Green Building

Eng.N.Nantharupan B.Sc.Eng, P.G.Dip (CPM), C,Eng, MIE(SL), Green (SL)AP

Managing Director, Sarukaya Construction (Pvt) Ltd

Introduction
Buildings account for one-sixth of the worlds fresh water withdrawals, one-quarter of its wood
harvest, and two-fifths of its material and energy flows. Building "green" is an opportunity to use
our resources efficiently while creating healthier buildings that improve human health, build a
better environment, and provide cost savings.
What Makes a Building Green?
A green building is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an
ecological and resource-efficient manner. Green buildings are designed to meet certain objectives
such as protecting occupant health; improving employee productivity; using energy, water, and
other resources more efficiently; and reducing the overall impact to the environment.
Objectives of a green building:

Protecting occupant health

Improving employee productivity
Using energy, water and other resources more efficiently
Reducing overall impact to the environment
Optimal environmental and economic performance
Satisfying and quality indoor spaces

What are Benefits of Green Building?

Environmental Benefits
Reduce the impacts of natural resource consumption
Enhance and protect biodiversity and ecosystems
Improve air and water quality
Reduce waste streams
Economic Benefits
Reduced operating costs
Marketing advantages
Increased building valuation
Optimizes life-cycle performance cost
Health and Safety Benefits
Enhance occupant comfort and health

Community Benefits
Heighten aesthetic qualities
Minimize strain on local infrastructure
Improve overall quality of life

What Are the Elements of Green Buildings?

Site
Selection

Energy
Efficient

Water
Efficient

Local &
EnviroFriendly
Materials

Healthy
Indoor Air

Inception Design Construction Commissioning - Operation

Site Selection
Promote Selection of Appropriate Sites and Environmentally Sustainable Site Development

Locate projects on sites away from wetlands, above the 100-year flood level, away from
prime agricultural land and away from endangered or threatened species habitat.
Locate projects on sites where there is already urban infrastructure to serve them.
Locate projects on brownfield sites that have been remediated of contamination; these
usually have infrastructure already in place.
Provide opportunities and building infrastructure for people to commute to work using
public transit and bicycles.
Minimize parking to discourage excessive auto use.
Protect open space in site development and restore open space on already impacted sites.
Manage storm water to reduce the rate and quantity of storm water runoff, and use best
practices to clean storm water before it leaves the site.
Manage landscaping and parking lots to reduce excessive areas of open pavement that cause
heating of the area around a building in summer, leading to more air-conditioning use.
Control interior and exterior light from leaving the site, helping to make skies darker at
night.
Select plants that have low water and pesticide needs, and generate minimum plant
trimmings. Use compost and mulches. This will save water and time.

Energy Efficiency
Conserve Energy, Use Renewable Energy and Protect Atmospheric Resources

Reduce the energy use (and environmental impact) of buildings 20% or more below the
level of a standard building.
Use onsite renewable energy to supply a portion of the buildings electrical and gas (thermal
energy) needs, using solar photovoltaic (PV) panels or solar water heating.

Commission the building by verifying the functional performance of all energy-using

systems after they are installed but before the building is occupied.
Reduce the use of ozone-harming and global-warming chemicals in building refrigeration
and air-conditioning systems.
Provide a means to troubleshoot the buildings energy use on a continuing basis by
installing measuring and monitoring devices.

Water Efficiency
Promote Efficient Use of Water Resources

Control irrigation water use for landscaping, using as little as possible. Select native
landscaping which demands little or no added water.
Look for alternative ways to reduce sewage flows from the project, possibly even treating
the wastewater onsite.
Use water-conserving fixtures inside the building, to reduce overall water demand
Design for dual plumbing to use recycled water for toilet flushing or a gray water system
that recovers rainwater or other nonpotable water for site irrigation. Minimize wastewater
by using ultra low-flush toilets, low-flow shower heads, and other water conserving fixtures.

Local & Enviro-Friendly Materials

Conserve Building Materials, Reduce Construction Waste and Sensibly Use Natural Resources

Install permanent locations for recycling bins to encourage the practice in building
operations.
Reuse existing buildings, including interior and exterior materials, to reduce the energy use
and environmental impacts associated with producing new building materials.
Reduce construction waste disposal by 50% or more to cut costs and reduce landfill use.
Use salvaged and reclaimed building materials such as decorative brick and wood timbers
that are still structurally sound.
Use materials that are harvested and processed in the region, to cut the transportation
impacts associated with bringing them from farther away.
Select sustainable construction materials and products by evaluating several characteristics,
such as reused and recycled-content; zero or low off-gassing of harmful air emissions; zero
or low toxicity; sustainably harvested materials; high recyclability; durability; longevity;
and local production. Such products promote resource conservation and efficiency.
Use dimensional planning and other material efficiency strategies. These strategies reduce
the amount of building materials needed and cut construction costs. For example, design
rooms on 4-foot multiples to conform to standard-sized wallboard and plywood sheets.
Reuse and recycle construction and demolition materials.

Occupant Health and Safety

Protect and Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality

Provide non-smoking buildings, or separate ventilation systems where smoking is allowed

(such as in high-rise housing).

Monitor delivery of outside air ventilation so that it responds to demand by using sensors
for carbon dioxide levels to adjust air flow.
Provide for 30% increased ventilation above code levels, or natural ventilation of indoor
work areas, to increase the amount of healthy air in the building.
Provide for occupant control of building lighting and ventilation systems. Recent studies
reveal that buildings with good overall environmental quality can reduce the rate of
respiratory disease, allergy, asthma, sick building symptoms, and enhance worker
performance.
Choose construction materials and interior finish products with zero or low emissions to
improve indoor air quality. Many building materials and cleaning/maintenance products
emit toxic gases, such as volatile organic compounds (VOC) and formaldehyde. These
gases can have a detrimental impact on occupants health and productivity.

Why should we care about green building?

With most of us spending more than 90% of our time indoors, green building is the healthy,
common sense choice for a better life. In traditional construction, the quality of our indoor
environment is often far more polluted than outdoor one due to the building materials, inadequate
lighting, and a variety of other variables.
Green Buildings are sited, designed, constructed and operated to enhance the well-being of
occupants, and to minimize negative impacts on the community and natural environment.
In the future, all buildings will be green. This is inevitable. Soon, we will have no choice.
But perhaps the best justification of Green Building is how you cannot afford to not employ green
principles. The occupants and owners of a building are losing money on every green feature they
discarded. Engineers are in a position to save their clients a great deal of money in the operational
costs of a building. After all, a great deal more will be spent on the operations, maintenance and
employees in a building than ever was spent upon initial construction costs.
In short, a green building has the potential to:

Provide a healthier and more comfortable environment

Improve long-term economic performance

Incorporate energy and water efficient technologies

Reduce construction and demolition waste

Bring higher resale value

Include renewable energy technologies

Improve indoor air quality and occupant satisfaction

Are easier to maintain and built to last

All of these will save our money. What do you think?!