Growing at the rate of 9.2% against the world average of 5.5%, while contributing 10% to India’s GDP, the Construction Sector in India is going through a phase of unprecedented growth. But, this sector also continues to be the third largest consumer of Energy in a scenario where Energy consumption is expected to grow at rate of 4.3% in a country where 25% of energy generated is wasted.
Meanwhile, issues like Global warming. Ozone depletion, Climate change, Rising sea levels continue to make headlines and the Government continues to advise us on how we should adopt green building practices as our responsibility to Mother Earth. Builder and developers eye this paradigm shift with hesitance and suspicion because they feel that by adopting such practices their initial costs will go up which will then have to be passed on to the consumer in this competitive market. Also, workers will have to trained to work with new materials and adopt new building practices. They are uncertain whether, their consumer will be willing to spend the extra money, to save the world!
But, many building owners are surprised to learn that the cost to design and build a building is insignificant compared to the cost of owning and operating a building over its useful life. According to the Building Owners and Managers Association, US, only 2 percent of the total cost of building, owning and operating a typical office building over a 30 year period is for design fees and construction costs. Operations, maintenance, finance and employee costs account for the remaining 98% of the total costs. This article would focus on the benefits of building green to the owner and the builder sans the benefits to the environment.
Enhanced Image: Companies known for aggressive and proactive environmental policies stand to gain reputational advantages among
customers, employees, regulators, the media, and others. This can benefit companies in a number of ways, including: reduced pressure from activists, increased ability to attract and retain employees,
improved community relations, enhanced reputation as a well-managed company, and increased appeal to socially responsible investors and portfolio managers.
Increased Productivity and Sales: Increasing energy efficiency usually improves lighting as well as heating, ventilating, and air
conditioning performance. Studies have shown that energy-efficient air and lighting reduces absenteeismin offices, factories, and schools, and can increase sales in retail environments. For example, in a study by the California Energy Commission, daylighting was positively and significantly linked to higher retail sales — as much as 40% higher, compared with a non-daylit store and increased student scores by 20%.
Improved Reliability: Energy management practices help to ensure the reliability of equipment and manufacturing processes, thereby
reducing risks and costs from equipment and process failures and production delays.
Cost Saving: The energy saving which translates into cost saving, which is in terms of HVAC system, lightning system etc., vary from 30 to 35 per cent; and about water the savings vary from 35 to 40 per cent, which is far better than any modern buildings. This results in 30 to 40 per cent reduction in operation cost. A study by Lisa Matthiessen of the consulting firm Davis Langdon shows how financial benefits derived over 20 years from incorporating Green features is 10 times the value of initial investment.
Reduced liabilty: Enhanced indoor air quality can reduce the risk of “sick building syndrome. In countries like the US this syndrome leads to lawsuits and there by associated legal costs if this problem can’t easily be remedied.
Enhances occupants' comfort and productivity: People spend 90% of their time indoors and the concentration of pollutants indoors is drastically higher than outdoors as much as 10 or even 100 times. By regulating the materials used, ventilation and lighting a healthy and safe environment is assured. Lockheed Martin, an aerospace firm, found that absenteeism fell by 15% after it moved 2,500 employees into a new green building in Sunnyvale, California. The increase in productivity paid for the building's higher construction costs within a year.
