Energy efficient

building designs
Minni Mehrotra
Research Associate, TERI
Centre for Research on Sustainable Building Design
Minnim@teri.res.in
International training workshop on Key vulnerabilities in small island
developing states: scope for technology cooperation with India
22-25 August, 2005

Challenges in small island

developing states
Dependence on fossil fuels for energy production.
Limited Natural fresh water resources
Waste Management
Recycling of materials - Disposal & Reuse
Disaster Management

Impact of buildings on the

environment
Consumers of electricity produced from fossil fuels.
GHG emissions contribute to climate change and acid
rain.
Depletes land and natural resources
Generate waste which causes land, air and water
pollution.

Eco- system

- site selection
- urban design
- landscape planning
- CO2 emissions
- acid rain
- ozone depletion
- rainforest depletion
- environmental policy
- transport strategy
- building maintenance

Energy efficient
building design
Criteria &
Factors

- air quality
- thermal comfort
- lighting & noise
- hazardous materials

- energy performance
- renewable energy
- water conservation
- material selection
- recycling of materials
- waste management
- disposal & reuse

Site selection and sustainable site

planning
Site selection and development of site infrastructure to reduce
vehicular transportation and easy access to daily facilities. Site
layout with respect to wind direction and sun path.
Appropriate erosion control mechanisms, top soil preservation,
prevent run- off from site & prevent heat island effect.
Reduce site disruption by appropriate planning, preservation of
natural vegetation, appropriate landscaping.
Energy efficient lighting on site including the use of renewable
energy sources for external lighting.

Teri campus at Gual pahari, a unique

experience in sustainable and energy
efficient building design
Minimal depletion of plant cover
Efficient infrastructure planning
Minimise transportation lengths
Untouched natural habitats
Water harvesting
Energy efficient site lighting, solar energy based campus lighting.

Site specific guidelines for ecohousing, Sri Lanka

Energy efficiency
Reduction in energy demand
Use of solar passive strategies, use of on site sources
and sinks
Maximise system efficiency
Use of renewable forms of energy.

RETREAT Building, Gual Pahari, off the grid. i.e. energy

efficient building drawing power from renewables.

Enhance system efficiency and

maximise use of renewable forms of
energy
Use of energy efficient lighting and control devices.
Use of low energy space conditioning systems.
Use of renewable forms of energy e.g. wind, biomass, solar for
thermal application and electricity generation.

BSBE building, Kanpur

Integration of solar
water heating system,
RETREAT

RETREAT, Gual Pahari

Building material selection

Maximize the use of regional/locally manufactured
products
Best fit options as per the climate suitability and specific
construction requirements for that particular region
Allow significant reduction in transportation (with delivery
radius <100 kms) contribute to low embodied energy
consumption and life cycle costs

Materials with reusable & recyclable potential/Use

industrial by products
Use materials, which are manufactured from waste or
recycled materials, products which can be reused

Water management
Water quality standards and treatment required.
Reduction of water use by efficient fixtures and fittings.
Reduce landscape water requirement by using indigenous
species, enhancing irrigation efficiencies, restricting water
consuming landscaping e.g. lawns.
Waste water treatment/recycling/reuse
Rain water harvesting for storage/recharge

Waste management
Appropriate waste segregation and collection
Identify facilities for recycling of non biodegradable wastes such as
plastics, glass and paper
Develop decentralised treatment systems based on composting or
anaerobic digestion process for segregated organic waste at the
site
Identify appropriate options for use of by products biogas and
manure from treated organic waste
Develop norms for use of by products based on local standards
Develop norms for disposal of non degradable and inert waste in
landfills based on local standards to ensure safe environment in
the surrounding areas

Conclusions
Green building solutions are economically viable with
minimal environmental footprint which can bring about
30-40% energy savings in new buildings and 20%
savings in existing buildings
with reduction in...
demand on the fossil fuels
emissions
pressure on natural resources e.g. water.
waste generation