Green Building

Building green ensures that the all processes related to bringing the building up from design, execution and operation, are resource-sensitive and ecologically-sound. While building green, we need to ask ourselves some very searching questions.
1. How can we reduce energy use with better specifications and optimal design without compromising performance
2. How can we increase local content to avoid transport energy
3. How can we integrate passive energy components into buildings.
4. What is life cycle energy cost of materials ( manufacture, transport, construction, use, demolition & disposal)
5. Could one blend traditional knowledge with contemporary engineering technologies?
Building alternate requires attention. It also requires more time and thinking than conventional structures. The philosophy behind such a science could be categorized into six areas to reflect upon. How could we build such that we manage air, water, energy, waste, biomass and land in a resource-sensitive manner? This forms the out-of-envelope design for any building. There is then envelope itself to consider: the actual structure of the building, its walls, floors, roof, openings, appliances, finishes, accessories and other components. How could each one of them be resource-efficient? Fortunately today we have enough information about these issues. Listed below are some of the green building practices that pioneers have discovered.
Site Selection:
1. Do not select a green site. A brown or derelict site that cannot be used for growing plants should be more suitable.
2. A site that is connected by public transport systems will dissuade people from using personal vehicles a lot.
3. Do not cut down existing trees and plants on the site. Try to build around them. Plant trees and plants that are indigenous, not water-intensive and not needing pesticides.
4. Roads and pathways should be pervious to soak in any waer that may collect over to recharge the ground below.
5. the site should have its axis along east-west direction so as to utilize incident solar energy to the maximum.
Energy Efficiency
1. The orientation if the building should be such that that rooms receive maximum natural light and ventilation. This will cut down energy charges on artificial ventilation and lighting systems.
2. For times when you do need artificial lighting, select LED lighting as it consumes least electrical power.
3. Provide smart home gadgets like water meters, energy meters that tell you how much water or energy you are spending and enables you to think towards wiser use of the two resources.
4. Provide sensors that shut down power to equipments like stand-by lights in computers, lights over unused desks, and so on. Lights on streets and corriders with no passers-by could be dimmed by senors that can sense human movement and thereby control intensity of light.
5. Task lighting reduces general overhead light levels.
6. Use a properly sized and energy-efficient heat/cooling system in conjunction with a thermally efficient building shell.
7. Maximize light colors for roofing and wall finish materials.
8. Use minimal glass on east and west exposures.
9. Minimize the electric loads from lighting, equipment, and appliances.
10. Buy only equipments that have approved energy rating
11. Consider alternative energy sources such as photovoltaics, fuel cells or other renewable energy systems that are now available in new products and applications.
Materials Efficiency
1. 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.
2. They should have zero or low off gassing of harmful air emissions, zero or low toxicity
3. They should be sustainably harvested materials, having high recyclability, durability, longevity
4. They should have been locally produced. Such products promote resource conservation and efficiency.
5. Use dimensional planning and other material efficiency strategies. These strategies reduce the amount of building materials needed and cut construction costs
6. 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.
7. Require plans for managing materials through deconstruction, demolition, and construction.
8. Design with adequate space to facilitate recycling collection and to incorporate a solid waste management program that prevents waste generation.
Water Efficiency
1. Design for dual plumbing to use recycled water for toilet flushing or a grey water system that recovers rainwater or other non-potable water for site irrigation.
2. Minimize wastewater by using ultra low-flush toilets, low-flow shower heads, and other water conserving fixtures.
3. Install point-of-use hot water heating systems for more distant locations.
4. Use micro-irrigation (which excludes sprinklers and high-pressure sprayers) to supply water to plants.
5. Use grey water to water certain plants that can tolerate grey water.
Occupant Health and Safety
1. 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
2. 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
3. Provide adequate ventilation and a high-efficiency, in-duct filtration system. Heating and cooling systems that ensure adequate ventilation and proper filtration can have a dramatic and positive impact on indoor air quality
4. Prevent indoor microbial contamination through selection of materials resistant to microbial growth, provide effective drainage from the roof and surrounding landscape, install adequate ventilation in bathrooms, allow proper drainage of air-conditioning coils, and design other building systems to control humidity
Building Operation and Maintenance
1. Green building measures cannot achieve their goals unless they work as intended. Building commissioning includes testing and adjusting the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems to ensure that all equipment meets design criteria. It also includes instructing the staff on the operation and maintenance of equipment.
2. Over time, building performance can be assured through measurement, adjustment, and upgrading. Proper maintenance ensures that a building continues to perform as designed and commissioned.
Other Green Practices
1. Establish a vision that embraces sustainable principles and an integrated design approach.
2. Develop a clear statement of the project's vision, goals, design criteria, and priorities.
3. Develop a project budget that covers green building measures. Allocate contingencies for additional research and analysis of specific options. Seek sponsorship or grant opportunities.
4. Seek advice of a design professional with green building experience.
5. Select a design and construction team that is committed to the project vision. Have a selection process that ensures contractors have appropriate qualifications to identify, select, and implement an integrated system of green building measures.
6. Develop a project schedule that allows for systems testing and commissioning.
7. Develop contract plans and specifications to ensure that the building design is at a suitable level of building performance.