Green housing

People nowadays are more concerned about the environment since they know the effect of pollution to the environment and to human’s health. The conventional homes use up large amounts of power and produce large amount of carbon dioxides annually. Therefore, conventional homes are one of the sources of global warming and pollution. Green Home Concept is an effort made to reduce the impacts of conventional homes. Green home is a concept whereby a home is created to use less energy, water and natural resources, to provide good air quality and comfort, to generate less wastage, and can be considered as a sustainable development that improve the homeowners’ lifestyle. Since building consumes nearly 50% of world’s total energy, green buildings on the other hand consume minimum amount of energy with the use of energy efficient materials. Hence, location of green buildings in the close proximity would create a green zone and providing much healthier environment with minimum heat island effect.

Green buildings enjoy the benefits of saving 40-50% energy by reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere it also saves about 20-30% of water by using rain harvesting or grey water re-use techniques. It also reduces VMT (Vehicle Miles Travelled) by choosing the location near by public transport and conveniences which helps in reduction of gasoline consumption. But on the other hand, green buildings face many barriers like the high initial investments required for construction, spilt incentives.

How is it beneficial for a house owner?

Health and Wellness: Data from several researchers have shown that respiratory problems drop in green buildings
Environmental benefits of green building: Enhance and protect biodiversity and ecosystems, Improve air and water quality, Reduce waste streams, Conserve and restore natural resources
Economic benefits of green building: Reduce operating costs- Green building saves 30% to 40% of power consumption. Hence reduced Electricity Bills will bring in huge savings. Improve occupant productivity, Enhance asset value and profits, higher resale value & higher rental yields, Optimize life-cycle economic performance, increased revenue for both end user and developer, Tax and premium rebates for buildings that meet certain minimum conditions under rating programs, many states in India offer incentives to developers by providing extra FSI for Green buildings.
Social benefits of green building: Enhance occupant health and comfort, Improve indoor air quality, Minimize strain on local utility infrastructure, and improve overall quality of life.

Things to consider while constructing a new house

Site selection:
- Is it possible to locate the project on a brown field site or as an infill project?
- Is the project site served by existing infrastructure (i.e. utilities, roads)?
- Can the project be located near public transportation?
Site design:
- Can the project take advantage of low-water and low-chemical landscaping?
- Is it possible to incorporate pervious pavement to minimize runoff?
Building design:
- Has an integrated design process been used in which a “whole-building” approach identifies how different building components work together in order to maximize green benefits?
- Can the building be situated to maximize day lighting and passive solar heating?
- Can sustainably harvested wood be used? Are non-toxic flooring and low-VOC paints options?
- Have durable materials been selected?
Construction methods:
- Is modular construction or use of modular building components possible?
- Can optimal value engineering or advanced framing techniques be used to lower the material, labour and energy requirements?
- Is a construction waste management plan in place to maximum recycling?
Energy efficiency and indoor air quality:
- Is the building envelope tight and is adequate insulation utilized?
- Are heating, ventilation, and air cooling systems efficient and properly sized?
- Are non-toxic construction materials and finishes used?
Building operations and maintenance:
- Have highly durable materials and equipment been utilized?
- Are residents responsible for their own utility costs and, therefore, more motivated to consume less energy and water?
- Do residents know how to properly operate and maintain heating, ventilation, and cooling systems?
Project financing:
- Have the benefits of lower operating, maintenance and replacement costs been considered by project financiers?
- Have utility rebates and other non-traditional financing sources been explored?

How do you achieve Energy Efficiency in Building?

A green home may utilize sustainably sourced, environmentally friendly, and/or recycled building materials. It may include sustainable energy sources such as solar or geothermal, and be sited to take maximum advantage of natural features such as sunlight and tree cover to improve energy efficiency. There are three methods that a house owner can adopt while converting a building into an energy efficient one.

Passive Solar Building Design
Solar Water heating
Building Integrated Photovoltaic

I. Passive Solar Building Design

A Passive Solar Building Design can be achieved by adopting the following methods:

Designing and orienting windows, walls and floors to utilize direct sun light.
Using direct sunlight for heating in winter and avoiding the same in summer.
Maximum use of natural lighting for ventilation – The natural light is harvested on the intermediate floors to minimize the usage of electricity.
High efficiency windows and insulation in walls, ceilings and floors are used for the benefit of better temperature control.

II. Solar Water Heating

Use of solar power for heating water
Works on solar power so no operational cost
Delivers hot water for most of the time in a year

III. Building Integrated Photovoltaic

Photovoltaic (PV) Panel converts solar power in to useful Electricity. These PV modules can be installed on walls and rooftop of building. Clean (eco-friendly) source of electricity.
Reduces consumption of conventional thermal electricity.
Proves to be economical in long term.

Material Efficiency:

During both the construction and operation phases, buildings generate a lot of waste and use a lot of materials and resources. This credit category encourages the selection of sustainable grown, harvested, produced and transported products and materials. It promotes the reduction of waste as well as reusing and recycling, and it takes into account the reduction of waste at a product’s source. Material Efficiency can be achieved by,

Using eco-friendly materials.
Construction waste management.
Use of regional and rapidly renewable materials.
Use of wastes and debris of demolition works.
Compressed Earth Blocks, Fly ash Blocks, Stabilized Mud blocks, HVFC, Bamboo, Low VOC paints and other recycled materials.
Use of Solar Reflective Glass and Low VOC paints for better indoor air Quality.

Eco-Friendly Construction materials To Achieve Material Efficiency in Building

Compressed Earth Blocks
Fly ash Blocks
High Volume Fly ash Concrete
Low VOC Paints
Solar Reflective Glass

Compressed Earth Blocks
- It’s a compressed mix of dirt, non-expansive clay and aggregate.
- Slurry used for bonding of CEB is also of same mixture of dirt and clay. Simple in manufacturing so, It can be prepared near the construction site. Economic since it uses dirt and clay which is not expensive at all.
- Fire resistant, Sound Resistant, Non-toxic in nature.
Fly ash Blocks
- Mix of Fly ash and Lime
- Fly ash is a by-product of Thermal power plants.
- Thus Fly ash, a waste material is utilized for construction.
- Fly ash is very cheap (only cost of transportation) hence the blocks are also economical.
- Possess high strength, good finishing and uniformity in size which reduced quantity of plastering.
- Low water absorption.
- Blocks are of comparatively large size hence, construction becomes faster.
High Volume Fly ash Concrete
- Mix of Fly ash and Lime.
- About 50 % of the cement is replaced by
- Fly ash in HVF Concrete, Thus reducing use of cement and utilizing waste material.
- More economical as compared to ordinary concrete.
- Fly ash replacement doesn’t alter its strength if correct proportion is maintained.
- Improved workability, reduced segregation and bleeding, increased pump ability.
- In long term, less W/C ratio, increased strength, less shrinkage, low heat of hydration.
Low VOC Paints
- VOC is Volatile organic compound are drying agent of paint, which are toxic to humans.
- VOC keeps evaporating from wall surfaces for years.
- Low VOC paints contains minimum amount of VOC .
- Better indoor air quality, protects Ozone layer, less allergic, quick drying, low odour.
Solar Reflective Glass
- Reflects infrared rays of sun.
- Only permits visible light to pass through it.
- Keeps indoors comparatively cooler hence, achieving energy efficiency. 3°C-4°C temperature insulation is achieved. High durability and resistance to surface abrasion, wear and tear.

Water Efficiency:

Buildings are major users of our potable water supply.
The goal of the water efficiency credit category is to encourage smarter use of water, inside and out. Water Efficiency can be achieved through,
More efficient appliances, fixtures and fittings inside and water-wise landscaping outside.
The Green Building by its design shall not disrupt the natural flows.
Water conservation and ground water recharge by Rainwater harvesting. Rain falling over the whole area of complex shall be harvested in full either to replenish the ground water table in and around the building or to be utilized in the services of the building.
Grey water from kitchen, bath and laundry shall be treated and reused for gardening or in cooling towers of air-conditioner.
Treatment of waste water and Recycling of Grey water.
Controlled water use and wastage reduction.
Reducing storm water runoff by efficient landscaping.
Use water

To Achieve Water Efficiency in Building

Recycling of Grey Water
Rain Water Harvesting
Drip Irrigation

I. Recycling of Grey Water

Grey water is waste water from laundry, dishwashing and bathing which can be recycled on site without purifying it can be used for landscaping and some other agricultural purposes.
With purification it can be used for bathing, toilet flushing, car washing and other purposes except drinking and cooking.
It has many benefits including less impact on treatment plant, lower fresh water extraction, top soil nitrification.

II. Rain Water Harvesting

Collection and utilization of storm water.
Storm water can either be stored on site or used later or it can be recharged into the underground aquifer.
RWH systems are beneficial individually as well as for society in case of ground water recharge.
Reduced runoff, less extraction of fresh water, less load on treatment plants, improvement in

III. Drip Irrigation

Drip irrigation systems provide a landscape, thus preserving soil moisture, and significantly reducing water waste from overspray.
Install drip irrigation systems in place of standard sprinkler systems for all landscape applications except turf.
Drip irrigation systems dramatically reduce landscape water use and lower water costs.

Drip Irrigation

Site and landscaping:

A good and suitable site can make a difference in the functional and environmental operations of greenhouse.
Ground slope for drainage is an important factor. Adequate provision should be made to divert surface water away from green house.
A short access to all weather public read will facilitate material handling to and from green house.
The house orientation has to be decided at a specific site depending on wind direction, available wind break, availability of sunlight throughout the day.
Recycled plastic has been developed into a wide range of landscaping products. Plastic lumber is widely used in outdoor furniture and decking. Plastic lumber has advantages over wood in that it is impervious to moisture and will not warp, rot, or check.
Traffic stops and bumpers are also being made from recycled plastic, replacing concrete and asphalt.

Structural framing:

Load bearing structure with eco-friendly materials such as fly ash block, fly ash cement etc.
Joist and truss systems, using fabricated lumber or a combination of dimensional lumber and steel, are also moving from commercial to residential construction.
Open-web joists and trusses are more economical than traditional 2×12 wood members and the manufacturing system ensures even quality.
Wood, a natural product, is subject to a wide range of variables that can affect its structural strength. Improved sound ratings are also a benefit of these systems. Lumber recovered from demolition is being used in renovations and new construction, for both environmental and aesthetic reasons.
Timber-framed structures are often dependent upon recycled wood due to the difficulty in obtaining large logs.

Challenges faced during constructing a house using green housing technology

Notwithstanding the motivations for community-based non-profits in green housing development, barriers remain that hinder the ability of CBOs to successfully build green housing development projects. Such barriers include the following:

Perceived risk
Community based organizations have little room for risk or project failure. There is a reluctance to use new materials and methods for publicly funded projects. Anything new is considered risky – innovative or untested green features can reduce confidence. Many developers, funding sources, and contractors fear that following a green agenda will delay project schedules and raise costs. This has led to widespread perception in the non-profit affordable housing community that it is difficult to retain the full developer’s fee if a project is going to concern itself with environmental issues.
Multiple funding sources
Affordable housing projects often have many funding sources, making it difficult for all parties to agree to and negotiate the inclusion of new and innovative ideas. In addition, funding sources are becoming more and more difficult to find even for conventional projects, and it follows that innovative green development projects face stiff competition.
Many players
There are often more players in an affordable housing project than in a conventional market-rate private development (e.g., underwriters, development consultants, builders, maintenance staff, residents, and the surrounding community), all requiring buy-in. Moreover, new affordable housing projects often face local opposition.
Regulatory burdens
Affordable housing projects that include public financing have even a harder time building green than privately financed projects. In addition to per unit cost caps, they are often subject to local design requirements that limit the opportunity for green design.
Lack of documented success
With the exception of energy efficiency, green building principles have not been widely applied to affordable housing, and actual experience in terms of incremental costs and benefits has not been well documented.
Contracting constraints
Construction contracts must often be granted to the lowest bidder, making it difficult to select a contractor with specialized training and knowledge in green building.
Short-term cost focus
Developers and funders often think front-loaded planning and design for green projects will cost more and delay project schedules.
Limited institutional capacity
Low salaries, high turnover, lack of experience drafting green specifications, limited construction supervision expertise, and limited resources to adequately document innovative projects are common problems at CBOs.
Learning curve
There is a significant learning curve required of leaders in any field, and that is especially true with green development. Many CBOs that would like to develop projects that are more environmentally responsible lack readily available information on green contractors and consultants, materials, systems, techniques, and technologies.

Case study on green housing in n paravur

There are no buildings constructed 100% based on IGBC (Indian Green Building Council) guide Line, whereas lots of heritage buildings are found at North Paravur which are constructed based on the simpler concepts of green housing and are more sustainable compared to the current modern construction technology. Muziris Heritage projects sites at Chendamangalam, Pattanam & North Paravur are the living examples of ancient sustainable buildings. Heritage buildings such as Dutch Palace at Paliyam, Chendamangalam, Nalukettu at Paliyam, Dutch Synagogue at Kottayil Kovilakam, Ruins of Vypeecotta seminary, Dutch Synagogue at North Paravur, Buildings at North Paravur Market, Ancient Court building (Kacheri) at North Paravur, Kesavadev House at North Paravur are constructed based on simpler Green Housing Technology.

Low cost house construction