2. LITERATURE REVIEW: Building Codes, Rating Systems, And Sustainability
2.2. Building Codes, Standards, And Policies
2.2.2. Overview Of Energy Policies And Other Reforms
Figure 2.5 Policy Landscape For Housing And Energy
The National Building Code of India (N.B.C.), a comprehensive building code launched in 2005 and revised in 2016, is a national instrument providing guidelines for regulating building construction activities across the country (BIS, 2016). The code's provisions are intended to serve as a model for all central, state, city levels, and other construction agencies nationwide. In part 11, 'Approach to sustainability' has provided guidelines for making buildings and built environment energy-efficient and environmentally compatible which describes several measures for low energy building design and construction including (1) site, form and design where the emphasis is on-site design and development; (2) External Development and Landscape, landscape planning and design, rainwater harvesting and irrigation practices (3) Envelope Optimization focusing on energy-efficient building envelope and its methods, thermal performance and renewable energy integration, (4) Materials underlining the sustainable alternatives for construction and other efficient building material,(5) Building Services Optimization which discusses about ventilation, passive heating and cooling strategies, HVAC , Lighting : daylighting and artificial lights , renewable energy; (6) Construction Practices and (7) Commissioning, Operation, Maintenance and Building Performance Tracking (BIS, 2016).
Model Building Bye-Laws are legal guidelines developed by TCPO, which regulate building design and construction characteristics to achieve orderly development of an area and are mandatory (MoUD & GoI, 2017). It discusses environmental concerns in Chapter 10, incorporating green structures and sustainability provisions, rainwater harvesting, solar rooftop P.V. norms, and sustainable building materials. It also mentions green building rating systems.
Additional chapter-13 includes providing an online building plan approval process and introducing integration into the "single window" process. It also discusses the Energy Conservation Building Code requirements from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Ministry of Power. The Minister of Power, New, and Renewable Energy created and launched the Eco Niwas Samhita, Part – I Building Envelope (Energy Conservation Building Code for Residential Sector) in 2018. It was designed to establish minimum building envelope performance criteria for limiting heat gains (in cooling-dominated climates), limiting heat loss (in heating-dominated environments), and providing enough natural ventilation and daylighting. The regulation applies to all residential development projects with a plot area of 500 m2 (BEE, 2018). The guideline seeks to promote the
design and construction of dwellings, including flats and townships, to provide the residents with the benefits of energy efficiency. These have been integral to central and state policies and apply to almost all types of buildings. The guidelines/codes mentioned below highlight the importance of energy efficiency in facilities directly/indirectly dealing with energy and their role in respective areas (BEE, 2018).
Green rating methods for buildings assess and evaluate a building's environmental performance.
India presently has green grading systems for buildings listed below. The Ministry of New &
Renewable Energy (MNRE), the Government of India, and TERI have all recognized the Green Grading for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is India's national rating system for any finished development. It is a tool for measuring and rating the environmental performance of a building. The IGBC Rating System is a program that is entirely voluntary and based on consensus.
This grading system would aid in creating factories that are energy-efficient, water-efficient, healthier, more productive, and ecologically friendly and is mentioned in detail in Table 2.2 (GRIHA, 2019; IGBC, 2019).
To increase green construction coverage in the country's residential sector, the CII Indian Green Building Council and the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to advance the country's Green building movement (CREDAI, 2019). The Confederation of Indian Industrial (CII) aims to develop and preserve a climate favorable to business growth in India, collaborating with industry and government through advising and consultative procedures. CII is a non-government, non- profit, industry-led, and industry-managed organization playing a proactive role in India's development process. CREDAI is the nodal body in charge of the most critical infrastructure engine, covering all sorts of works. The collaboration of these two reputable organizations will assure quick progress toward sustainable and green buildings, neighborhoods, cities, and, eventually, a green country (CII, 2022). These industry initiatives are further mentioned in Table 2.3.
Table 2.2 Initiatives Under The Energy Sector
Initiatives Information Remarks
IGBC The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)'s Green Building Council (IGBC).
The council provides various services, including developing a new green building rating program and certification services.
IGBC Green Building Rating Systems include green new/existing buildings, green residential societies, and homes.
GRIHA GRIHA is a three-tiered green building design evaluation system for grading structures. The GRIHA grading system is comprised of 34 criteria divided into four sections: (1) site selection and site design, (2) conservation and efficient resource usage, (3) building operation and maintenance, and (4) innovation.
GRIHA for Affordable Housing: All the upcoming projects that have approval/sanction letter issued by government agencies confirming that the project is being developed as per Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) are eligible for GRIHA AH rating.
BEE BEE created its building grading system based on a 1 to 5-star scale. The Energy Performance Index was created by B.E.E.
(EPI). The unit of Kilowatt hours per square meter per year is used to rate the building, with an emphasis on air- conditioned and non-air-conditioned office buildings
B.E.E. standards and labeling require displaying energy performance labels on high-energy end-use equipment and appliances and establishing minimum energy performance criteria.
SVAGRIHA SVAGRIHA was created as an extension of GRIHA and was designed mainly for projects with a built-up area of less than 2500 sq. m. SVAGRIHA may assist in developing and evaluating individual houses, small offices, schools, hotels, and commercial structures, among other things. The rating has only 14 factors, and the U.I. has simplified calculators.
Table 2.3. Industry Incentives For Green Building Construction
Initiatives Information Remarks
CREDAI The Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) was founded in 1999 with the Mission of advocating for housing and habitat suppliers. Its membership has increased since then, and it now boasts over 20,000 members dispersed throughout 21 states and 220 local chapters.
IGBC and CREDAI shall coordinate with the Government- both Central and State- to offer Policy incentives to IGBC-rated projects. It will also work for faster environmental clearance for IGBC projects and other Government initiatives.
EDGE
(Excellence in Design for Greater
Efficiencies)
The Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) has collaborated with IFC (International Finance Corporation), a member of the World Bank Group, to promote green buildings in India through EDGE certification. EDGE is set to accelerate mainstreaming green buildings nationwide quickly, easily, and cost- effectively.
EDGE focuses on building energy and water efficiency. It enables builders and homeowners to select environmentally friendly technological solutions while tracking expenses and expected savings.
CII CII aims to provide world-class advice in green buildings, energy efficiency, water
management, environmental
management, renewable energy, green company incubation, and climate change activities.
Since 2001, the Indian Green Construction Council (IGBC), a division of CII, has led the country's green building movement with the assistance of stakeholders.
Green Co Rating System
GreenCo Rating is a comprehensive framework that evaluates enterprises on
The Green Company Rating System advocates a performance-
the environmental friendliness of their operations using a life cycle approach. It is the "first of its type in the World."
GreenCo rating implementation offers organizations leadership and advice on making their goods, services, and processes more environmentally friendly.
based approach. The grading method assesses characteristics against ten criteria.
Certification is available for both manufacturing and service sector establishments. The rating is applied at the unit or facility level.