Is green concept an idea of future? Present day goals are aligned, we need sustainable houses and affordability at the same time. There is a great need for affordable housing in the country. Efficient and healthy affordable homes save residents money and enhance their quality of life through improved human health, greater disposable income, and an overall safer living environment. As per the latest census, total number of houses has increased from 52.06 million to 78.48 million but the shortage of 18.78 million houses still persist leaving more than 2 million people homeless.
Understanding -The Green Building Concept
While green technology may look a new notion of the new era, but the reality is far different. It has been upswing since the time of industrial revolution. In 1970’s when energy crisis hit, green buildings were on rise in States. Now, the green idea is within reach and slowly we are moving towards the green movement.
Fighting against the pollution and technological advents are some good reasons behind Smart City dive. Minimizing the negative impacts of a proposed building on environment is the goal of green technology. Basically, the Green buildings are sustainably designed human structures accounting for proper utilization of energy, water and materials & reducing impact on human health and environment for the entire lifecycle of the building. This concept paves a more sustainable future for the human race. There are three basic thoughts behind the concept – resource efficiency, low on operating expenses and improved thermal & visual comfort.
Most of the multitude is under the impression that sustainable is not affordable which is a myth. Anyone who constructs the house should keep in mind that the house is going to be there for 20 years at-least or more in certain cases, and even for a moment we consider the prices have increased a bit. So, it doesn’t matter if you invest a little additional amount more, you will keep enjoying benefits such as reduced electricity bills, better health & comfort. This way one can enjoy remarkable comfort at low operating cost and additionally, the payback period is not more than 2 years.
Discussing in terms of commercial buildings, the major expense involved is of air conditioning & lighting. A lot of money goes in electricity back up and large cooling units which also consumes real estate. Just think, if we built the design of the building envelope in such a way that reduces dependence on artificial lighting and cooling systems which will drastically bring down the initial construction cost of the building as well as the operations. Initially, any new technology that is introduced in the market is sold at a higher price but as the volume builds, the cost curtails with time. This can be explained by a simple example of LED bulbs, in the course of 2 to 3 years we have been bringing down the cost of quality LED bulbs. Similarly, in this case once the demand grows, automatically prices will come down to the level of non-green construction services.
Let us try to understand, if the technology is affordable then why is populace reluctant about it? The first and most widespread tendency is that very less people are keen to use emerging technology. Then comes the thought of scarce availability of resources or the new technology is difficult to implement which in itself is fallacious. The material is plentiful in the market and is available at costs that are no equivalent to those of the building material used otherwise. It is only a question of awareness and understanding the green concept in a better way.
For ease one can list down the comparison points in terms of expense, long term approaches and other aspects. Some aspects which make green tech preferable are environmental sensitivity, energy savings built in, approximately 50 to 75% saving heating & cooling costs, natural resource saving, reduces dependence on old lumber and fossil fuel consumption, utilizes recyclable materials, its long term cost comparison is its ultimate selling point and also, most importantly it reduces atmospheric pollutants. There are always windows present for refinement for making the construction more efficient. Other simple concepts are: facilitating cross-ventilation and avoiding direct sun rays into the house.
It’s been proven time and time again that green buildings are a much better than conventional buildings. But the fact is, conventional buildings are still being constructed at a higher rate than green buildings. While evidence of global warming and greenhouse gases have descended upon us, many people are living in denial about how desperately we need to change our living habits. Awareness is the only way to fight such gritty battles.
@EPC World Media
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