Tips For Developers To Adopt Green Practices

Green or sustainable buildings use healthier models of construction, renovation, operation and maintenance. Even though constructing a green project might be heavy on your pocket initially, the construction process later leads to savings that will pay for additional costs and enhance productivity.

A small investment made towards a sustainable structure will only reap great dividends in the future.

To achieve operational efficiencies that lead to a sustainable future, constructing green buildings is one of the many feasible ways. Here are ways in which real estate developers can adopt green practices while constructing or renovating buildings:

A new green project

When constructing a new project, ask these questions:

• Will this make the atmosphere less polluted, and cause less ecological harm?

• Does the project consume fewer resources?

• When operational, will it use less non-renewable energy?

• Without additional effort, will this lead to greater longevity of the building?

Now,

• Set clear goals for the project and environmental targets. The goals should include minimal non-renewable energy sources, low-operational energy use and longer lifecycle.

• When you set a budget, be prepared to spend more money upfront. While green buildings save money and resources in the long run, spending more at the outset is reasonable.

• As the construction schedule is short, the building automation system is often neglected. Be determined to ensure that the building automation system has been tuned according to specific building requirements. This will cut unnecessary operating expenses and dissuade residents from complaining.

Keep in mind

• Picking a location that is suitable to build such a project. The site, positioning, and landscaping of the building affect the environment and energy use.

• It makes sense to find ways to can increase energy efficiency, decrease load and use more renewable energy resources.

• Water conservation is very important for a sustainable building. It should also reuse and recycle water and reduce, treat and control the site overflow.

• A sustainable building should use environmentally preferable products (EPP) that lessen life-cycle environmental impacts such as global warming and resource depletion. The building should also have lower harmful effects on human health and the environment.

• Make sure that there are good day lighting, proper ventilation and moisture control. These factors have a vital effect on occupational health, comfort and productivity.

• Enhancing maintenance practices will contribute to lower energy usage and prevent system failures. In a sustainable building, automation overrides should be removed and building controls should be maximised. This will lower energy usage without sacrificing comfort.

With inputs from Anindita Sen.