. Meanwhile, Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment is rating tool that evaluates the environmental performance of a building holistically. It is jointly developed by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized certification system for the green buildings. It is developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. The Indian Green Building Council, which is a part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), formed in the year 2001, offers services like developing new green buildings rating programmes, certification services among others.
Financial and local bodies must create awareness for creation of green buildings. Acadamics must include in their syllabus the concept of green buildings and the advantages for engineers, architects and contractors. They need to be more financial devolution in the hands of the local body administration so as to incorporate green building strategies. Measures are needed to ultimately achieve the goal of “net zero carbon” buildings.
Aishwarya Says:
I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.
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