Green building construction refers to designing, constructing, and maintaining buildings in an environmentally responsible and resource-efficient manner. For instance, its projects include a sustainable, energy-efficient approach.
Moreover, the idea is to reduce water consumption. Additionally, the focus is on waste management practices. Green roofs, rainwater harvesting, and solar panels can identify the characteristics of such buildings.
The construction of green projects also falls as a major mission objective of Niti Ayog Report, India. Furthermore, it is highlighted in the agendas of SDGs 2030 of The United Nations.
The goal of green buildings is to reduce the overall environmental impact of buildings whilst providing healthier and more comfortable spaces for occupants.
Because of all these inventive components, green building has become an increasingly popular topic in the construction industry. But, more importantly, such green buildings have changed the industrial landscape of India. So, what did the developing process look like? What is the progress so far?
This blog answers in detail the above-asked questions. Firstly, let’s understand the growth and scope of green building construction projects in India.
Green Building Construction in India : Scope & Progress
Green building is rapidly branching its recognition in India. This is because of its notion of a sustainable and environment-oriented approach. However, these mindful practices have furthermore upscaled the scope and the progress of such green projects.
The Scope
According to a survey, most of the green project growth will be seen in developing countries. For instance, China, India, Mexico, and Indonesia, are the top 4 countries leading the ‘green project’ market. Additionally,
India has a massive scope in terms of the development of green building construction. This increasing scope is due to several reasons. For instance, green projects are cost-efficient. This, as a result, increases their resale values. This resale value surge is not only the case with residential and commercial buildings. Subsequently, rental value is also high for such buildings.
All these components help buyers recognise the hidden green value of these projects.
The President of CREDAI, Mr Harsh Patodia, has a similar take on green projects. He believes that the green buildings’ surge predicts an increase in real estate sectors’ overall mindfulness. Indian contractors are now querying about the JCB price to initiate the green projects.
Furthermore, Indian citizens are now very much particular about their carbon footprint. Consumers want to thrive on sustainability and modify their lifestyles accordingly. This, as a result, has inspired construction leaders to come up with fascinating yet mindful green projects.
Above all, a “non-green” building’s construction cost is only 2% higher than a green building project. Moreover, green buildings can save up to 40 to 50% more energy than conventional projects.
All these factors contribute to, and subsequently are increasing, green building scope in India.
The Progress
In 2021, the green project reported a market valuation of USD 1.0 bn. This number is a big milestone compared to its 2020 valuation.
Overall, the 2017–21 period reported a yearly growth of 7.2%. In fact, these last 5 years are also called the golden period of green building construction in India.
More importantly, the data states a 37% increment in the Indian green projects’ supply. Additionally, CBRE highlighted the cost-efficient value of these green projects. For instance, while their construction cost side is higher, the benefits they reap are long-term and thus justified.
So, this was all about mapping out the scope and progress of green projects in India. Proceeding further, let’s now look at the components and benefits of green building construction.
Components and Benefits of Green Projects in India
This section caters to the major components and benefits of green projects in India. Firstly, let us talk about the features.
Green Building Construction Components
The following are the major components of a green building project in India:
- Inclusion of more blue and green infrastructural components
- Water Recycling
- Solid waste management
- Rainwater Harvesting
- Installation of Renewable energy like Solar Panels
- Mindful architecture to increase natural ventilation
- Aluminum Weather Resistant Insulated Panel. Aluminium adjusts indoor temperature and prevents moisture and pests from entering.
- Construction of Green Roof to increase the oxygen level.
Green Building Construction Benefits
Following are some of the major benefits of green building construction in India:
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Low Operating and Maintenance Cost :
These projects follow a mindful approach when it comes to price and efficiency. This is because green projects contain innovative features for resources and energy saving. For instance, the daylight technique significantly lessens energy consumption.
Subsequently, the rental fee is less due to the low energy consumption during the daytime. Hence, while its operations may sound a bit pricey, it proves to be highly cost-efficient in the long run. Moreover, contractors often research Bobcat price in India to make the best use of machinery for their projects.
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Higher Energy Efficiency :
The builders often stress upon the installation of renewable energy practices. For example, the installation of solar panels. Its facility not only helps in minimising electricity expense but the resource as well. This is an excellent method as it resonates with the idea of Sustainable Development Goals- SDGs.
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Improves Indoor Air Quality:
Green building construction in India has significantly improved the AIQ. Now, the quality of indoor air depends on different factors. For instance, ergonomics, thermal conditions, and lighting. Additionally, improved air quality does a lot. It improves the residents’ health. Moreover, it reduces stress, subsequently improving the quality of life. Installing operable ventilation and windows is a part of initiating this practice.
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Improved Daylighting :
Daylighting is one of the major benefits of green building construction. The buildings are designed in a way that allows maximum natural light indoors. Now, this natural light brings along several benefits.
As discussed in the above points, it saves electricity bills during the day time. Moreover, it saves energy while bringing people closer to the environment.
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Sound health and Well-being :
The construction materials used in such projects largely improve the overall well-being of residents. This is because the industry leader in green projects avoids toxic construction materials. For example, there is complete avoidance of plastic products. This is because carcinogens cause respiratory problems.
Apart from the breathing problem, it can even raise cancer risk. Hence, people staying in green buildings are healthier.
For instance, eco-friendly construction companies avoid using plastic by-products that have been found to release toxic materials. Toxic substances like carcinogens cause significant breathing difficulties and increase the chances of getting cancer.
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Lessens the burden on Local/ Scant Resources :
Green buildings have majorly helped in reducing the pressure on exhaustible resources. This was a much-needed step as the increasing population would raise concern for resource utilisation. This is because resources are scarce in nature. Specifically, a country like India has now surpassed China’s population.
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Environment Friendly :
Green projects in India are meeting the demands of the young generation. Today, residents are quite careful about carbon emissions. Green projects thus help keep polluting sources at bay. Furthermore, adopting environment-friendly practices within these projects can reduce the greenhouse effect.
Top 5 Green Building Projects in India
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ITC Green Centre
City : Gurgaon
Located in Gurgaon Sector-32, ITC Green Centre is one of the most spectacular green buildings in India. It is expanded to about 1,80,000 sq ft and also holds the Platinum Green Building rating by USGBC-LEED. The best part is that it is the first corporate building in India to achieve this award.
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Suzlon One Earth
City: Pune
Suzlon one earth is constructed from both onsite and off site re-usable resources. The premises have 18 wind turbines. These turbines cater to nearly 7% of the overall energy requirements. Additionally, the architects have designed this project in a way that it receives maximum daylight. The purpose behind it is to reduce the energy consumption during the day time.
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Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA)
City: Hyderabad :
This airport is one of the best examples of the green project for multiple reasons. The structure is designed to ensure maximum natural resources conservation. More importantly, there’s a green belt of around 270 hectares, containing plants in a row. This project is a major success as it has conserved around 3.97 mn kWh. Furthermore, it has reduced the carbon footprint by 3331 tons.
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Infinity Benchmark
City : Kolkata
This green building in Kolkata is often praised for a number of things. For instance, its commendable CO2 monitoring sensors and comprehensive water harvesting.
Additionally, this building has inbuilt waste and water recycling management in place. Two different materials were used for the outer construction of the building. For instance, the building’s exterior consists of brick blocks. On the contrary, the roof is made of polyurethane foam. This is done to ensure proper insulation.
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IGate Knowledge Centre
City: Noida
This popular green building has expanded over 4,60,000 sq. ft. and is located in Greater Noida. The best part about this building is that it retains nearly 75% of the daylight within its interiors. Moreover, grass covers half of its land area. This prevents waste or sewage water from going out.
So, these were some of the major benefits of green building construction. Now, as we have covered all the basic insights, let’s conclude the blog.
Final Thoughts
We, throughout this blog, gave you a detailed overview of green building construction in India. Right from introducing the topic, we segmented the blog accordingly. After that, we discussed the progress and scope.
More importantly, we saw how the components and benefits of green projects are accelerating India’s development. Subsequently, the green project is the best example of practical catering to human needs whilst conserving resources for the future.
Additionally, green building construction lessens the pressure on the environment. At the same time, these projects do not compromise on the consumers’ comfort and lifestyle. Hence, the overall idea is to practise mindfulness in construction.