Four main areas need to be considered in green building: materials, energy, water and health.

1. Materials
These are obtained from natural, renewable sources that have been managed and harvested in a sustainable way; or they are obtained locally to reduce the embedded energy costs of transportation; or salvaged from reclaimed materials at nearby sites. Materials are assessed using green specifications that look at their Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) in terms of their embodied energy, durability, recycled content, waste minimisation, and their ability to be reused or recycled.

Fig: Natural Stone Permeable Pavers

Fig: Parasoleil Recycled Content Panels

Fig: Chocolate bamboo

2 Energy
Passive solar design will dramatically reduce the heating and cooling costs of a building, as will high levels of insulation and energy-efficient windows. Natural daylight design reduces a buildings electricity needs, and improves peoples health and productivity. Green buildings also incorporate energy-efficient lighting, low energy appliances, and renewable energy technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels.

2.1 Passive Solar Design Passive solar design uses sunshine to heat, cool and light homes and other buildings without mechanical or electrical devices. It is usually part of the design of the building itself, using certain materials and placement of windows or skylights.

2.1a Rules Of Passive Solar Systems

o o

The building should be elongated on an east-west axis. The buildings south face should receive sunlight between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. (sun time) during the heating season.

Interior spaces requiring the most light and heating and cooling should be along the south face of the building. Less used spaces should be located on the north.

2.1bThe Advantages Of Passive Solar Design

o o o o o o o

High energy performance: lower energy bills all year round.

nvestment: independent from future rises in fuel costs, continues to save money long after initial cost recovery.

Value: high owner satisfaction, high resale value. Attractive living environment: large windows and views, sunny interiors, open floor plans. Low Maintenance: durable, reduced operation and repair. Unwavering comfort: quiet (no operating noise), warmer in winter, cooler in summer (even during a power failure). Environmentally friendly : clean, renewable energy doesnt contribute to global warming, acid rain or air pollution.

2.2 Passive Solar Heating

The goal of all passive solar heating systems is to capture the suns heat within the buildings elements and release that heat during periods when the sun is not shining. At the same time that the buildings elements (or materials) is absorbing heat for later use, solar heat is available for keeping the space comfortable (not overheated). 2.2a` Two primary elements of passive solar heating are required:

o o

South facing glass Thermal mass to absorb, store, and distribute heat.

2.2b There are three approaches to passive systems 1. Direct Gain: Sunlight shines into and warms the living space. 2. Indirect Gain: Sunlight warms thermal storage, which then warms the living space. 3. Isolated Gain: Sunlight warms another room (sunroom) and convection brings the warmed air into the living space.

3. Water

Minimising water use is achieved by installing greywater and rainwater catchment systems that recycle water for irrigation or toilet flushing; water-efficient appliances, such as low flow showerheads, self-closing or spray taps; low-flush toilets, or waterless composting toilets. Installing point of use hot water systems and lagging pipes saves on water heating. 3.1 WHAT IS RAIN WATER HARVESTING : The principle of collecting and using precipitation from a catchments surface. An old technology is gaining popularity in a new way. Rain water harvesting is enjoying a renaissance of sorts in the world, but it traces its history to biblical times. Extensive rain water harvesting apparatus existed 4000 years ago in the Palestine and Greece. In ancient Rome, residences were built with individual cisterns and paved courtyards to capture rain water to augment water from citys aqueducts. As early as the third millennium BC, farming communities in Baluchistan and Kutch impounded rain water and used it for irrigation dams.

3.2 Rain water harvesting is essential Surface water is inadequate to meet our demand and we have to depend on ground water. Due to rapid urbanization, infiltration of rain water into the sub-soil has decreased drastically and recharging of ground water has diminished. As you read this guide, seriously consider conserving water by harvesting and managing this natural resource by artificially recharging the system. The examples covering several dozen

installations successfully operating in India constructed and maintained by CGWB, provide an excellent snapshot of current systems. 3.3RAIN WATER HARVESTING TECHNIQUES : There are two main techniques of rain water harvestings.
1. 2. Storage of rainwater on surface for future use. Recharge to ground water

3.3a Storage of rainwater on surface for future use. The storage of rain water on surface is a traditional techniques and structures used were underground tanks, ponds, check dams, weirs etc.

3.3b Recharge to ground water Recharge to ground water is a new concept of rain water harvesting and the structures generally used are Pits ,Trenches, Dug wells, Hand pumps, ect.

4. Health
Using non-toxic materials and products will improve indoor air quality, and reduce the rate of asthma, allergy and sick building syndrome. These materials are emission-free, have low or no VOC content, and are moisture resistant to deter moulds, spores and other microbes. Indoor air

quality is also addressed through ventilation systems and materials that control humidity and allow a building to breathe. In addition to addressing the above areas, a green building should provide cost savings to the builder and occupants, and meet the broader needs of the community, by using local labour, providing affordable housing, and ensuring the building is sited appropriately for community needs.

Related Tags:

Green Building

The concept of a green building was developed in the 1970s in response to the energy crisis and peoples growing concerns about the environment. A Green Building, also known as

asustainable building, is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or

re-used in an ecological and resource efficient manner. Sustainable development is maintaining a delicate balance between the human need to improve lifestyles and feeling of well-being on one hand, and preserving natural resources and ecosystems, on which we & future generations depend

Objectives of a green building:

o o o o o o
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

Considerations of a green building:

o o o
Control erosion to reduce negative impacts on water and air quality Reduce pollution and land development impacts from automobile use Limit disruption of natural water hydrology by reducing impervious cover, increasing on-site infiltration and managing storm water run-off

Encourage and recognize increasing levels of self supply through renewable technologies to reduce environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel energy use

Provide a high level of individual occupant control of ventilation and lighting systems to support good health, better productivity and a comfortable atmosphere

Provide a connection between indoor spaces and outdoor environment through the introduction of sunlight and views into the occupied areas of the building.

How to make a building green:

o o o o o o o o
Building design Orientation Building insulation (walls of AEC block and roof with over deck insulation and roof lawn)? Window sizing Window shading (fixed overhangs)? Glass selection Envelope efficiency measures contributed to 12% savings over base case System design

o o o o o

Energy efficient lighting (CFLs , efficient tube lights and electronic ballasts)? Daylight sensing (90% lighting energy savings)? Efficient chillers, Variable air volume systems. Wind towers for pre cooling of fresh air. Lighting efficiency measures contributed to 15% savings over base case and HVAC efficiency measures contributed 20% savings over base case.

Constitutes a green building

A) Sustainable Site:

o o o

Appropriate site selection. Effective use of nature. Soil erosion control.

B) Water use efficiency:

o o o o o o

Capture storm water from impervious areas of the building for ground water re-charge or reuse. Do not use potable water for landscape irrigation. Use recycled water/storm water. Install moisture denser on plants for water conservation. Use recycled water for toilet flushing. Use ultra high efficiency water fittings and controls. Monitor water consumption through on-line controls.

C) Energy efficient and eco-friendly equipment:

o o o o o o o

Design orientation of the building to get maximum day-lighting. Use green wall and green roof to avoid heat gain into the building. Adopt spectrally natural glass materials such that it reduces heat gain, minimize lighting of landscape features. Use of energy efficient goods Use zero CFC base refrigerants in refrigeration and air-conditioning system. Use of renewable energy to reduce environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel energy use. Establish Baseline data for energy consumption

D) Eco-friendly building materials and resources:

o o o o

Recyclable and Salvage materials. Material from local sources mitigating / reducing environmental impact. Impact of manufacturing and transportation. Salvage controls.

o o o o

Material pollutant management Health Hazard management of workers on site. Material storage methodologies. Waste management.

E) Indoor air quality:

o o o o

Distribution channels for air intake movement and exhaust Climate and pollution monitoring systems. Elimination of chemically toxic materials and devices. Maintenance of optimum temperature and humidity.

F) Energy system management:

o o o o

30% to 40% saving in operation costs. Alternative energy system design Optimization of Conventional Energy. Building management, control and monitoring systems.

A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems. (The use of green refers to the growing trend of environmentalism and does not refer to roofs which are merely colored green, as with green roof tiles or roof shingles.) Container gardens on roofs, where plants are maintained in pots, are not generally considered to be true green roofs, although this is an area of debate. Rooftop ponds are another form of green roofs which are used to treat greywater. Also known as living roofs, green roofs serve several purposes for a building, such as absorbing rainwater, providing insulation, creating a habitat for wildlife, and helping to lower urban air temperatures and combat the heat island effect. There are two types of green roofs: intensive roofs, which are thicker and can support a wider variety of plants but are heavier and require

more maintenance, and extensive roofs, which are covered in a light layer of vegetation and are lighter than an intensive green roof. The term green roof may also be used to indicate roofs that use some form of "green" technology, such as a cool roof, a roof with solar thermal collectors or photovoltaic modules Green roofs are also referred to as eco-roofs, oikosteges, vegetated roofs, living roofs, andgreenroofs.

Figure: Cross-section of a green roof

Fig: Traditional sod roofs can be seen in many places in the Faroe Islands.

Fig: Green roof of City Hall in Chicago, Illinois.

Types of Green Roofs

Fig: An intensive roof garden in Manhattan Green roofs can be categorized as intensive, "semi-intensive", or extensive, depending on the depth of planting medium and the amount of maintenance they need. Traditional roof gardens, which require a reasonable depth of soil to grow large plants or conventional lawns, are considered "intensive" because they are labour-intensive, requiring irrigation, feeding and other maintenance. Intensive roofs are more park-like with easy access and may include anything from kitchen herbs to shrubs and small trees. "Extensive" green roofs, by contrast, are designed to be virtually self-sustaining and should require only a minimum of maintenance, perhaps a onceyearly weeding or an application of slow-release fertilizer to boost growth. Extensive roofs are usually only accessed for maintenance. They can be established on a very thin layer of "soil" (most use specially formulated composts): even a thin layer of rockwool laid directly onto a watertight roof can support a planting of Sedum species and mosses. Another important distinction is between pitched green roofs and flat green roofs. Pitched sod roofs, a traditional feature of many Scandinavian buildings, tend to be of a simpler design than flat green roofs. This is because the pitch of the roof reduces the risk of water penetrating through the roof structure, allowing the use of fewer waterproofing and drainage layers.

Environmental Benefits:
Green roofs are used to:

Reduce heating (by adding mass and thermal resistance value). A 2005 study by Brad Bass of the University of Toronto showed that green roofs can also reduce heat loss and energy consumption in winter conditions.

o o

Reduce cooling (by evaporative cooling) loads on a building by fifty to ninety percent especially if it is glassed in so as to act as a terrarium and passive solar heat reservoir a concentration of green roofs in an urban area can even reduce the citys average temperatures during the summer

o o o o o

Reduce stormwater run off Natural Habitat Creation Filter pollutants and carbon dioxide out of the air which helps lower disease rates such as asthma Filter pollutants and heavy metals out of rainwater Help to insulate a building for sound; the soil helps to block lower frequencies and the plants block higher frequencies

o o

If installed correctly many living roofs can contribute to LEED points Agricultural space

Financial benefits
o o
Increase roof life span dramatically Increase real estate value

A green roof is often a key component of an autonomous building. Several studies have been carried out in Germany since the 1970s. Berlin is one of the most important centers of green roof research in Germany. Particularly in the last 10 years, much more research has begun. About ten green roof research centers exists in the US and activities exist in about 40 countries. In a recent study on the impacts of green infrastructure, in particular green roofs in the Greater Manchester area, researchers found that adding green roofs can help keep temperatures down, particularly in urban areas: adding green roofs to all buildings can have a dramatic effect on maximum surface temperatures, keeping temperatures below the 1961-1990 current form case for all time periods and emissions scenarios. Roof greening makes the biggest differencewhere the building proportion is high and the evaporative fraction is low. Thus, the largest difference was made in the town centers.