The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Green buildings gain in importance

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 12, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Green buildings gain in importance

R. Srikanth

They help to reduce 40-50 per cent of power consumption

CHENNAI: Green buildings, which require less electrical power, have acquired greater relevance in times of severe power shortage. Their importance is bound to go up in the years to come, as the country faces enormous challenges in water and energy, besides construction materials.

Green buildings can help to reduce 40-50 per cent of power consumption, says C.N. Raghavendran, chairman of the Chennai chapter of the Indian Green Building Council.

In recent years, India has witnessed a tremendous growth in infrastructure development, with the construction industry recording an annual growth of 9.5 per cent, against the global average of 5 per cent. Green buildings are the right solution in such a situation, in which the demand for power is more.

Comfort factor

In an interview to The Hindu, Mr. Raghavendran says such buildings involve the use of green specifications and materials, including building orientation, aerated bricks to reduce heat energy, waste heat recovery and specially coated glasses.

Besides helping to reduce power and water consumption, such buildings offer greater human comfort. Importantly, they entail less pressure on the natural resources.

Mr. Raghavendran says energy savings can be noticed in such buildings from day one. In his estimation, the savings will be in the range of 25-40 per cent, compared with conventional building. All these benefits come at an incremental cost of 5-8 per cent, which can be recouped in 3-5 years.

Furthermore, the speciality of the green building, Mr. Raghavendran reckons, is that it enhances the working condition of people by providing them with greater exposure to natural light, creating a soothing effect on the mind and maintaining good indoor air quality through highly efficient air-conditioners. “A typical office building will require fresh air of 15 cubic feet per minute/person, which provides a fresh ambience inside the building, and a green building provides quality air.”

Even a garden on the terrace or the use of reflective paint on the roof is an antidote to solar radiation, and this will minimise energy consumption.

The green building concept is yet to catch the imagination of the common man, Mr. Raghavendran feels. Yet, there are more than 300 commercial green buildings with a built-up area of more than 230 million square feet. Mr. Raghavendran points to Olympia Tech Park building, which houses a software park, at Ekkattuthangal as an example of green building in the city. The TIDEL park at Taramani, though not rated a green building, satisfies all the parameters.

Mr. Raghavendran points out that with more and more domestic power consumers depending on electrical appliances, the demand for power is on the rise. This only reinforces the need for homes to become green buildings.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu