Krithikha : +91 9940174586, Krishnan: +91 9677173959
Office : +91 44 4850 5858, enquiry@greensketch.in

FAQ

A Green Building is a building, which makes a conscious effort in design, construction and operations, to enhance environmental performance which is measurable and comparable. Today’s green buildings emphasise on-

  • Energy Savings
  • Water Savings
  • Use of Sustainable and environment friendly materials
  • Enhancing the quality of the built environment
  • Improving the overall community and surroundings

There are numerous proven benefits for a green building. The key benefits include

Economic benefits

  • Lower Utility bills which give direct cost savings
  • Reduced building operating costs
  • Improved occupant productivity including lower sickness and absenteeism
  • Higher sale/rental value of more than 10% for green building spaces
  • New markets for green products and services which enhance the economy
Environmental Benefits-

  • Better quality of water and air
  • Natural ecosystems and biodiversity is protected
  • Reduction in waste generated thus reduction in landfill areas
  • Lesser dependency on non-renewable resources& fossil fuel
Community benefits

  • Improved quality of health and life for the occupants
  • Greater sense of pride and well-being in a green building
  • Improved community participation
Just about any built space can be green. Most common type of green buildings are

  • Commercial buildings
  • Commercial interiors
  • Homes & Apartment complexes
  • Schools
  • Hospitals
  • Hotels and Resorts
  • Spas and Wellness centres
  • Garments, Automobiles and all types of Factories
  • Metro and Monorail Stations
  • Neighbourhoods and townships
  • Gardens and Parks
  • And many more

A green building is made using design techniques such as simulation models, daylight analysis, etc. as well as incorporating design and construction practices which result in improvements to the environment. Using rating systems are a good way to design a green building. The rating systems usually have clear cut guidelines to follow, which can result in a green building design, which cover all aspects of design, construction and operations of a building. Different rating systems offer different levels such as LEED offers Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum and GRIHA offers 1 star to 5 stars.

Depending on your project building type, size, organizational or marketing requirements, you can choose your rating system. “Green Sketch” can help you to select the right rating system for your project

Projects with a Global audience such as MNCs, Five Star hotels, Garment and Auto mobile factories, etc. can choose LEED.

Apartment complexes, factories, Schools, Metro and Mono rail stations, Gardens and offices in India can choose any of the various IGBC Rating systems.

Government and Public sector buildings, large developments and Existing schools can certify under GRIHA.

Small projects and apartment projects focusing primarily only on Energy, water and Material savings can be benefitted by EDGE.

Buildings which wish to improve the health and well being of occupants beyond LEED such as Resorts, Spas, Health centres, Offices, etc. can opt for the WELL building standard.

For most projects & rating systems, you are likely to get the Certificate within 3 months on average of completing the building & Submitting all necessary documentation. For projects opting for pre-certification, the pre-certification award is received within 2 months of submitting all necessary documents and undertakings. Existing building have to undergo a performance period of at least 3 months or more to satisfy various point requirements, after which all data needs to be documented and submitted and the certificate may take about 3 months. The timescale all depend upon the rating authority and their schedules. Expedited review options which are usually completed within a month are available under LEED for a fee.

Pre-certification is an optional rating, which can be availed by projects for marketing purposes. Pre-certification recognises the intent of a project to become green. This intent is substantiated by incorporating all green features into the design stage and putting in procedures for following green practices during construction stage. Projects completing the submission requirements and getting the award can advertise their property as pre-certified. Currently, pre-certification is available for LEED Core & Shell buildings, IGBC Green Homes and Projects under GRIHA Pre-certification.

‘Green Sketch’ will be the single point of contact for your organisation with that of the rating agency. Apart from green design and simulation services we will co-ordinate project registrations, Workshops, site visits by the certifying agency, collection and compilation of documents and uploading the same to online portals, answering review queries and finally collecting the certificate award.

Yes, any design incorporating all facets of a green building design including measurable energy savings, water saving, conscious selection of environmental friendly materials and improvement to the overall built environment is considered a green building. Green Sketch offer green design services for all requirements without certification as well. EDGE is a powerful tool for doing this. Get in touch with us to know more

If the building is less than a year old and the building design and construction is able to satisfy the mandatory requirements for the Green ratings along with sufficient points, then it is possible to get a rating under any of the new building rating systems.

Otherwise, buildings can go for an existing building certification, whereby, green measures need to be incorporated in the operations and maintenance of the building. Performance is monitored over a period of time, usually 3 months, and then the building can submit documentation for certification.

Energy models are approximately 80% accurate, though the accuracies are based on the amount of data entered and the relevance of the data, the simulation engine chosen and weather data availability. The more accurate and relevant data is input, the more accurate the modelling results are likely to be.

Green buildings today are likely to be capital intensive by about 5 to 10%. But, the operations cost can be reduced by 30% or more, resulting in a quick payback and substantial savings thereafter. So on the whole, performing green buildings cost lesser to own than a similar conventional building. Builders too will find the cost of green nullified due to increased lease and sale rates per square foot for a green building

The post occupancy performance analysis ensures that a green building is operating to its optimum potential. The building’s operations can be tweaked to ensure that the design requirements and owner’s requirements are met. The analysis helps to identify important areas requiring monitoring, select the right set point, plan a regular preventive maintenance and also provide essential training to the building’s operating staff

There are many Green certified Building all over India. Visit Usgbc.org, IGBC.in or Grihaindia.org to know many rated projects.

Get in touch with Green Sketch and we will arrange to show you around a few Green Buildings.

The Energy Conservation Building Code of India, developed by BEE is currently on a voluntary basis, but may soon become part of building bye-laws as many states are working towards adopting it. Currently it is mandatory for upcoming central government and PSU buildings to be rated at least GRIHA 3 star and above. As more and more awareness is generated on green issues, especially with setting of the Green Tribunal, more green legislation is likely to become reality soon.

Yes, there are incentives provided by certain state governments and central government bodies for green buildings. Many are still under development and will be available soon.
Here is a link to some of the incentives for GRIHA projects (http://www.grihaindia.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109)
The Ministry of New & Renewable energy has many subsidies available for installing renewable power systems. Details here http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=92552

Architectural drawings are a different service from green building design and analysis, however,’ Green Sketch’ has on board qualified architects. Get in touch with us for a separate quotation for Green Building Architectural services.

Get In Touch

  • Phone

    Krithikha : +91 9940174586, krithikha@greensketch.in
    Krishnan : +91 9677173959, krishnan@greensketch.in
    Office :+91 44 4850 5858, enquiry@greensketch.in
  • Address

    Green Sketch Consultants,
    Plot # 123, 3rd Main Road, Chandrasekaran Avenue,   Thoraipakkam, Chennai-600 097, Tamil Nadu, India