Green Building/GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) refers to the practice and process of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle. This includes from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. GRIHA is an indigenous green building rating system specifically tailored to meet the needs in India, though it can also be applied internationally.

What is GRIHA?

GRIHA is India’s own national rating system for green buildings, developed by TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) and endorsed by the Government of India, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy. The system evaluates the environmental performance of a building holistically over its entire life cycle, thereby providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a ‘green building’. The rating system, based on accepted energy and environmental principles, seeks to substantially reduce or eliminate the negative impacts of buildings on the environment and the people who inhabit them.

How does GRIHA work?

GRIHA assesses the performance of buildings against certain nationally acceptable benchmarks. It evaluates the environmental friendliness of a building based on various quantitative criteria such as energy consumption, waste generation, renewable energy adoption, etc. Each criterion has different points associated with it, and a building is rated based on the total points it accumulates. The final rating determines the level of green certification that the building will receive.

The main objectives of implementing GRIHA are:

Promote sustainable development: Encourages environmentally sustainable practices and reduces the overall environmental impact of buildings through the efficient use of energy, water, and other resources.

Enhance user comfort and well-being: Ensures adequate natural light, air quality, and sanitation facilities to improve health and comfort for the occupants.

Minimize waste generation: Focuses on minimizing waste generation during construction and operation phases and promotes the use of recycled materials and techniques.

Reduce greenhouse gas emissions: Aims to significantly reduce or eliminate carbon emissions through optimized building design, energy-efficient technology, and use of renewable energy sources.

Promote sustainable construction practices: Encourages the adoption of sustainable construction technologies and practices that lead to a reduction in environmental impacts and lower operating costs.

Why is GRIHA important?

Implementing GRIHA for building projects promotes sustainability in the construction sector, which is otherwise known to be one of the largest consumers of natural resources and contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. GRIHA’s approach ensures that buildings are designed and built in a way that they minimize energy and resource consumption while maximizing the use of renewable sources and recycling waste. This leads to long-term financial, health, and environmental benefits, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change.

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