HMDA Building Guidelines

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EnergyComfort

WaterStorm water

Sewage

Solid waste management

PollutionEcology and geolog

Building materials

visual, thermal, noise level, air quality

Energy

Comfort

Water Storm water

Solid waste management

Pollution

Ecology and geology

Building materials

visual, thermal, noise level, air quality)

Sewage

e n v i r o n m e n t a l

building guidelinesfor Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority

An abridged manual on


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e n v i r o n m e n t a l

building guidelinesfor Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority

An abridged manual on


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The Energy and Resources Institute, 2009

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means

without prior permission of The Energy and Resources Institute, Terra Viridis Partnership Ltd, and

Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority.

Published by

TERI Press

The Energy and Resources Institute Tel. 2468 2100 or 4150 4900

Darbari Seth Block Fax 2468 2144 or 2468 2145

IHC Complex India +91 Delhi (0) 11Lodhi Road E-mail [email protected]

New Delhi 110 003, India Web www.teriin.org

Printed in India


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CONTENTS

Messages v

Project team v i i i

Foreword i x

Preface x i

Abbreviation x i i i

Introduction x v

Energy ....................................................................... 1Comfort ...................................................................... 15

Water ........................................................................ 21

Storm water ................................................................ 27

Sewage ...................................................................... 33

Solid waste management ................................................. 39

Pollution ..................................................................... 45

Ecology and geology ....................................................... 49

Building materials.......................................................... 53

Glossary ..................................................................... 55


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CHIEF MINISTER

ANDHRA PRADESH

I am glad to know that the HyderabadMetropolitan Development

Authority is releasing an educational booklet on Environment Building

Guidelines for sustainable development of the historic city of Hyderabad.

Hyderabad has become a global city, the best place to do business

and to live. Our beautiful city is prospering and growing at an enormous

rate. However we cannot continue to grow in the present manner without a

detrimental impact on our environment. We no longer have abundant

availability of water. We cannot generate limitless levels of energy. Ever

changing weather patterns due to climate change are playing havoc in our

daily lives. It is time we start preparing ourselves to face the consequences

of climate changes on one hand while helping to reduce our contributionsto it on the other. The solution is not to curtail development but to develop

sustainably.

The foresight of HMDA in developing Hyderabad specific building

guidelines will ensure not only a higher quality of life for us but also for

our children. Following these guidelines will be the gr t gift we can

bestow upon our future generations.


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r C V.S.K. SARMA,IASPrincipal Secretary to Government &Chairman, Hyderabad Metro Rail

Municipal Administration &

Urban Development DepartmentGovernment of Andhra PradeshL-Block,A.P.SecretariatHyderabad - 500 022.(() : Off : +91-40- 2345 2499Tele/Fax: +91-40- 23450622Res: +91-40- 2355 0256e-mail: [email protected]

There is currently no end in sight to our daily power and municipal water

shortages. There will be no respite from the flooding of our roads during

the monsoon and the over flowing of garbage on to our streets. The air

we breathe and the lakes we utilise are getting more and more polluted.

The loss of Hyderabad's unique rock formations and corresponding

biodiversity is accelerating.

These problems will only get worse unless each one of us make a

conscious effort to change the way the city operates, the buildings we

build and our behavioural patterns within our own gamut, be it the

government, corporate bodies, institutions or individuals.

The set of environmental building guidelines developed specifically forHyderabad by HMDA along with their consultants TERI and Terra

Viridis will assist each of us to make a positive contribution. Written in a

form that either a professional or layman can utilise, following these

guidelines will help in correcting the problems that the rapid, haphazard

development of Hyderabad has resulted in.

Going green does not mean a reduced standard of living. Quite the

opposite, it not only enhances your current quality of life but also

ensures an enhanced quality of life for your children and the futuregenerations.


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Project team

TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute)

Pradeep Kumar, Mili Majumdar, Hina Zia, Minni Mehrotra,

Priyanka Kochchar, Apoorv Vij, Rana Pratap Poddar, Sudipta

Singh, Nitish Poornia, Tarun Garg, Siddharth Tampi, and

Shraddha Mahore

TVPL (Terra Viridis Pvt. Ltd)

Swati Puchalapalli, Srikumar Sattaru, and Pallavi Damodaran

TERI Press

Richa Sharma, R Ajith Kumar, Chandni Sengupta, and

T Radhakrishnan


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FOREWORD

India heads for an economic growth of about 8 per

cent with cities contributing a major portion to this

growth. Meeting the infrastructure requirements of

these cities is of fundamental importance to Indias

economic growth aspirations and its efforts to raise

the level of human development.

Hyderabad Metropolitan Region (HMR), the capital city

of Andhra Pradesh state is witnessing high economic growth

especially in IT sector, biotechnology, entertainment industry,

manufacturing and service sector. Building and real estate

sector is likely to grow along with this economic growth. Theexisting status of various infrastructure facilities related

to construction, operation and maintenance of buildings

including water, energy, and waste management all

demonstrate serious gaps at present, which are expected to

increase in the future. However, the building sector holds

a lot of potential to conserve and reduce the pressure on

depleting resources like energy and water besides improving

environmental quality in Hyderabad.

Considering immense challenges on climate change

and global warming, Hyderabad Metropolitan Development

Authority (HMDA) initiated a study in the year 2007 on

Environmental Building Regulations and Guidelines (EBRGs)

for a sustainable development of Hyderabad Metropolitan

Region. The broad vision behind the EBRG project is to assess

the present and future environmental issues in the building

industry, specically with respect to urban development

and propose guidelines for environmental sustainable

building design, construction and operation to promote and

integrate sustainable practices and provide an affordable

and higher quality environment for the residents.

This is an unique initiative and Hyderabad is one of rst

cities in India to take up this initiative, which forcefully

reinstates HMDAs commitment towards sustainable

development of Hyderabad Metropolitan Region.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi in

association with Terra Viridis Partnership Limited (TVPL) are

the consultants for the project.

During the study, the builders, planners, architects,

engineers, resident welfare associations, GHMC, APPCB,

APCPDCL, HMWS&SB, GoAP, academicians and various

stakeholders in HMR were actively involved. The EBRGs

proposed by the consultants were placed for further extensive

stakeholders dialogues and nally a set of Environmental

Building Guidelines (EBGs) were rmed up covering various

aspects of urban development like energy, comfort, water

and storm water, sewage, solid waste management, building

materials, ecology and geology.

The detailed guidelines and other information areprovided at HMDA website . The

website has easy to use tools, calculators and links to other

resources.

This booklet summarises the guidelines and can be

used by one and all as a ready reckoner for both new and

existing buildings. The EBGs can be followed by architects,

engineers, developers, building owners and common man to

enable design, construction and operation of environment

friendly buildings and developments.

A book of this magnitude and complexity could not have

been brought out without help of all the stakeholders and

their contributions are gratefully acknowledged.

TERI and TVPL made a commendable work in providing

the research content in simple and lucid manner with

attractive illustrations for easy understanding.

We encourage everyone to read and derive benet of

the knowledge resources that have been provided in this

contents, practice and spread the spirit of green concepts.

Dr K S Jawahar Reddy, IAS

Metropolitan Commissioner

HMDA


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PREFACE

The EBRG (Environmental Building Regulation

Guideline) educational booklet is an attempt

to create environmental awareness in the

built environment available to all. The booklet

is a concise version of the EBRGs developed

for the HMDA (Hyderabad Metropolitan Development

Authority). Due to rapid growth in the Greater Hyderabad

region, HMDA decided to develop environmental building

regulations, which can be used as guidelines for all future

developments, keeping in mind the environmental impacts

of construction. The EBRGs attempt to provide modelparameters to adopt and follow in order to minimize the

negative impacts of construction. This is to ensure that the

pressure on infrastructural facilities like electricity, sewage

disposal, and so on, for the upcoming sub-urban regions is

minimized.

The EBRGs look at various aspects of buildings like energy

consumption, water requirements, ecology and geology

on site, building materials, sewage disposal, comfort,

storm water management, solid waste management, and

pollution control. The Guidelines look at these aspects at

the neighbourhood level as well as the buildings level. The

neighbourhood level interventions and the building level

interventions together create a sustainable habitat.

The booklet has one page description of various aspects

of each Guideline along with tips and easy solutions for the

users to understand and adopt the concepts easily. Variousaspects of each Guideline, have been explained in the

simplest possible way in order to ensure that even a non-

technical person is able to read and understand them.


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ABBREVIATIONS

ASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air conditioning Engineers

BEE Bureau of Energy Efciency

BIS Bureau of Indian Standards

CPCB Central Pollution Control Board

ECBC Energy Conservation Building Code

HMDA Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority

HVAC Heating, ventilation and air conditioning

LED Light-emitting diode

MoEF Ministry of Environment and ForestsNBC National Building Code

RCC Reinforced cement concrete

RO Reverse osmosis

SEGR Specic Energy Generation Ratio

SHGC Solar heat gain coefcient

SUDS Sustainable urban drainage systems

TDS Total dissolved solids

VOC Volatile organic compounds


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INTRODUCTION

Urban centres across the world face major

challenges in the form of increasing population

and infrastructure pressures. As a result, major

shortages of natural resources occur as demand

increases alongside population, even while

supplies decrease. Buildings alone are major contributors to

energy and resource consumption and, therefore, provide

many possibilities for reduction in resource consumption.

Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, is one such

fast growing urban centre facing enormous population andinfrastructure pressure with buildings contributing to the

various environmental hazards in the area.

Recognizing these concerns and challenges, the HMDA

(Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority) is

committed to put in place building regulations and guidelines

to.

Assess present and future environmental issues in the

building industry with a focus on urban development in

Greater Hyderabad;

Provide an affordable and higher quality environment

for habitants of Greater Hyderabad;

Promote and integrate sustainable building practices, asit benets both current and future generations;

Formulate guidelines and regulations in building

design, construction, and operation for a balanced and

sustainable built environment;

Facilitate guidelines and regulations in building

design, construction, and operation for a balanced and

sustainable built environment;

Educate people in environmental building design and

remove the false notion that environmental building

design equates to higher building costs; and

Create awareness among public utility agencies,

building professionals, and users in making decisions tointroduce sustainable building features in design and

construction.

Environmental building regulations andguidelines

The existing system of guidelines and building regulations

were prepared with a piecemeal approach and a strong need

was felt to improve the building guidelines in an integrated

manner, keeping it at par with the best international

practices. The HMDA has taken this initiative to draw a

vision for a sustainable Hyderabad. The development of

EBRGs (environmental building regulations and guidelines)

P

P

P

P

P

P

P

for Hyderabad is a rst move towards this direction.

The current system of guidelines for buildings do not cover

all the aspects such as energy efciency, comfort conditions,

on-site water and waste management, consideration of

specic topography, site conditions, and other ecological

issues. It is also observed that the connectivity, between

individual buildings and its surroundings, is currently lacking

in the existing system of guidelines. As a result, the area is

fast growing into a concrete jungle with complete dismay

to its rich heritage and natural bounty. It has, therefore,become essential to redraw our vision and frame guiding

principles to drive Hyderabad towards a greener and

healthier place in line with its beautiful past.

The broad vision behind developing the new framework of

guidelines is to assess the present and future environmental

issues in the building industry, specically with respect to

urban development in the Hyderabad Development Area

and propose guidelines for environmentally sustainable

building design, construction, and operation in a wider

context to promote and integrate sustainable practices and

provide an affordable and higher quality environment for

the residents.

Relevance of EBRGs for a green habitat

Environmental building regulations and guidelines encompass

a wide range of issues both at the neighbourhood scale and at

the individual buildings level. These guidelines try to build a

greener habitat, by considering various environmental issues,

at both these scales and attempts to incorporate the green

buildings concept. Green building is the practice of increasing

the efciency through which buildings use resources, viz.,

energy, water and materials, while reducing building impacts

on human health and the environment during the buildings

lifecycle, through planned design, construction, operation,

maintenance, resource recycle, and reuse in a wider context

of its locality.

Green buildings are the ones, which encompass several

environment-friendly products and features. They showcase

concern for extending life span of natural resources;

provide human comfort, safety, and productivity. This

results in reduction of operation and maintenance costs,

conservation of energy and water, health, social benets,

and other intangible benets.

These guidelines are, thus, designed to reduce the

overall impact of the built environment on human health

and the natural environment by


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Efciently using energy, water, and other resources

Protecting occupant health and improving employee

productivity

Reducing waste, pollution, and environmental

degradation

They are designed to use the least amount of non-

renewable energy and natural resources, and to use theseresources in the most efcient manner. Further, such

buildings produce a minimum amount of pollution and cost

less as compared to conventional buildings. In addition to

these, such a habitat creates a healthy and comfortable

place for people to live and work.

Scope of the booklet

This booklet is an attempt to give a concise summary of

the aforementioned building guidelines and regulations to

the common man in an easy-to-understand format. These

guidelines will introduce the common people to the what

and how of various issues pertaining to constructing a new

building or retrotting an existing building at neighbourhood

scale, as well as the individual building level with the

prime objective of living a healthier lifestyle. The booklet

contains simple solutions and tips to improve the energy

and resource performance of new and existing buildings

residential and non-residential.

Kindly visit the website of HMDA for further detailed

information on any of the guidelines and the legal process

to do so.

List of EBRGs

The developed guidelines have been classied under three

broad sectors and sub-sectors within as follows.

a) Energy and indoor comfort-energy, comfort

b) Water and wastewaterwater, sewage, storm water

c) Quality of built environment solid waste, pollution,

ecology and geology, building materials

Following gives a list of all these guidelines under the

various sub-sectors:

Energy

1. Layout and design as per solar geometry

2. Plan for environment-friendly transportation on site

3. Provide for energy-efcient site lighting and use

renewable-energy-based (solar PV, biomass, wind, fuel

cells) lighting system

4. Minimum local amenities to reduce use of private

vehicles

5. Control light pollution

6. Solar passive design for new buildings

7. Provide roof treatment to cut heat gains

8. Window design for day lighting, solar control, and

ventilation

P

P

P

9. Design energy-efcient lighting in all new residential

and commercial buildings and retrot external and

common area lighting with efcient xtures and apply

lighting controls in existing residential complexes/

buildings

10. Design energy-efcient space conditioning in commercial

buildings

11. Replace existing equipment by BEE labelled appliances/equipment and use BEE labelled appliances/equipment

in all new buildings

12. Provide solar water heating systems to meet minimum

20% of service hot water requirement for new

commercial and residential buildings

13. Perform mandatory energy audit for existing commercial

buildings with connected load in cases of 500 kW or 600

kVA and reduce energy expenditure by 20% over previous

year. Follow prescriptive/mandatory requirements of

lighting, HVAC, electrical, and hot water systems as per

the ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Code) 2007 for

all new commercial buildings, as stipulated by the ECBC2007

Comfort

14. Provide thermal comfort (for air conditioned and

naturally/mechanically ventilated spaces) as per the

NBC (National Building Code) for all new residential and

commercial buildings

15. Provide adequate day lighting as per the NBC and the

ECBC

16. Use internal nishes with no or low VOC (volatile organic

compound) content

17. Indoor noise levels as per the NBC, 200518. Maintain indoor air quality standards

Water

19. Water conserving ttings

20. Drinking water quality requirements

21. Water conserving landscaping

22. Water audits to assess water conservation potential in

existing buildings

Storm water

23. Adherence to neighbourhood catchment area and

drainage pattern

24. An integrated approach for SUDS (sustainable urban

drainage system)

25. Reducing storm water runoff and heat island effect

through permeable paving and inltration trenches

26. Rainwater harvesting and collection from roofs

Sewage

27. Dual plumbing systems and wastewater treatment

28. Decentralized STPs - Operation and maintenance

requirements

Introductionvi


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29. Safe disposal of treated unused grey water and

wastewater

30. Safe sludge disposal methods

Solid Waste Management

31. Waste management of municipal solid waste at

neighbourhood level

32. Waste management of residential waste

33. Waste management for commercial buildings (also

caters to e-waste)

34. Waste management of biomedical waste from hospitals/

health care facilities

35. Reduction in waste during construction and construction

and demolition waste management plan

Pollution

36. Control levels of air pollution during construction

37. Ensure ambient outdoor noise standards

Ecology and geology

38. Conserving site vegetation through design and during

construction39. Soil conservation and erosion control during

construction

40. Conserving site geology through design and during

construction

Building materials

41. Use of sustainable building materials

Introduction xv


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ENERGY

The prime intent for developing energy-related EBRGs (Environmental

Building Regulations and Guidelines) is to enable the reduction of energy

consumed by buildings, through proper transport planning in large

neighbourhoods, site planning, and adopting climate-responsive design

for buildings, in addition to using efcient lighting and space cooling.

Integration of renewable energy for water heating is also suggested in the regulations.

There are also a number of existing buildings that need to be made energy efcient.

An EBRG on conducting energy audit of existing buildings has also been included.

The EBRGs have been divided into two sections. The rst section comprisesguidelines that specify the actions that need to be taken at the neighborhood and site

levels during the planning stage. These include layout and planning as per the solar

geometry, planning for eco-friendly transportation on-site, energy-efcient and solar-

based site lighting, making available facilities within easily approachable distances,

and controlling light pollution. The next set of EBRGs is tailored for building-level

interventions for new and existing buildings. The basic approach towards developing

EBRGs is based on three fundamental strategies adopted to optimize energy

performance in a building.

1 Reducing energy demand

2 Maximizing system efciency

3 Optimizing the usage of renewable energy


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Correct orientation and shading helps

reduce energy consumption by almost 15%

Guideline

Layout and design of buildings should be as per solar geometry

P Longer dimensions of buildings should face north and south (with a maximum deviation of 5 off north)

and shorter dimensions should face east and west. In multistoried apartments, the sides having openings

should face either north or south.

P The southern sides of the plots should be shaded by deciduous trees. In case of high-rise structures,

windows or faade should be shaded by in-built shading devices.

P The east and west faades should be protected by using shading devices, vegetation or buffer spaces.

P Courtyards should be oriented along eastwest axis to

capture maximum wind. To create cooler microclimate conditions,

water elements should be provided along the wind paths.

Orientation of buildings

P A building can be laid out and designed on the basis of sun path and wind direction.

P A building designed according to solar path remains comparatively cool in summers and warm inwinters, thus obviating the need for articial heating or cooling.

P If oriented properly, a building receives comparatively less radiation, which results in lesser heat gains.

This reduces overall air conditioning requirement, which, in turn, saves energy.

P Solar angle and altitude with respect to a particular surface vary with time, following a distinct

geometry. This geometry can be followed while designing a building.

P Proper layout and design of a building ensure that the building benets the maximum from the wind so

that there is no need for articial ventilation and cooling.

P Planned layout and design of a building make the building

get just enough sunlight, without any glare.

P Incorporation of shading devices can be planned in the initial stages of layout and design, which will

lead to energy efciency and add to the aesthetic appeal of the building.

P As the sun moves from east to west and sun path is more inclined towards south, the north faades ofthe building do not receive direct radiation.

P Solar angles are low in east and west, while high in south.

P In efcient buildings, the longer faade faces north and south, while the smaller faade faces east and

west.

P The radiation can be cut-off by using shading devices.

P Shading devices protect the building by obstructing the vertical shadow angle and horizontal shadow

angle, which are calculated from sun path diagram.


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Guideline

Eco-friendly transportation on-site

P Eco-friendly mode of transportation should be provided for intra-site transportation, with adequate

provision for bicycle tracks and shaded footpaths for sites 50 acres or more in area.

P Linear layouts leading to large vehicular lengths should be avoided. Cluster layouts should be preferred.

P Battery charging facilities should be provided for projects of size 50 acres or aboveone for 50 parked

cars. These charging points should be placed at convenient locations and should be spaced equally.

P For basement parking, provision for minimum daylight and ventilation should be made for the rst

basement. To ensure a minimum of three air changes per hour, a minimum vertical opening area

equivalent to 10% of oor area should be provided on the basement wall (on both windward and leeward

sides).

Advantages of using eco-friendly modes of transportation

P Eco-friendly modes of transportation do not cause environmental pollution like conventional modes of

transportation.P Using eco-friendly vehicles saves on the conventional fuel.

P There is no carbon footprint when eco-friendly vehicles are used.

P Walking and cycling are the healthiest modes of transportation.

P Planting shady trees on

footpaths and cycling

tracks enhances the natural

environment.

Guidelines forensuring eco-friendly

transportationP Cluster layout Clusters reduce

the long lengths of road and also

the vehicular speed. Parking

spaces in cluster development

can be provided outside the

cluster.

P Facilities for cyclists and

pedestrians Pedestrians and

cyclists should be provided

with amenities like drinking

water fountains, benches, cycleparking, and so on. Cycling

tracks and sidewalks should be planted with shady trees.

P Landscaping Landscaping plan should be incorporated in road systems to enhance the aesthetics. Green

belt should be maintained around roads.

P Visibility Landscaping should be done in such a way that it does not obstruct the visibility and

movement.

P Public transportation Public mode of transportation should be encouraged to make travelling efcient

and convenient.

P Electric vehicle Electric vehicles are least polluting, so their use should be encouraged. Facilities

should be provided for charging the batteries used for such vehicles.

Trees shade walking paths and cycling tracks


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Bollard

P Up lights Used to highlight the ceiling. Installed in places like under-

foliage or near bigger plants to create a glowing effect.

P Path lights Used to light up walkways.

P Ornamental lights Used to enhance landscape features.

P Electric lamps

vHigh pressure mercury vapour lamps Light is produced by passing an

electric charge through gaseous mercury. Though the efcacy of mercurylamps is less compared to uorescent lamps, they are very popular for

outdoor lighting.

vHigh pressure sodium vapour lamps Light is produced by passing an

electric discharge through the combined vapours of mercury and sodium.

They have a distinct yellow or golden yellow appearance.

vMetal halide lamps Also known as metal arc lamps, these are mercury

vapour lamps with metal compounds like halides. These are used in car

parking areas and city centres. They have a relatively shorter life.

P Solar energy-powered lights These lights do not require any wiring and

are powered by a photovoltaic panel. This panel charges the inverter, which

supplies power to lamps.

Guideline

Energy-efcient and renewable-energy-based external lighting

P Horizontal average illuminance should be equal to or more than that dened in IS:1944 (Parts I&II

1970, as per classication of road).

P 50%100% of outdoor lighting should be based on solar photovoltaics alone or in combination with other

renewable sources of energy like biomass, fuel cell, wind, and so on.

P Luminous efcacy of external light sources used for outdoor lighting shall equal or exceed 60 lm/W in

case of compact uorescent lamps, 75 lm/W in case of uorescent lamps, 50 lm/W

in case of light-emitting diodes, and 90 lm/W in case of high-pressure sodium vapour

lamp.

Efcient lighting

P Efcient lighting ensures visual comfort and utilizes energy optimally and

efciently.

P The switches used for outdoor lighting generally do not take seasonal

variation into account, which results in the wastage of energy. Therefore,a device or a timer should be used that is sensitive to seasonal variations

and adjusts on the basis of actual length of day/night.

P Microcontroller-based time switch has inputs like real time, date, month,

year, and plus and minus offset. Due to its versatile concept of switching

at sunset and sunrise timings throughout the year, it saves on electrical

units, resulting in reduced electric bills.

P Solar energy and other sources of renewable energy can be used for outdoor

lighting, which requires minimum maintenance and operation cost.

Criteria for choosing outdoor lighting

The choice of source for external lighting is guided by following considerations.

P Luminous ux

P Economy (determined by lumens/watt and life)

P Colour characteristics

Types of outdoor lighting

Solar PV panel powered outdoor

lighting


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Guideline

Providing basic amenities in order to reduce the use of private vehicles

BenetsP Facilities like grocery stores, health care, community halls, ATMs, parks, and recreational facilities need

to be located within a 500-metre radius from where the people live or residential complexes come up.

P This will ensure that the people do not have to travel long distances in their private vehicles to procure

things of daily use.

P There would be minimal adverse impacts on the environment, as there would be limited emission of

polluting greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide.

P Provision of basic facilities in new and upcoming residential localities ensures that these localities

develop into buzzing centres.

P People are saved from the drudgery of going long distances and have more quality time to spend as they

wish to.

Various facilities for which guidelines have been provided are as follows.

P Schools Ideally, there should be a pre-primary/nursery school for a population of 200 people, a primary

school for a population of about 5000 people, and a senior secondary school for a population of 7500

people. This will ensure that children do not have to travel long distance.

P Hospitals A clinic should be available for a population comprising 15 000 people, and a nursing home

with child care facilities should be available for a population of 50 000 people.

P Recreational facility People need community halls to organize various functions like marriages or to

simply play or relax. There should be a community hall for 5000 people, and for a population of about

15 000 people, there should be a community hall and a library.

P Petrol pump There should be at least one petrol pump for 150 hectares of gross residential areas.

P Milk booths Milk booths offer various dairy products like milk, curd, buttermilk, and so on. There

should be a milk booth for every 5000 people.

P LPG (liquid petroleum gas) godowns LPG facilities should be made available for the residential areas.

There should be a gas godown for 40 000 to 50 000 people.

P Police post Any residential area needs to have a foolproof security system. There should be a police

post for 40 00050 000 people and a police station for a population of 90 000.

P Fire station There should be at least one re station or a sub-re station for a population of 200 000

people, within 13 kilometres.

P Fruit and vegetable market Informal activities take place in a fruit and vegetable market. So such a

market needs to be planned and designed keeping the specications of the residential areas in mind.

Close proximity o various

services to the building

helps in reducing the need

or transportation


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Guideline

Reduction of outdoor light pollution

Source of light pollutionLight pollution can occur in one of the following ways.

P Outdoor illumination There is excessive and wasteful scatter of light, which contributes to light

pollution. This also leads to unwanted illuminance and glare.

P Advertising display The attractive lights used by companies to promote their products also causes light

pollution. They also distract motorists.

Impacts of light pollution

P Light reected from buildings at night-time helps

pedestrians, but excessive light can also cause

discomfort and distract motorists.

P Night-time sky visibility gets reduced due to excessive

articial lighting, which hampers the work of

astronomers.P Light pollution also affects operations at airports,

where pilots may face problems due to excessive

articial lighting.

P Light pollution impacts the biological cycles of ora

and fauna in the vicinity of articial lights and also

affects the ecosystems operational in the area.

P Behaviourial patterns of animals and birds get

affected due to articial lighting.

P Excessive spillage of light is a form of electricity wastage.

Zone classication

The Commission Internationale de lEclairge has divided areas into four broad categories or zones and has

set standards for the degree of light pollution permissible in these areas.

Each zone has been given a certain lux level restriction, the maximum being 6 lux for a subject lighting

in zone E4 during nighttime, while in zones like E1 and E2, a maximum of 1 lux is permitted for subject

lighting.

P E1 (intrinsically dark) This zone comprises areas such as national parks, where life thrives in every

form. Articial lighting may interfere with the natural activity of ora and fauna. Astronomical

observatories also fall under this category.

P E2 (low ambient brightness) This zone comprises rural and sub-urban areas, and road lighting in these

areas is brighter than usual.

P E3 (medium ambient brightness) This zone comprises areas where night-time activity is slightly more

than E2 zone. So, here comparatively brighter light is permitted.

P E4 (high ambient brightness) Brightest of all zones. Comprises urban downtown areas, where a lot of

commercial activity takes place, especially at nights. So, high ambient brightness is permitted in this

zone.

Reducing light pollution

P Care should be taken while designing external lighting so that the difference between lit and unlit areas

is not very stark.

P External lighting should be turned off when not required, so as to conserve energy.

P For E1 and E2 zones, full cut-off luminaires should be used. For other zones, semi cut-off or non cut-off

luminaires should be used.

P Sensors should be used.

PRenewable sources of energy like solar panels should be used.

P Use of efcient lamps ensures energy saving.

Full cut-o and semi cut-o luminaires used to

control outdoor light pollution


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Solar passive architecture design strategiesP Landscaping Micro climate of a place can be altered by growing

trees and vegetation. Roof gardens also reduce heat load.

P Waterbodies Water has a moderating effect on air temperature.

It has a high thermal storage capacity. Water evaporation has a

cooling effect on surroundings.

P Orientation The amount of solar radiation falling on a surface

varies with orientation.P Building form Building form affects solar access and wind

exposure as well as the rate of heat gain and loss through the

external envelope.

P Building materials and construction techniques The energy content of a building can be reduced by

using building materials that use low energy in manufacturing.

P Building envelope Building envelope components like walls, roof, windows, oor, and surface

nishes are the key determinants of the amount of heat gain or loss and wind entering the building.

P Thermal storage/thermal capacity The heat storing capacity of building materials helps to

moderate uctuation in the indoor temperature by providing a time delay.

P Thermal insulation Insulation should be placed on the external side of wall and roof composition.

Heat gain through roofs could be reduced by external insulation, green roof or use of high reective

material on roof top.

Advanced passive coolingtechniques

P Evaporative cooling Waterbodies like

ponds, lakes or fountains help reduce air

temperature.

P Radiative cooling Heat loss from the hotter

element will occur until equilibrium is

reached.

P Ventilation It is the exchange of air between

the inside of a building and outside, which can beattained by cross-ventilation and stack effect.

Guideline

Solar passive design

P Buildings should minimize their dependence on conventional

systems of heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting, which utilize

electricity produced from non-renewable energy sources.

P Solar passive buildings are designed to provide thermal and visual

comfort by using natural energy sources and sinks like solar

radiation, outside air, wet surfaces, vegetation, and so on.

Objectives of solar passive buildings

P Solar passive buildings aim at providing high quality thermal and

visual comfort using natural elements.

P These buildings save energy and do not pollute the environment.

They provide a healthy atmosphere to live and work.

P They have a potential to reduce energy demand by 5%20%.

P These buildings can also function independent of mechanical systems, which mean that in case of powerfailure, they are well lit by natural daylight and are thermally comfortable.

Designing a solar passive building

Courtyard planning is a recommended passive

eature or hot and dry climate

Landscaping or modiying the micro-climate

Cross-ventilation and stack eect


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Guideline

Roof treatment to reduce heat gains

Roof is the largest source of heat gain, especially in low-rise buildings. Hence, proper treatment of roof is

necessary to reduce heat gains during daytime.

Roof treatment: facts and benets

P Treatment of roofs provides comfort levels and reduces cooling loads inside a building.

P Thermally insulating the roof reduces the U-value (thermal conductivity) for the roof section.

P A dark-coloured roof absorbs more heat and sunlight, increasing the cooling demand of the building.

P A reective roof absorbs less heat and reects incident radiation. High albedo (or solar reectance,

which is a measure of a materials ability to reect sunlight) roof coatings or paints can be applied to

roofs.

P An ideal exterior surface coating would have, on a scale 0 to 1, reectance near 1 and absorptance near

0. White plaster very nearly achieves this.

P By applying roof insulation in a 24-hour fully air-conditioned residential building, an annual energy

savings of 14% is achieved. Payback period is almost six years.

Specications recommended by the Energy Conservation Building Code ofIndia, 2007

P All exposed roof shall have a maximum U-factor of 0.261 W/m2 C or a minimum R-value (the measure

of its resistance to heat ow. The higher the R-value, the more the material insulates. It is the

reciprocal of U-factor) of 3.5 m2 C/W.

P Roofs with slope less than 20 shall have an initial solar reectance, on a scale of 0 to 1, of no less than

0.70 and an initial emittance (ability of a material to release absorbed heat) no less than 0.75 or shall

have 100% shading by using solar water heating panels or solar photovoltaic panels or shall have green

roof by integrating roof garden ventilation.

Roof insulationRoof insulation protects the building

against the inow of heat during the day.

In India, construction practices mainly

involve using RCC (reinforced cement

concrete) as a roong element, which

has a high thermal conductivity. Various

insulation methods are discussed below.

P Overdeck insulation In this system,

a thermal barrier is provided over

the RCC, so that the heat of the

sun doesnt reach the RCC slab of

the roof at all. Overdeck insulation

is carried out by either preformed

insulation materials, which are

adhered to the roof with the help of

a primer and an adhesive coat, or in

situ applications, which are applied

directly over the roof by spraying.

P Conventional practices Examples are foam concrete, mud phuska, and brick bat coba. However, these

are quite heavy and add dead load to the roof slab. These also have a tendency to develop cracks.

P Using higher albedo materials/cool roof Higher albedo paints and coats can signicantly reduce the

heat island effect. These are highly efcient, energy saving, non-toxic, and environment friendly.

Roo insulation or reducing heat gains


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Guideline

Window design for daylighting, solar control, and ventilation

For air-conditioned buildingsP Window-to-wall ratio should be restricted to maximum 60% of the gross wall

area. U-factor value and SHGC (solar heat gain coefcient) value should be

less than that recommended by the ECBC.

P Skylight area should be limited to a maximum of 5% of the gross roof area.

U-factor value and SHGC value should be less than that recommended by

the ECBC.

P Windows should be designed to meet daylight requirements as per the BIS.

For naturally ventilated non-air-conditioned buildings

P Windows should be designed to achieve maximum ventilation. Normally,

window areas having 15%20% of oor area are ideal for both ventilation and daylight in hot and dryclimate zones.

P Windows should be completely shaded to avoid solar external heat gains through the openings.

P While designing windows, daylight requirements of the BIS should be met.

Windows

P Windows can achieve natural daylight and natural cooling through ventilation.

P Windows can be properly designed to cut down solar heat gains.

P Windows can be designed to provide glare-free diffuse natural daylight inside the building.

P Optimized window designs reduce the annual energy consumption for lighting and air conditioning.

Window design

Window size and placementP The higher the window head, the deeper will be the penetration of daylight.

P Strip windows provide more uniform daylight.

P Big windows should not be placed close to work area, as they may cause

thermal discomfort.

P View and light windows should be separate.

P Window-to-wall ratio should not be more than 60% of the gross wall area.

GlazingGlass is the most common glazing material used, although recently,

polycarbonate sheets are being used for skylights.

P

Glass with higher light transmittance should be selected.P Reective glazing reects a large portion of solar radiation incident on it and thereby restrict heat gains

from window.

P Thermal transmittance, or U-value (affecting conduction heat gains), should be lower.

FrameThe type and quality of window frame affects a windows air inltration and heat gain/heat loss

characteristics. The most common types of framing materials used are metal, wood, and polymers.

Shading devicesP External shading It is the most effective, as it cuts off direct sunlight during summer and allows winter

sunlight to enter inside the space.

P

Internal shading device By adjusting these properly, diffuse sunlight can be allowed to enter. However,they do not keep solar heat out.

Light shel-cum-window shade

Shading projection actors


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0

Guideline

Design energy-efcient lighting in all new residential and commercialbuildings and retrot existing lighting systems with efcient ones

Norms and standards to be followedP The illuminance levels on working plane should conrm to the levels recommended by the NBC (National

Building Code), 2005.

P The uniformity ratio (minimum illuminance divided by average illuminance levels) of an area, which is

entirely being utilized as a workplace, should not be less than 0.7, as per the NBC, 2005.

P Light power density (W/m2) of each space in the building and for the whole building should conrm to

the ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Code), 2007.

P Lighting systems in the interior spaces of buildings and exterior building features

like faade, roofs, entrances, exits, ground, and so on should comply with the

provisions of the ECBC. Some of the exceptions are as follows.

v Display or accent lighting used in galleries, museums, and so on.

v

Lighting specically designed for medical or dental procedures.v Lighting integral to food warming and food preparation equipment.

P Daylight control strategies, as per the ECBC, 2007, for perimeter areas should

be integrated with access to daylighting.

P Mandatory lighting controls as per the ECBC, 2007, should be applied.

Good lighting tips

P Lamps with high colour rendering index should be used.

P For ofces, semi-direct luminaries are recommended.

P For corridors and staircases, direct type of luminaires with wide spread of light distribution are

recommended.

P For residential buildings, bare uorescent tubes are recommended.

P The NBC recommends a range of illumination levels for an activity, as conditions might be different forthe same activity in different interiors.

v Higher value of the range should be used when unusually low reectance or contrasts are present

in the task, errors are costly to rectify, accuracy or high productivity is needed, and visual work is

critical.

v Lower value of the range may be used when the reectance or contrast is unusually high, speed

and accuracy are not important, and the task is executed only occasionally.

P Lighting in external and common area for existing residential complexes/buildings should be retrot

with efcient xtures and lighting controls.

P All the spaces should use efcient lighting equipment like lamps, luminaires, and control gears.

P Lights should be dimmed or switched off when rooms are unoccupied or during daylit hours.

Benets of efcient lightingP Improved visibility Energy-efcient lighting design enhances the quality and efciency of lighting.

P Energy saving By reducing the connected load of the lighting system, energy savings are maximized.

Efcient lighting controls reduce energy consumption by avoiding wastage.

P Retrot Retrot options can be used in buildings for saving electricity.

Ecient

lamp and

luminaire

LED lamps


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11

Guideline

Design energy-efcient space conditioning in commercial buildings

HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning) systems account for 60%80% of the energy used

in commercial buildings. An efcient system design has the potential to save 20%30% energy over a

conventional design.P Spaces that need air conditioning should be delineated. While designing functional layout of buildings,

air-conditioned spaces should be reduced. Spaces that are not frequently occupied, like corridors,

atrium, lobbies, toilets, stores, and so on, may not be air conditioned.

P The inside and outside designs of buildings should be in accordance with the National Building Code,

2005.

P Refrigerant used in air conditioners should be free of chlorouorocarbons.

P All heating and cooling equipment should meet the minimum efciency requirements, as specied in the

ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Code), 2007.

P The minimum fresh air required in a mechanically ventilated or air-conditioned spaces should be as

recommended in the National Building Code, 2005.

P Pipework and ductwork insulation as per the ECBC, 2007, to be followed.

Towards energy-efcient HVAC systems

P Reduce cooling load by controlling unwanted heat gain External heat gains can be avoided by

architectural designs, light-coloured building surfaces, vegetation, and high performance glazing, while

internal heat gains can be reduced by using efcient HVAC equipment and direct venting of spot heat

sources. Load reduction saves energy and, thus, cost.

P Expand the comfort envelope with reduced radiant heat load, increased air ow, less insulated

furniture, and more appropriate dress These have the potential to save 20%30% of remaining loads.

P Optimizing the delivery system Huge savings are possible from reducing the velocity, pressure, and

friction losses in ducts and piping.

P Apply non-vapour compression cooling

techniques Examples include natural ventilation,

ground-coupled cooling, night sky cooling, and

evaporation cooling. They typically use 20%30%

as much energy per unit cooling as conventional

cooling equipment.

P Serve the remaining load with high efciency

refrigerate cooling More efcient chillers, pumps,

and fans, multiplexed chillers, low friction duct

layout and sizing, low pressure drops in air handling

and piping components, and overall optimization of

the entire HVAC system will further help in making

system more efcient.

P Use of economizers/energy recovery wheel

Economizers are mechanical devices that reduceenergy consumption or perform other useful

functions like preheating a uid. In simple term, an

economizer is a heat exchanger. It could be air-side or water-side.

vAir-side economizer It can save energy in buildings by using cool outside air for cooling the indoor

space. It also improves indoor air quality.

v Water-side economizer It uses water cooled by a wet cooling tower to cool buildings, without

operating a chiller.

P Improve control Through better algorithms, sensors, signal delivery, user interface, simulators, and

other measures. Use of variable frequency drives in fans and pumps can save signicant amount of

energy.

Chiller system in a central HVAC plant


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Guideline

Use BEE-labelled equipment and appliances in all new buildings andreplace or retrot the existing equipment with BEE-labelled equipment

Labelled applianceP Energy consumption by products manufactured by various manufacturers varies.

P Often, information on the energy consumption by a product is not easily available

or is difcult to understand.

P This gap in information may lead to excessive use of energy.

P In case of confusion, it is always better to use a labelled appliance.

P An appliance is generally rated based on its performance and energy consumption.

Advantages of using labelled products

P The energy rating label helps consumers compare energy efciency of domestic

appliances on a fair and equitable basis and make an informed decision.

P

Manufacturers, in turn, vie with each other to improve their products.P Labelled products perform better.

P Labelled products are generally energy efcient.

P Better performing and energy-efcient appliances with clean technology

have minimal environmental impacts.

Star performance

P The rating of appliances in India is done by the BEE.

P Labelled appliances carry the symbol of stars.

P The higher the number of stars, the more efcient the product is.

P For example, a BEE 3-star rated 1.5-tonne window AC (air conditioner) would consume 2800 units of

electricity in a year compared to an inefcient unrated AC of the same size, which would consume

3625 units in a year.

P An efcient 3-star 1.5-tonne AC would cost about Rs 2100, while an unrated AC of the same size

would cost Rs 1500. The price difference would vanish in a little over one year due to savings in the

electricity bill.

Efcient installation and usage of room ACs

Following points should be kept in mind while using an AC.

P While installing an AC, it should be ensured that the exterior, or back, is not exposed to direct sunlight

and is away from heat sources like chimney.

P Appliances such as TVs, computers or lamps should be kept away from the AC.

P The temperature (thermostat) of the AC should be set higher to reduce energy consumption.

PRegular maintenance of ACs improves their efciency.

Efcient refrigerators

P The cost of running a refrigerator is several times the initial purchase price. So, more efcient model

should be bought.

P Smaller models will obviously use less energy than larger models.

P Models with top- or bottom-mounted freezers use, on an average, 12% less energy than side-by-side

designs.

P Features like through-the-door ice, chilled water or automatic ice-makers increase the energy

consumption, purchase price, and energy use.

P A 5-star rated refrigerator does cost more initially compared to, say, a 2-star refrigerator, but its cost

of operation over the years is less due to better design and insulation.

BEE star label or appliances


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1

Guideline

Solar water heating systems for domestic and commercial buildings

P Solar water heating systems should be provided for residential, commercial, and institutional buildings.

P These water heating systems will be required to meet a minimum of 20% of water heating needs on an

annual basis.P Insulation on pipelines should be provided as per norms.

P To reduce water wastage, water recirculating pumps should be provided in

high-rise buildings.

Solar water heating: some facts and gures

P A solar water heater uses the energy of the sun to heat water, which is used for

various applications like bathing, washing, cooking, and other chores.

P A domestic water heater with a capacity of 100 lpd (litres per day) caters to

a family of four or ve members.

P It can easily replace a 2-kW electric geyser and can save up to 1500 units of

electricity in a year.

P It recovers its cost in three to ve years, depending on the electricity tariff and hot water used in a year.P After this, water is available almost free of cost for the remaining lifespan of the system, which is 1520 years.

P The cost of the water heater with a capacity of 100 lpd ranges between Rs 18 000 and Rs 25 000.

P The overall potential of solar water heating in India is estimated to be 140 million m2. Of this, about

1 million m2 of solar collector area has been realized.

Components of a solar water heating system

A solar water heating system comprises of solar collectors, insulated hot water tank, back-up system,

plumbing (galvanized iron pipes and ttings), and controls and instruments (valves, temperature gauge,

thermostatic controller).

Types of solar water heating systemP Thermo siphon-type solar hot water system for capacities

of up to 2000 lpd.

P Forced ow solar hot water system for capacities higher

than 2000 lpd.

Guidelines for design, installation, and useof solar water heating systems

P Solar collector should face true south for collecting

maximum solar radiation.

P The tilt of the solar collector should be equal to the latitude of the place, which will ensure the

collection of maximum annual energy. Tilt equal to +15 gives maximum energy collection in winter,while that equal to 15 gives maximum energy collection in summer.

P The load-carrying capacity of the roof should be checked before installing the system.

Guidelines for system selection and use

P The hardness of the water to be used in solar heating systems should be checked to avoid blockage of

small diameter pipes of the solar collector due to the deposition of salts.

P The location and layout of the heating system should be nalized at the building design stage, which will

reduce cost and heat loss due to long pipes.

P Good quality pipes and insulation and a continuous supply of water should be ensured for efcient and

trouble-free operations.

P When not in use, solar collectors should be covered with opaque covers to avoid the overheating of the

heating system.

Solar water heater

Schematic diagram explaining the unctioning o a SWH


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Guideline

Perform mandatory energy audit for existing commercial buildingswith connected load in cases of 500 kW or 600 kVA, and reduce energyexpenditure over previous year

Benets of energy audit

P It indicates the ways in which different forms of energy are being used and quantify energy use

according to discrete functions.

P It seeks to prioritize energy uses according to the greatest to least cost-effective opportunities for

energy savings.

P It helps in achieving reduction in the energy costs by proper utilization of the existing equipment and

systems.

P It gives a positive orientation to the energy cost reduction, preventive maintenance, and quality control

programmes, which are vital for production and utility activities.

P

It leads to reduced adverse environmental impacts, as there will be reduction in the emission ofgreenhouse gases.

Auditing energy consumption in a building

Energy demand and consumption in a building can be identied using following steps.

P Data collection On annual energy bills, fuel bills, total built up area (m2), and air conditioned

area (m2).

P Analysis Of establishing energy performance index (kWh/m2-year), which is a measuring tool to

evaluate the performance of the building in terms of the total energy consumption (kWh) and the total

built-up area (m2) and SEGR (specic energy generation ratio), which is a measuring tool to evaluate the

performance of diesel generators.

P Observations and recommendations On comments on the energy performance of the building, ondiesel generator performance, and tariff rate.

P Energy conservation measures Improving SEGR of diesel generators, analysing the scope of reducing

the existing operating consumption (kWh) of the building by installing energy-efcient systems.

Auditing electrical system

P Data collection On the main source of electricity for the building and its single line diagram.

P Measurement Of building load for two days and operating load of LT motors.

P Analysis Of motor loading (%), voltage, and power factor at transformer.

P Observation and recommendation On the power factor, motor loading percentage, transformer losses,

and voltage imbalance among the three phases.P Energy conservation measures Maintaining power factor by installing capacitor banks, identifying

motors on the basis of their loading rates and balancing loads.

Auditing lighting system

P Data collection On lighting source.

P Measurement Of illumination level and lighting load (kW).

P Analysis Of lighting consumption (kWh) and lighting power density (W/m2).

P Observation and recommendation On maintained visual comfort and measured lighting power density

(W/m2).

P Energy conservation measures Selecting proper xture and integrating daylighting with articial

lighting and using automatic lighting control devices.


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COMFORT

The primary function of the building envelope is to protect the occupants

of the building from the heat of the sun and rains, and provide a congenial

environment for work and leisure. To achieve this, it is almost always

essential to provide energy-consuming space-conditioning and lighting

devices. To reduce energy demand, it is necessary that the design

measures adopted should result in the reduction in space conditioning, lighting, and

service water heating loads. The rst step towards reducing energy demand is to

integrate suitable bio-climatic design principles while designing the macroclimate

and microclimate of the site. The climatic design varies from one climate zone to theother. India has six climatic zones representing varying climatic conditions, ranging

from extreme cold conditions in the cold desert of Leh, Ladakh, to extreme hot and

dry conditions in Rajasthan. A building designed for hot climate should have features

to reduce solar gain, like smaller window size, shaded walls, minimum exposure to

west and east directions, use of external wall and roof insulation, or design elements

like solar chimneys, wind towers, and so on to maximize ventilation. Hyderabad is in

a predominantly hot and dry climate, and hence, water-based features also aid in the

cooling of spaces.


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Guideline

Thermal comfort

Provide thermal comfort (for air-conditioned and naturally ventilated spaces) as per

the National Building Code, 2005

Dening the term

ASHRAE denes thermal comfort in laymans term as the state of mind that expresses satisfaction with the

surrounding environment. More technically, it is that condition of the environment under which a person

can maintain the body heat balance at normal body temperature, without sweating. It depends on various

environmental and physiological factors, as listed below.

E n v i r o n m e n t a l f a c t o r s

P Dry bulb temperature

P Mean radiant temperature

P Relative humidity

P Air movement

Ph y si o l o g i c a l f a c t o r s

P Metabolic rate

P Clothing level

Thermal comfort in buildings

In India, according to the National Building Code, 2005, thermal comfort of a person lies between 25 C

and 30 C. Providing thermal comfort in this range to occupants is a challenge for building designers. Most

buildings use air-conditioning systems to achieve thermal comfort, which consume a lot of energy. The

green and energy-efcient buildings with tangible benets use passive cooling and natural ventilation to

achieve thermal comfort. Ventilation requirement could be met through natural ventilation, mechanical

ventilation, and mixed mode ventilation.

Some building design guidelines

Na t u r a l v e n t i l a t i o n

P Maximize wind-induced ventilation by orienting the longer faade of the building towards predominant

wind direction.

P Buildings should be sited where obstructions for summer winds are minimum.

P Naturally ventilated buildings should have a narrow oor width.

P Inlet openings should be located on the windward side at a low level, while outlet openings should be

located on the leeward side at a higher level, to maximize stack effect.

P Window openings should be operable by occupants.

P To enhance airow between the rooms, open interior doors should be designed.

P To get rid of the stale air, clerestories, or vented skylights, can be used.

M e c h a n i c a l v e n t i l a t i o n

P Ceiling fans are used for inducing air motion for comfort. To optimize the power consumption and

comfort, correct number and location of fans with respect to room size should be determined.

P Exhaust fans are used in kitchens, bathrooms, stores to replace stale air with fresh air.

M i x e d m o d e v e n t i l a t i o n

P Mixed mode involves strategies combining natural ventilation with mechanical ventilation. In this

approach, buildings can smoothly function as air-conditioned buildings as well as naturally ventilated

buildings with passive concepts.

Passive cooling techniques

P Passive cooling techniques involve strategies or design features to achieve comfort with minimum or no

usage of power. Wind-induced ventilation, passive downdraught cooling, evaporative cooling, and earthair tunnels can be used to cool buildings.

Exhaust o hot and stale air or better thermal comort


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1

Guideline

Visual comfort through daylight

Glare-free daylight integration in buildings through proper planning of windows, with

respect to position, area, and shape, to achieve daylight factor as recommended by BIS.

Advantages of daylight

P In a typical air-conditioned building, articial lights account for approximately

30% of the total electricity demand. This demand can be reduced considerably by

integrating natural daylight during the daytime.

P Working in daylight will be easy on eyes and will increase productivity.

Following factors help in accomplishing daylighting in a building.

Room characteristics

PRooms facing north receive fairly constant, indirect daylight and rooms facing south receive bright,direct sunlight all the year. So, a room should be constructed in such a way that it is illuminated by both

direct and indirect sunlight.

P Rooms with windows on two sides get maximum daylight.

P For good light penetration, the depth of rooms adjacent to the daylight source should be kept relatively

small.

P The internal and external nish of a building should be light in colour, as light-coloured surfaces reect

more light.

Window design

P The higher the window head, the deeper will be the penetration of daylight.

P Strip windows provide more uniform daylight.

P Big windows close to task areas should be avoided, as they may heat up theplace.

P Separate apertures for view and daylight should be used.

Glazing type

P Single glazing gives the best daylight, while double glazing gives 20% less sunlight.

P Tinted glazing has low visibility, thus it cuts out daylight.

P An ideal spectrally selective glazing admits only that part of the suns energy

that is useful for daylighting.

P A good glazing for daylighting with a relatively high visible

transmittance will appear transparent from outside.

Shading devices

P External moving shading device is the most effective, as it cuts off

direct sunlight during summer.

P With proper adjustment, an internal shading device allows indirect

sunlight to enter inside. However, it is not preferred, as it does not

keep solar heat out.

Innovative daylighting system

P Light shelves protect occupants from direct sunlight in summers and allow sufcient light in winter.

P Fixed and movable louvers are preferred options for integration of diffuse daylight.

P Skylight adds natural lighting to dull, dark, and deep rooms.P Light pipes transport daylight through thick roof structures and attics.

Day lighted zone

External shades help cut

direct sunlight, reduce glare

and heat gain

Light pipes should be used

or better interior daylighting


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Guideline

Use of low VOC paints/adhesives/sealants

Use internal nishes with zero or low VOC (volatile organic compound) content, less

than the dened limits

Adverse impacts of VOCs

Building materials such as paints, sealants, and adhesives are used as nishing agents for the exterior and

interior surfaces. However, they lead to poor air quality and can have adverse impacts on the health of

the occupants and can also be odorous. A wide variety of volatiles are released by both solvent-based and

water-based paints through oxidation. Sealants and adhesives contain toxic chemicals that are released

during construction and occupancy.

Effects on the envir onment

P VOCs are divided into methane and non-methane compounds.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and contributes to global

warming. This does not mean that non-methane compounds are

safe. Even they are harmful pollutants, as they prolong the life of

methane in the atmosphere.

P Some VOCs react with nitrogen oxides in the air in the presence of

sunlight to form ozone. Higher ozone concentration at ground level

causes damage to crops and buildings, and other health hazards.

P VOCs are responsible for deteriorating air quality inside a building,

causing sick building syndrome.

P VOCs also result in foul odour.

Effects on health

VOCs, especially formaldehydes and urethanes, contained within the building materials can be injurious tohealth. They can cause conjunctival irritation, nose and throat discomfort, headache, allergic skin reaction,

and so on.

Guidelines on using paints/adhesives/sealants

P Water-based acrylics, rather than solvent-based oil paints, should be used.

P All sealants and adhesives used should be water based rather than solvent based or should have low

solvent content.

P Most construction adhesives should be characterized by adequate bond strengths in water.

P Acrylics, silicones, and siliconized acrylics are the safest sealants to use in the interiors and have the

lowest solvent content.P Solvent-based products such as urethanes and butyls should preferably not be used indoors.

P Adhesives usually have high VOC emission potential. Hence, adhesives such as acrylics or phenolic resins

should be used, which have low or no VOC emission. Phenol formaldehyde can also be used indoors.

P It should be ensured that composite wood products/agri-bre products do not contain any added urea

formaldehyde resin.

Low-VOC paints


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1

Guideline

Outdoor and indoor noise levels

P Outdoor and indoor noise levels should be maintained as recommended by the

National Building Code, 2005.

P Appropriate noise control measures should be taken for ensuring acceptable

outdoor and indoor noise levels so as to enhance comfort.

P Ambient standards of noise for different types of establishments should be adhered

to. For example, daytime limit for noise in a residential area, an industrial area,

and a silence zone (like hospitals, educational institutions, and so on) is 55 dB, 75

dB, and 50 dB, respectively.

Guidelines to attenuate noise

Various measures can be adopted indoors and outdoors to control noise levels.

Outdoor

P Zoning Town planning authorities can undertake zoning of

different areas in a city, taking into account, besides other

aspects, noise levels in different zones and establishments.

Some buildings and establishments are particularly

vulnerable to noise, like recording and radio studios,

hospitals, and research laboratories.

P Green belts and landscaping Thick belts of planting are of

particular importance in combating noise pollution. Strong

leafy trees should be planted. Shrubs or creepers may

also be planted along with trees. Hard paving should be

avoided, and plantation should be grown to effectively cut-off noise.

P Highway noise barriers Barriers are often the most effective

means of reducing trafc noise around residential areas. These barriers can be in the form of free-

standing walls, articial mounds, and so on. Even multi-storeyed dwellings and garages block noise.

Indoor

P Internal planning A building should be designed and

oriented in such a way so as to reduce noise. The

non-critical areas, such as corridors, elevators, and

bathrooms, should be located on the noisy side, and

the critical areas should be located on the quiet side.

P Windows and doors Windows and doors should be built

in such a way that they face away from the noisy side.

Windows of noisy and quiet rooms should not openon the same side. For critical quiet spaces, insulated

glazing units should be used. Reduction of insulation

due to door opening between rooms and corridors

should be borne in mind.

P Walls and partitions Walls of appropriate thickness

reduce the transmission of noise through them.

P Sound absorbents Sound-absorbing materials can also be utilized to reduce the built-up or air-borne noise

at the source.

Dense vegetation helps reduce noise levels

Use o noise barriers


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0

Guideline

Indoor air quality

P In air-conditioned spaces, fresh air requirement as per the NBC (National Building Code), 2005, shall be

achieved.

v Fresh air supply maintains non-odorous atmosphere and dilutes the CO2

exhaled.

v This quantity is usually quoted per person and is related to the occupant density and activity within

the space.

v The quantity and distribution of introduced fresh air should take into account the natural

inltration of the building.

v The proportion of fresh air introduced into a building may be varied for economical operations.

P In non-air-conditioned spaces, minimum air changes per hour, as recommended by the NBC, should be

achieved.

v Fresh air is required for thermal comfort, to provide oxygen, and to maintain CO2

concentration.

Advantages of maintaining good air quality

P Maintaining air quality in a building ensures that the building does not suffer from sick building

syndrome, which is related to poor indoor air quality.

P Enough fresh air in the building leads to good health of occupants, which increases their productivity.

Towards ensuring good air quality

P The ventilation and air conditioning system installed in a building should clean and condition the air.

P Enough fresh air should be introduced to remove totally or dilute the odour, fumes, and so on.

P Local extract system should be used to remove contaminants or smell when air is recirculated.

P Air inlets and extracts to the system should be positioned carefully. Inlets should not be placed near any

ue outlet, kitchen, extraction outlet, and so on. Inlet openings should be placed at high levels to get

as much clean air as possible.

P Particulate matter should be removed from air by using an efcient air ltration system. Air intake

locations should be placed properly.

P Fumes and smell may be removed from the air by physical or chemical processes.

P Tobacco and smoke can be controlled by putting health strategies in place, such as prohibiting smoking

in indoor areas or providing designated smoking zones with separate ventilation systems.

Indoor plants used to

improve indoor air quality

Picture sources:http://www.buyfower.com.sg/main/images/BF0547E_Tall_Fortune.jpghttps://reader009.{domain}/reader009/html5/0406/5ac78fccda699/5ac78fe461e42.jpghttp://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/zippy_1020274113_63.jpg


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WATER

Water is one of the basic requirements of any habitat. Hyderabad is

endowed with a number of natural and articial lakes and tanks.

So, ideally, the state should be able to meet the increasing water

demand to a great extent. However, the situation is just the opposite.

The state is facing severe water crisis due to increasing demand as a

result of rapidly increasing population and changing lifestyles. The existing lakes and

tanks are not able to provide sufcient water, as encroachments into lake beds and

catchment areas have reduced their storage capacity.

To add to this problem of water scarcity, the water supply system has manydrawbacks: the hours of water supply are limited; network coverage is partial and

there are very few piped connections; per capita water supply is as low as 90 lpcd

(litres per capita per day); meters are not functional; and water loss is very high.

Adopting water conservation practices, increasing awareness on water conservation

amongst city dwellers, using rainwater harvesting system, recycling water, and ensuring

proper maintenance for removing leakages would eventually lead to a reduction in

water demand. By using low-ow xtures and adopting xeriscaping, water demand in

buildings can be reduced by up to 40%. Rainwater harvesting can reduce the demand

for potable drinking water by almost 80%.

In order to implement such potential water conservation measures, water-related

EBRGs have been developed as per the framework described below.

P Reducing water demand in new buildings by reducing wastage and increasing

efciency internally and externally by adopting suitable design and ensuring

optimal operation.

P Reducing water demand in existing buildings by encouraging retrotting.

P Ensuring high standards of drinking water quality by recommending appropriate

water treatment systems.

P Suggesting alternative supply through rainwater harvesting and waste water

recycling (these guidelines are under sewage and storm water sections).


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Guideline

Water conserving ttings

The consumption of potable water in all new buildings has to be

reduced by adopting following measures.

P At least 25% reduction in water consumption should beachieved from all sources, including borewell, by using water-

efcient ttings, as calculated using the water consumption

calculator.

P Uniform pressure, restricted to 2530 m head, or 200 kPA,

should be maintained by using the following.

v Separate distribution downtakes for each set of oors.

vOrice anges or pressure reducing valves.

Benets

P

Water saving ttings can save up to 40% of potable water in a typical four-memberhousehold.

P Savings with individual ttings can be as indicated below.

v An old style single-ush toilet could use up to 12 litres of water per ush, while a

standard dual-ush toilet uses just a quarter of this on a half-ush.

vUse of electronic ushing system or magic eye sensor can further reduce the ow

of water to 0.4 litre per ush, and waterless urinals use no water.

v A standard showerhead may use up to 25 litres of water per minute, whereas

water-efcient showerhead might use as little as 7 litres of water per minute,

which is less than a third of that consumed by standard showerhead.

v Showers with ow regulators or aerators can save up to 55% of water used

for showers.

v

Aerators can result in ow rates as low as 2 litres per minute, which is adequatefor hand wetting purpose.

v Taps with ow regulators, IR sensors or aerators can save up to 63% of water used for washing.

v A water-efcient washing machine may use only one-third of the water used by an inefcient

model.

Water consumption calculator

The calculator can be used to calculate the following.

P Water saving potential of efcient ttings

P Water saving potential of native species and micro irrigation systems

P Water saving potential of grey water or waste water treatment and reuse

P Choosing grey water and waste watersystems based on treated water

usage

P Water saving potential of rainwater

collection and reuse

P Tank sizing for rainwater collection

tank

Water fow rom

conventional showerheads

could be 3 times higher

than that o a water

ecient showerhead

Various types o water

conserving ttings

An illustration o the various areas o

water conservation in a house


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Water quality testing

P Water can be tested in laboratories to check for pH, conductivity, hardness, and so on by using

sophisticated instruments like spectrophotometers, chromatographs, and so on.

P Apart from these laboratory tests, test kits are also available in the market, which can be used

anywhere in the eld.

P Only when the TDS (total dissolved solid) levels in water cross the mark of 500 mg/l, making the watertaste brackish or khaara should you use an RO water purier.

Guideline

Choose water ltration system based on thequality of the water from a source

P

Water purication and ltration systems to achieve required drinkingwater quality have to be chosen based on the quality of supply water.

P If groundwater is used for drinking, water quality testing has to be

conducted. The water purication system will have to be designed

based on the requirements of the specic site.

Importance of choosing the right waterpurication system

Maintaining the quality of drinking water helps to ensure safe drinking water to

the consumer, and for this, both municipal and groundwater have to be treated.

Municipal water

P Requires treatment only for biological contamination to ensure safety.

P As simpler and cheaper treatment systems are sufcient to treat biological contamination, advance

treatment systems such as RO (reverse osmosis) and ion exchange systems are not only unnecessary for

treating municipal water but also expensive to install and maintain.

Groundwater

P If groundwater in Hyderabad is used for drinking without proper treatment, it could lead to health risks,

as shown in the detailed guideline (available on the website).

P Hence, advance systems such as RO and ion exchange systems have to be installed to ensure safe

drinking water.

P However, these treatment systems should be used to treat the quantity of water required for drinking

and cooking purposes only, in order to reduce wastage.

Principles of water purication

P Sedimentation A process whereby suspended matter in water settles

down, which can be separated by straining.

P Filtration The water is passed through the beds of ne granular materials

such as sand. Filtration helps in removing colour, odour, turbidity, and

pathogenic bacteria.

P Disinfection The treatment destroys harmful bacteria and protozoa by

either killing them or making them inactive. Common methods used are

boiling, chlorination, ozonation, solar disinfection, and so on.

P Demineralization Ion exchange, deionization, activated carbon ltration,

RO, and other treatment processes are employed for demineralization.

Ensure water meets

drinking water standards

beore use

Water supplied by the utility is also

prone to biological contamination


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HMDA Building Guidelines

Documents