Green Building Conundrum: Lack of Code and Turf War Leaves Consumers Confused

Green building, touted as an attractive option for environment-conscious home buyers, has created confusion due to the absence of a national code and the turf war between two green building rating agencies in India. The rating agencies, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA), have their own sets of guidelines, which has led to a situation where only a handful of developers are opting for green ratings.

The National Building Code 2005 (NBC) designed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) does not have any guidelines for green buildings, and the Energy Conservation Building Code prepared by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency doesn't help categorize buildings as green. Additionally, the lack of guidelines for water, waste management, and construction material used in buildings has created a void that the rating agencies are trying to fill.

Key Takeaways:

• The National Building Code 2005 (NBC) does not have guidelines for green buildings, leaving a void for rating agencies to fill.
• The Energy Conservation Building Code prepared by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency also lacks guidelines for green buildings.
• Only two rating agencies, LEED and GRIHA, provide voluntary rating systems for green buildings in India.
• The LEED rating system is based on the US Green Building Council, while GRIHA was devised by The Energy and Resources Institute in 2008.
• According to Vidur Bharadwaj, director of 3C Company and member of IGBC, the rating system makes developers more disciplined.
• GRIHA's Siva Kishan claims that the LEED India rating follows the US model, which is different from the Indian system.
• Developers feel that the green concept is commercially unviable, with a major cost escalation, and only a small percentage of new buildings seek green ratings.