GRIHA-GREEN RATING FOR INTEGRATED HABITAT ASSESSMENT

Introduction
GRIHA is an acronym for Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment. GRIHA is a Sanskrit word
meaning – ‘Abode’. Human Habitats (buildings) interact with the environment in various ways. Throughout
their life cycles, from construction to operation and then demolition, they consume resources in the form of
energy, water, materials, etc. and emit wastes either directly in the form of municipal wastes or indirectly as
emissions from electricity generation. GRIHA attempts to minimize a building’s resource consumption, waste
generation, and overall ecological impact to within certain nationally acceptable limits / benchmarks.
Going by the old adage ‘what gets measured, gets managed’, GRIHA attempts to quantify aspects such as
energy consumption, waste generation, renewable energy adoption, etc. so as to manage, control and reduce
the same to the best possible extent.
GRIHA is a rating tool that helps people assesses the performance of their building against certain nationally
acceptable benchmarks. It evaluates the environmental performance of a building holistically over its entire
life cycle, thereby providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a ‘green building’. The rating system,
based on accepted energy and environmental principles, will seek to strike a balance between the established
practices and emerging concepts, both national and international.

Our Vision
We, at GRIHA Council, stand for credibility, integrity and inclusiveness, while upholding Indian ethos for future-ready
and sustainable habitat.

Evolution of GRIHA
The rapid increase in Indian population and growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has given rise to an enormous
demand for buildings with a subsequent pressure on availability of resources. Another key challenge for the built-
environment of Indian cities is the diminishing availability of water for urban areas.
In order to be sustainable, the environmental pressures of increased demand for resources coupled with a rapidly
changing climate are being addressed by policy makers at various levels. Several policy and regulatory mechanisms to
address the urban challenges, implemented through national plans and programmes have been devised. The Ministries
and agencies at the Centre have designed frameworks such as the Environmental Clearance to ensure efficiency in
resource use for large projects (i.e. more than 20,000 sq m built up area), the Energy Conservation Building Code
(ECBC) applicable to air conditioned commercial buildings with connected load more than 100 kW and the Solar
Buildings Programme for Energy Efficient Buildings, for implementation by the designated State agencies and
municipal bodies.
However as in most countries, there is a huge scope to optimize the effectiveness of policy by encouraging a more
holistic life-cycle approach to building. Lack of disincentives for non-compliance, agencies and systems working in
factions (i.e. various departments at Centre and State looking at issues related to energy efficiency, renewable energy,
water resources, waste management independently; as opposed to a holistic approach that would address the building
sector encompassing water, energy etc. as a whole); and implementation of codes and standards prior to verification on
site, leading to implementation challenges on site are some of the difficulties faced during implementation of policies on
sustainable habitats.
IGBC- Indian Green Building Council

Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Green Homes is the first rating programme developed in India,
exclusively for the residential sector. It is based on accepted energy and environmental principles and strikes
a balance between known established practices and emerging concepts. The system is designed to be
comprehensive in scope, yet simple in operation

IGBC Green Homes® Rating System is a voluntary and consensus based programme. The rating system has
been developed based on materials and technologies that are presently available.

The objective of IGBC Green Homes® is to facilitate the effective use of site resources, water conservation,
energy efficiency, and handling of house-hold waste, optimum material utilization and design for healthy,
comfortable & environmentally friendly homes.

The rating system evaluates certain mandatory requirements & credit points using a prescriptive approach
and others on a performance based approach. The rating system is evolved so as to be comprehensive and at
the same time user-friendly. The programme is fundamentally designed to address national priorities and the
quality of life for occupants. The rating programme uses well accepted National standards and wherever
local or National standards are not available, appropriate international benchmarks have been considered.
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Benefits
A Green Home can have tremendous benefits, both tangible and intangible. The immediate and most tangible benefit is in the
reduction in water and operating energy costs right from day one, during the entire life cycle of the building.

Tangible Benefits:

       - Energy savings: 20 - 30%

       - Water savings: 30 - 50%

Intangible Benefits:

       - Enhanced air quality

       - Excellent day lighting
       - Health & wellbeing of the occupants
       - Conservation of scarce national resources
       - Enhance marketability for the project

Scope
IGBC Green Homes® Rating System is a measurement system designed for rating new and major renovation of residential
buildings which are broadly classified into two construction types:

       - Individual residential unit

       - Multi-dwelling residential units
               o Gated communities.
               O High-rise residential apartments.
               O Hostels, Service apartments, Resorts, Motels and Guest houses.

IGBC Green Homes® is designed primarily for new residential buildings. However, it is also applicable for existing buildings
designed in accordance with the IGBC Green Homes® criteria.
BEE star
Bureau of Energy Efficiency

 The Government of India set up Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). On 1st March 2002 under the provisions
of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.

 The mission of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency is to assist in developing policies and strategies with a thrust
on self-regulation and market principles, within the overall framework of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 with the
primary objective of reducing energy intensity of the Indian economy.

 BEE coordinates with designated consumers, designated agencies and other organizations and recognize,
identify and utilize the existing resources and infrastructure, in performing the functions assigned to it under the
Energy Conservation Act.

The Standards & Labelling Programme

 The Standards & Labelling Programme is one of the major thrust areas of BEE.

 A key objective of this scheme is to provide the consumer an informed choice about the energy saving and
thereby the cost saving potential of the relevant marketed product.

 The scheme targets display of energy performance labels on high energy end use equipment & appliances
and lays down minimum energy performance standards.

Source: PIB