Context: Recently, Visakhapatnam MDF board plant earns IGBC Green Building Certification, showcasing a significant advancement in sustainable infrastructure.

• The Visakhapatnam plant of the company has implemented several eco-friendly measures, including rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, energy conservation and use of recycled materials.

What is an IGBC certification?

• The IGBC (Indian Green Building Council) Certification is a globally recognised third-party endorsement of green building features in a project. 

• It is a division of the Confederation of Indian Industry that works closely with the government and aims at sustainably built environment.

• In order to get the certification, the project must satisfy all the mandatory requirements and the minimum number of credit points.

Some benefits of IGBC-certified projects

• Conservation of water: Every IGBC-certified building saves almost 30-50 per cent of the water and reuses it in green homes through several techniques including rainwater harvesting, water metering, management of irrigation systems, etc.

• Conservation of energy: IGBC-certified buildings conserve almost 20-30 per cent of the energy.

• Waste management system: IGBC has made it mandatory to have a waste treatment system installed within its boundaries. Under this, all the disposables and organic waste are collected and then either recycled or reused.

• Excellent daylighting: IGBC-certified projects are built in a way to let ample amount of natural sunlight inside the house.

• Conservation of scarce natural resources: Green buildings are largely made by using sustainable raw materials that can either be reused or recycled at any time. 

• Lower energy bills: These buildings help save 15-20 per cent on electricity bills due to their maximum usage of natural light.

Additional Fact

Green Building Certifying Agencies

There are various certifying agencies that help building developers to implement these principles and get green certification. Some of them are:

• LEED-India – Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is an international recognized certification system for the green buildings. The LEED-India Green Building Rating System is an international benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings (provided by IGBC).

• BEE-ECBC – The Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) was established by the Indian Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to set energy efficiency standards for design and construction of buildings.

• TERI GRIHA – The Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) is a national rating system for green buildings that is adopted while designing and evaluating new buildings.