Case Study Retrofitting an Existing Building for Griha Green Building Certification

Abstract

The infrastructure business in India is rapidly increasing. Infrastructure is the most major hindrance to the growth of Indian businesses in India. Existing buildings account for 45 percent of worldwide energy use in the current condition. These constructions\' greenhouse gas emissions are mostly to blame for global warming, acid rain, and other environmental difficulties. We can reduce our dependency on limited natural resources like power, water, and materials which use in building while simultaneously enhancing our contribution to environmental quality by incorporating green building themes into the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings, and restoration of our houses. It is a common misconception that only new buildings can be certified as green building, however this is not true. Existing buildings may be made certified green by taking certain step. With each existing building\'s effort in adopting the existing green building strategies, an enormous effect in combating global warming will be anticipated in return. GRIHA provides green building certification at various levels. There are several ways for meeting these objectives with the cooperation of humans and the use of modern technology and procedures. In retrofitting existing building for GRIHA certification, aspects like site availability, energy efficiency, water efficiency, renewable energy, natural lighting are taken into account. The present paper presents the retrofitting required to transform an existing building to a certified green building with ease and cost effectiveness.

Introduction

I. INTRODUCTION

A green building is one which uses less  water,  optimizes  energy  efficiency,  conserves  natural resources,  generates  less  waste  and provides  healthier  spaces  for  occupants,  as  compared  to  a  conventional  building.  Green Building is a design concept that reduces buildings' environmental impact through innovative land use and construction strategies. To provide a healthy indoor and outdoor environment, a Green Building incorporates the use of clean, renewable energy as well as the efficient use of natural resources and recycled or recyclable materials. In recent decades, the global green building trend has grown rapidly. The concept of green building certification has also gained traction in India. This is consistent with a global trend in which rating tools set benchmarks for green measures for building construction and operation in order to make them more sustainable and reduce their negative environmental impacts. Modern sustainability programmes, need an integrated and synergistic design approach in both new construction and retrofitting of existing facilities. Sustainable design, connects the building life-cycle with each green practise utilised with a design-purpose to generate synergy among the practises used. There are several benefits to building green, including environmental, economic, and social benefits. Green construction incorporates a wide range of methods, techniques, and abilities to decrease, and eventually eliminate, buildings' environmental and human health consequences.

Green buildings may have any of the following characteristics:

• Solar or another form of renewable energy

• Efficient energy and water resources

• Good indoor air quality

• Adaptable design for changing environment

• Amount of waste produce will be less in comparison to commercial building

• It follow the concept of 3R i.e. reuse, recycle, reduce

• Designing and construction method that considers the quality of production of tenants

• Environmental health can be improved

Some of the aspects that may influence green architecture are culture, environment, climate, economics, and resources. GRIHA grading systems are used in green building design, construction, operation, and maintenance. This project is based on and complies the GRIHA grading system. There are preset rules for building design, construction, and operation that indicate whether or not their performance has a detrimental influence on the environment. It usually emphasises the utilisation of renewable resources, such as sunshine via passive solar, active solar, and photovoltaic technology, and plants and trees via green roofs, rain gardens, and rainwater run-off reduction.

According to Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA), points are allocated to a building based on the amount of green measures taken, and after suitable weighting a total score is assigned to calculate the structure’s rating. This helps to demonstrate the scope of green measures implementations in building construction. The present project is retrofitting of an existing building, which integrates variables such as energy efficiency, water efficiency and renewable energy for GRIHA certification requirements.

II. OBJECTIVE

The objective of the present article is document case study where existing building might retrofitted into a green building be implementing specific measures at an affordable level.

In this project a preselected building studied and all data required for the building to be a GRIHA certified green building is prepared. The retrofitting of the building was to be conducted for it to be feasible to receive two-star rating. It will incorporate any affordable and space-saving conversions. Following the 2 star certification, the building will be able to use renewable energy and reduce the consumption of other energy sources.

III. GRIHA FOR EXISTING BUILDING

Site Parameters, Maintenance & Housekeeping, Energy, Water, Human Health & Comfort, Social Aspects, and Bonus Points are the 12 criteria organised into seven categories of the GRIHA for Existing Building grading system. Six of the twelve conditions must be met, while the remaining six can be skipped. Except for the six necessary requirements, each criterion has a number of points incorporated within to it.

All functioning buildings with a greater than 2,500 square metres of built-up area are potentially eligible for GRIHA for Existing Building certification. To be feasible for certification a minimum of 25 points in mandatorily required. For the present project retrofitting for 2star rating was considered which requires 41-55 points

IV. DETAILS OF CASE STUDY

The building in the present case is the Engineering building within an Institutional area in the city of Agra

Location-Agra (Uttar Pradesh)

Area of college-28 acre

Occupancy hour =7-8 hour

Building type –Institute

Orientation of building-North-East

Water source-Groundwater bore well

Selected area-Three levels (Ground, First and second floor area)

Building for study -2 floor + ground floor

Study rooms-14 classrooms on every floor

Total rooms=42(for three floor)

Build up area=850m^2

V. METHODOLOGY ADOPTED

A. Energy saving

Photovoltaic technology is crucial in solar energy applications. Depending on the brief and nature of the project, non-air-conditioned (non-AC) and air-conditioned (AC) areas are addressed differently. Natural ventilation, passive techniques, and low-energy evaporative cooling solutions are used in non-AC environments to enhance thermal comfort levels. The AC zones are intended to reduce the load on the building's installed HVAC systems and, as a result, its energy consumption.

B. Lighting

Artificial lighting can use up to 15% of a building's annual electricity usage. Building lighting energy consumption may be lowered by 50-70 percent by utilizing existing illumination technology and planning to reduce the need for artificial lighting.

The use of green lighting is in keeping with the environment. Lighting sections for different locations or purposes should be on separate controls, allowing users to choose how much light is needed. Day lighting possibilities should be taken advantage of while glare and unwanted heat gain are minimized.

C. Day lighting

This selected building is mostly for daytime usage. Therefore maximum use of day lighting can save lot of energy. The light shelves on a south-facing wall reflect sunlight even deeper into the interior of the area. Natural light in a building decreases the need for artificial lighting, which is beneficial to the structure's residents. Summer day lighting relies on gentle, diffuse Instead of direct sunlight, use skylight and reflected light.

D. Orientation

In the summer, south-facing windows with enough overhangs provide indirect light, and in the winter, they provide both heat and light. In the morning and evening, east and west facing windows allow in light, but in the summer, they can generate glare and heat. Because they normally give equal, glare-free light and practically no undesired summer heat gain, north-facing windows play important role in giving day lighting.

E. Solar power plant

Solar energy is the most commonly available source and is cost-effective in a variety of ways. Easy erection, rapid generation, easy maintenance, tailor-made projects and tie grid projects, may be taken into account. At an educational institution, the lighting load uses the bulk of the power. Lighting, fans, and computers are examples of such equipment. There are power appliances at institutes such as air conditioners, projectors, heaters. Because the wiring system provides a separate wire channel for the light and power circuits, it is straightforward to equip the light circuit with a solar power system.

• Off grid system

A self-contained solar system that operates independently of the utility grid is known as an off-grid solar system. Solar panels, an off-grid solar inverter, solar batteries, and numerous solar accessories make up an off-grid solar system. This method is design to offer long-term power backup during power outages or at night.

Solar panels capture sunlight during the day and deliver electricity to your linked load at night. Solar batteries can be used to store excess or unused solar energy until it is needed.

• On grid system

A solar system that is directly linked to the public grid is known as an on-grid system. This solar system provides directly power your load with the electricity it generates. Whenever solar panel can produce less energy than requirement than grid will provide energy. Whenever production is more that requirement extra energy store in grid. However, this alternative is only available while the main government grid is operational.

F. LED light

LEDs have been demonstrated to be more efficient than traditional light fixtures. LED lighting fixtures are becoming increasingly popular as a means of promoting energy conservation and lowering power expenses. Following that, LEDs may make a significant contribution to environmental conservation. LEDs are termed Green Technology because of its multiple benefits and innovative features, and they help to conserve the environment.

LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are semiconductor-based light sources.

G. Air-Conditioners (A.C)

All of these processes are powered by refrigerant, which is a chemical that is generally present in a liquid or gaseous state. A refrigerant generates cold air by absorbing heat from its surroundings and mixing it with other components such as compressors and evaporators. With the help of copper coil it give cool air around. R 32 AC is most environmental friendly and lowers the Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP).

R32; R32 is another refrigerant that is widely used by air conditioning manufacturers due to its environmental, energy consumption, efficiency, and safety performance. In comparison to other variant it has low GWP. These refrigerants have an ODP of 0. It consists of organic hydro fluorocarbon compound. Currently, R-410 A is most commonly used in India.

• The GWP of R32 is 674, which is lower than R-410A.

• R32 systems use up to 20% less refrigerant than R-410A systems, resulting in higher efficiency and lower operating costs.

•R32 has no potential for ozone depletion.

• Because R32 is easier to recycle than R-410A.

H. SRI Coating

SRI paint improves the surface's capacity to reflect solar heat. When selecting a highly reflective roof coating, the Solar Reflective Index (SRI) becomes an essential metric since it keeps the roof cool, decreases the internal temperature, and lowers the cooling cost of a building. The quantity of solar energy reflected away from the building and back into the atmosphere is referred to as solar reflectance. The higher a coating's solar reflectivity, the less heat the building must absorb.

I. Grass Paver Block

Grass block is option to solve some of the problems associated with the early pre-cast approach. A flat upper surface is safer for pedestrians and lowers road vibration, which are both problems with studded blocks. Another advantage is that each soil pocket has a continuous concrete border, which frees up grass blocks for slope protection work and keeps dirt from running down the hill.

J. Vermin Composting

Kitchen scraps and other green trash are turned into a rich, black soil that smells like earth and feels like magic by vermin composting often known as worm composting. It's a type of super compost that's virtually completely made up of worm castings. It's abundant in nutrients, but it's also high in microorganisms, which help develop and maintain healthy soil. Because it is often made in modest quantities, vermin compost is commonly used as a top or side dressing for one's most demanding and deserving plants. When combined with regular compost, it enhances garden soil. When combined with potting soil, it energises plants growing in pots, whether outside or indoors (properly made vermin compost has a slight, natural smell and is perfectly suitable for indoor use). This is the process of turning waste into useful manure.

VI. CALCULATIONS AND RESULT

On ground of GRIHA manual for existing building here is list of mandatory criteria after that criteria for point. This calculation is for 2 star certifications. Calculation includes proposals and cost required to achieve points.

TABLE-1

MANDATORY POINTS

TABLE-2

Checklist for mandatory 3.1.1

A. Criteria and their analysis

• CRITERIA-2

Criteria- tree per 80m^2

Tree should be there=1417

Already have= 650

Need to plant=767

TABLE-3

VERTICAL GARDENING-

TABLE-4

TOTAL PLANT NEED TO BE PLANTED

TO REDUCE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT

TABLE-5

SURFACE COVERING

TABLE-6

SRI PAINT

GRASS PAVER

The needed price for grass pavers;

Grass pavers are 0.5mX1.0m in size.

1 m X 16 m is the size of the paved surface.

The total number of pavers required is 32.

Each paver costs Rs. 55.

The total cost of pavers is Rs. 1,760 (55 x 32).

The cost of placing an order is Rs. 420.

Rs. 2180 is the total cost.

Using plain concrete brick pavers as a cost comparison

For the same space, the total number of pavers is 100.

Each concrete solid paver costs Rs. 36.

The total cost of the pavers utilised is Rs. 3,600.00 (100 x 36).

3.600 + 420 = Rs. 4,020.00 total cost including putting price

Using grass pavers saves money-

4,020 – 2,180 = Rs. 1,840.00 in total savings

As a result, because the concrete pavers are already there, just additional installation fees are required.

Now, the total cost of plain pavers is Rs. 1, 220 (420 + 800).

Total paver operation costs are Rs. 2,180 + Rs. 1,220 = Rs. 3,400.

• CRITERIA-3

TABLE-7

MAINTENANCE & WASTE MANAGMENT

• CRITERIA-5

TABLE-8

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Energy saved=10280-4241=6039                                                  

Cost saved=64250-34090=30160

Street Light

TABLE-9

STREET LIGHT

TABLE-10

COST ANALYSIS

In all, there are 27 solar street lights, but only 14 are needed for this project since solar lights may not work correctly in the winter, thus electric lights will be utilized.

13 of the 27 lights will be powered by electricity.

• CRITERIA-6

Generating electricity =200 unit/day

Average price=2,100,000

Annual saving 540,000

Area required=300sqm

TABLE-11

SOLAR ENERGY

Replacement costs:

Ac (R32) =16,065

Street light=20,280

Building=21,270

Total=57,615watt=57.615kwYearly=186,672.6RS at a rate of 9rs=518.5RS

• CRITERIA-11

TABLE-12

UNIVERSAL ACCESSIBILITY

TABLE-13

COSTING

• CRITERIA-12

TABLE-14

VERMI COMPOSTING

TABLE-15

FINAL POINTS

VII. ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I'd want to thank my guide, Dr.Anamika Paul, for her assistance. I appreciate her patience and assistance for providing me with advice during the entire process, as well as her direction, wisdom, and encouragement. Without her assistance, completing this research paper would be impossible. Furthermore, because to your generosity, I have been able to obtain a better grasp of the issue, which is vital to my studies. Thank you for taking part in the survey and giving your important ideas. Finally, I'd want to express my gratitude to my parents their patience, encouragement, and support. I thank my guide, all teachers, and friends, which have all aided me during my study.

Conclusion

After study and understanding of GRIHA rules and their given criteria and selected building for analysis this table is prepared in which possible earlier and after given and cost required given. After study and data collection this is found that there is scope for retrofitting an existing building for green building. According to calculations this building will be able to get two star certifications with lots of benefits. As population and pollution increases rapidly this is high time to adopt green building and after this study this is clear that not only new building can be green building but also existing building can be green building. Only need of some changes and in affordable range.

References

[1] http://www.coolingindia.in/blog/post/id/14311/retrofitting-existing-buildings [2] [Anshul Sheokand, R.K Khitoliya] “Reassessment of an energy efficient building using GRIHA methodology”, International Journal of Innovative Research in Advanced Engineering, Issue 5, Volume 2, May 2015 [3] [DevarshiTathagat, Ramesh D. Dod,] “ Role of Green Buildings in Sustainable Construction- Need, Challenges and Scope in the Indian Scenario”, IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering, Volume 12, Issue 2 Version II, Apr. 2015. [4] [Asha Kulshreshtha] “Sustainable Green Construction in India: Catalysts and Hindrances”, International Journal of Engineering Science and Computing, Volume 7, Issue 5, May 2017 [5] www.grihaindia.org [6] GRIHA manual vol 1 [7] GRIHA manual vol 2 [8] A review of data collection and analysis requirements for certified green buildings. Energy and Buildings, 226, 110367. DOI [9] ECBC (2007), The Energy Conservation Building Code, Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), India [10] www.conserve-energy-future.com/green building.php

Copyright

Copyright © 2022 Neha Singh, Anamika Paul. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.