Q. What are the advantages of green buildings?

A. Some of the primary benefits of a green Building are
• Reduced maintenance/replacement costs over the life of the building.
• Energy conservation.
• Improved occupant health and productivity.
• Lower costs associated with changing space configurations.
• Greater design flexibility./div>

Q. Are green buildings environmental friendly?

A. Green buildings reduce negative impacts on the environment. These features can broadly be categorized as follows:
• Energy Efficiency: Building structures, mechanical and electric systems, heating, and lighting that use minimal energy while providing the same comfort levels as conventional energy systems.
• Water Efficiency: Water fixtures; re-use techniques, and other measures that reduce water use while providing the service expected by occupants.
• Site Use: Minimization of land used for a building, location near public transportation, erosion prevention, and other techniques that reduce impacts on surrounding land.
• Material Use: Recycled, easily regenerated, or efficiently produced materials and building techniques that minimize the materials required for a building.
• Indoor Environmental Quality: Use of non-toxic materials, good ventilation, day lighting, and other improvements to the indoor environment that increase occupants’ comfort and productivity.

Q. What products are used in green buildings?

A. Building materials typically considered to be 'green' include rapidly renewable plant materials like bamboo and straw, lumber from forests certified to be sustainably managed, recycled stone and recycled metal. Other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable e.g. sheep wool, panels made from paper flakes, baked earth, rammed earth, clay, vermiculite, flax linen, sisal, sea grass, cork, expanded clay grains, coconut, wood fiber plates and calcium sand stone.

Q. Are green buildings expensive?

A. Green building designs, strategies, materials and practices can and do save everyone money because they generally reduce energy costs, labor costs, and medical costs. In general, Green Building improves indoor air quality, health, and the productivity of its occupants. They last a longer time, require fewer resources to develop and are usually more aesthetically pleasing. Resale values of Green buildings are usually greater than those that are conventionally built. When we consider the cost benefits of Green Building on energy savings, worker productivity and safer indoor air quality for tenants and homeowners, longevity of the building, small environmental footprint, etc., then the initial expenses doesn’t seem so great. Green products may cost more initially, but in the long run, they will often save or make you money. Here are three examples:

Q. How much time does it take to construct green buildings?

A. Green Buildings take the same amount of time to construct as regular buildings. More time may be required in the design phase though.

Q. Does construction of green buildings need any specific location?

A. The site is selected prior to commencement of the design phase. Ideally the design team involved in site selection assesses the appropriateness of the site relative to green design criteria. A team may decide if the site takes maximum advantages of solar access, existing vegetations and natural geological features as well as analyze the site’s accessibility from existing transportations corridors and its users.

Q. How can green products be used in green buildings?

A. Key Points:
• Ensure that the embodied energy of materials used for construction is low. For example do not use brick that removes precious top soil and uses high heat to get baked
• They should have zero or low off gassing of harmful air emissions, zero or low toxicity
• They should be sustainably harvested materials, having high recyclable strength, durability, longevity
• They should have been locally produced. 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
• Reuse and recycle construction and demolition materials. For example, using inert demolition materials as a base course for a parking lot keeps materials out of landfills and costs less
• Require plans for managing materials through deconstruction, demolition, and construction
• Design with adequate space to facilitate recycling collection and to incorporate a solid waste management program that prevents waste generation.

Q. What is the impact of green buildings on economy?

A. Economic benefits
• Reduce operating cost
• Create, expand, and shape market for green products and services
• Improve occupant productivity
• Optimize life- cycle performance

Q. Is there any rating system for green buildings?

A. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED-INDIA) Green Building Rating System is a nationally and internationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. The (Indian Green Building Council) IGBC has licesensed the LEED Green Building Standard from the U.S. Green Building Council and currently is responsible for certifying LEED-New Construction and LEED-Core and Shell buildings in India. All other projects are certified through the U.S. Green Building Council.

Q. Do green buildings have resale value?

A. Green buildings high efficiency and performance can result higher property value and potentially lower lenders credit risk .Lower operating costs associating costs lead to higher buildings net income. In addition to increasing a building’s net operating income or value green building measures may allow building owners to charge higher rents or achieve higher rates of buildings occupancy.