EDGE Program in India
The IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI), apex body of private real estate developers, have partnered to promote green buildings in the country through IFC’s EDGE certification. An MoU was signed in the presence of former Minister for Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar on November 25, 2014.
BEE certification
The Indian Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) launched the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC). The code is set for energy efficiency standards for design and construction with any building of minimum conditioned area of 1,000 m2 and a connected demand of power of 500 KW or 600 KVA.
Moreover, the BEE launched a five-star rating scheme for office buildings operated only in the day time in three climatic zones, composite, hot&dry, warm&humid on 25 February 2009. Deming rated green buildings are also able to meet or exceed the ECBC compliance. The GGBC Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre is a BEE 5 star-rated building.
The Reserve Bank of India’s buildings in Delhi, Bhubaneshwar in Orissa and in Kerala have been star rated.
In Tamil Nadu 11 buildings were star rated by BEE, in the year 2010, including RBI buildings
Traditional buildings
Traditional buildings were energy efficient because architecture depended on the places. Buildings in the hot and dry regions, had corridors directing the wind to cool naturally. In wet regions, structures using natural light and breeze, were used. Some examples are
- Hawa Mahal – Articulated windows provides cool breeze in a desert area
- Golkonda – Ventilation is designed to let in fresh cool breeze, in spite of summer.