There are numerous challenges in ensuring effective operations for a smart building through a sustainable approach, including the design and everyday business operations. But, these buildings would surely pave way for a completely sustainable environment in the future, thereby ensuring an ideal balance in the ecosystem. Developers in today’s real estate market have realised that the sustainable approach is essential in order to be cost-effective and ensure an eco-friendly construction. However, it is the operations team that needs to take up additional responsibility to ensure that the designed features are implemented and maintained, and thus keeping the designed parameters intact, to achieve sustainability.
There is distinct difference between smart buildings and green buildings. However, the current rating systems in India are ensuring the combination of both are being driven in the design of the buildings. Operations teams carry a heavy responsibility in terms of monitoring and ensuring that the designed features of the building continue to deliver the expected results over a period.
The constant environmental degradation and climate changes have beckoned the implementation of eco-friendly features, reduction of carbon footprint and sustainable measures. Today, IGBC (Indian Green Building Council) and GRIHA (Green Ratings for Integrated Habitat Assessment) are two major rating systems in India for commercial as well as other categories of buildings. They offer certifications in line with the global rating systems available to ensure the sustainability of smart green buildings across various parameters.
Adherence to these rating systems can enhance energy and water usage optimization, waste management, and deliver cost-effective models of building in terms of design as well as operations. More and more clients are understanding this concept, which is helping the industry in a big way to save a considerable cost on energy and waste management.
The rating systems majorly focus on the following aspects of a building to achieve desired results and ratings as per criteria:
- Energy efficiency
- Water efficiency
- Material of construction
- Waste management
- Occupant comfort and well-being
- Building automation
- Non-conventional sources of energy
This approach of green and smart buildings enables to ensure installation of the energy efficient standards like ECBC, and BEE certified products to achieve maximum possible reduction in energy consumption for buildings, thereby reducing adverse environmental impacts. There are guidelines on utilization of fixtures which can save water to the optimum level, thus reducing water consumption and also ensuring maximum recycling and reusing of waste water to create a good water balance. Occupant comfort is an important aspect which pertains to ensuring standard and comfortable conditions of light and ventilation, in line with global standards but based on Indian climatic conditions. Sustainable construction would ensure that the materials are procured, transported and installed in the most environment-friendly way to reduce their environmental impact. Hence, architects are compelled to use materials with high recycle contents and low embodied energies. Building automation and use of technological tools would deliver optimum utilization of the installed features at minimum operating costs, with complete monitoring and control. Though, along with automation, the simultaneous use of non-conventional sources of energy would greatly assist reducing the carbon footprint.
The future demands us to have such smart, green and sustainable buildings to maintain the ecological balance through collaborative contribution from both – the designers and operators of such systems.
