Irha News: Hyderabad, November 18, 2023: With the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) phase-2 construction about to conclude, multiple blocks of the campus are aspiring for GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) – Green Building Rating. GRIHA Council, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH), has organized a green tour of the IITH campus on 18th November 2023. The objective of the green tour is to raise awareness among the delegates regarding the operations of a sustainable building and concepts of energy conservation, renewable energy, water saving and sustainable designs, among others.
The Tour included interactive sessions with the project’s architect and green building consultant, along with experts from GRIHA Council, where the delegates will learn about the operation and maintenance schedules and protocols of operating a green building covering the design, construction and operational stages. The Green Tour facilitates the exploration of sustainable building concepts, fostering awareness and knowledge dissemination among professionals, students, and stakeholders.
Prof B S Murty, Director of IIT Hyderabad, applauded the successful Green Tour conducted by GRIHA Council, showcasing IITH’s commitment to sustainability, and said, “With over 50 participants exploring our campus’s eco-friendly designs, IITH’s imminent Phase-2 completion aligns with aspirations for GRIHA Green Building Rating. The tour, a precursor to the 15th GRIHA Summit, epitomizes IITH’s dedication to sustainable practices. It is essential for our youth to know the significance of energy conservation, renewable energy, and water-saving techniques. IITH’s pledge to not only contribute to the green building discourse but also actively cultivate a sustainable society, positioning the institution as a beacon of environmental responsibility.”
Expressing delight on the enthusiastic participation by your architect, Ms Shabnam Bassi, Deputy CEO-cum-Secretary and Treasurer, GRIHA Council, mentioned, “At GRIHA Council we believe in the old adage ‘what gets measured, gets managed’, and attempt to quantify aspects such as energy consumption, waste generation, renewable energy adoption, etc. so as to manage the same to the best possible extent. Training and capacity building are integral parts of our rating system, which aims to create awareness among the professionals and the younger generation. Under our capacity building programme, we have initiated the ‘GRIHA Green Tour Series’, wherein we conduct site visits of the GRIHA registered projects, showcasing the sustainable strategies and giving the participants an on-site experience of green buildings. We are glad to partner with IIT Hyderabad to carry out this green tour and look forward to collaborative opportunities in the future.”
GRIHA Council is an independent society established to address the issues related to sustainable habitats in the Indian subcontinent. It was established in the year 2007 with the combined efforts of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) to develop the GRIHA rating system, which is suited to the Indian climate and to promote green buildings in the country. It has been endorsed as India’s rating system in the third BUR sent to UNFCCC. GRIHA is a rating tool that helps assess the performance of a building against nationally acceptable benchmarks. It evaluates the environmental performance of a building holistically over its entire life cycle, thereby providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a ‘green building’. GRIHA Council currently has over 4,100 registered projects across the country with a combined footprint spanning more than 8,64,78,096 sqm.Of these, more than 800 projects have already been rated and have been able to facilitate the installation of 533 MWp of renewable energy systems, which has saved 2,97,38,818 MWh of energy and prevented 83,93,046 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The water savings of these GRIHA-rated projects is 10,36,11,250 kL/annum. The rated projects have also aided carbon sequestration by the plantation of 2,66,770 new trees and preserved 28,000 trees. Over the years, the GRIHA Council has enlisted more than 3,000 products and trained more than 22,000 students and professionals across India.