Introduction

The Corporate office of V-Guard Industries Ltd at Vennala, Kochi-682028, Kerala is a twelve storied magnificent
structure designed with the objective of creating an environment –friendly building, employing green building
principles from concept to commissioning. This office presently houses, besides the corporate office of V-Guard, its
Research & development Wing, Various product groups and the marketing team. Work stations are provided for
about 400 employees in the Building. It also has a cafeteria that can accommodate 200 people, 4 conference Halls
of varying capacities from 20 to 200 persons and a roof top meeting place that can accommodate about 500
people. The Building has a roof garden, fitness centre, recreation room, library etc besides extensive open area in
all floors, retiring rooms for visitors and guests and a 2 meter wide open verandah on the periphery of each floor
which itself occupies 20% of the total construction area. The building site is a 1.5 acre plot with greenery all
around.

The Corporate Office of V-GUARD INDUSTRIES LTD, at Vennala, Kochi- 682028

Though the building may not comply fully with the Green Building requirements, it has many unique features that
are environment friendly and comparable to green buildings. This building is unique in many respects. The
uniqueness of the design is that it has an outer shell that protects the core of the building that houses the work
areas and meeting rooms from direct sunlight and heat, while allowing free flow of air and unhindered access to
natural light. The outer shell is separated by a verandah and planter trough of 2 meterwidth from the core building
and surrounds the building on all the four sides. The plan of the building is square shaped with an aesthetic
elevation from all the four sides, that blends with the external environment.

Salient features of the Building

The basic objective while making the design was to reduce the overall impact of the building on human
health and the natural environment by:

 Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources

 Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
 Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation.
The fundamental principles we have kept in mind while designing and
construction were:

 Siting and structure Design efficiency

 Energy Efficiency
 Water Efficiency
 Materials efficiency
 Indoor environmental Quality enhancement
 Operations and maintenance optimisation and
 Waste and Toxics reduction

The essence of the building design was to optimize one or more of

the above principles. On the aesthetic side of the architecture, the
consideration was to have a sustainable design that is in harmony
with the natural features and resources surrounding the site. These
issues are discussed in detail below:

 Siting and structure design efficiency

The site has been selected considering its closeness to the

seaport- airport road and convenience of employees who
come to work in the office and customers who visit our
premises.. It is away from the crowded city, yet accessible
to all important destinations through connecting roads. All
aspects of efficiency and economy coupled with a
comfortable working environment were considered in the
design and its impact on cost and performance. In
designing such an environmentally optimal building, the
main objective was to minimize the total environmental
impact associated with all life-cycle stages of the building
project.

 Energy efficiency

To increase the energy efficiency of the building, we have

provided a roof overhang of 2 metre all around the
building. This area, besides providing a free and open
veranda, allow maximum day light to enter the building.
The 2 meter width verandha area is utilised as a planter
trough andas garden with all types of flowering plants.
The building is designed in such a way that the sunlight
will not fall directly on the inner walls. To reduce the sunlight falling on the inner walls and to minimize
heat , a roof overhang is also provided. With glazed windows on all sides, there is enough daylight in all
rooms which makes artificial lighting unnecessary during normal sunny days. There will be huge savings in
electricity bill due to this. The same way, the design allows free flow of air all through the floors thus
minimizing the use of electric fans. All these features add to the energy efficiency of the building.

To supplement the lighting needs, we have used maximum of CFL fittings to save energy. Provision of
solar energy for lighting is also provided which will be an additional advantage for meeting our future
requirements

Solar Water heating systems are also provided in the building to further reduce energy loads. We have
provided a solar water heating system of 1500 LPD which can be used for hot water requirements in our
building.

The requirement of usage of fans and Air conditioners are very less in view of the special design that
allows good air flow in all rooms. Though fans are provided for use when needed, A/Cs are limited to
meeting rooms and server room which is a technical requirement.

 Water efficiency

Reducing water consumption and protecting water quality

are key objectives of our design of this sustainable building.
One critical issue of water consumption is that in many
areas in our locality, the supply from the Municipal
corporation is inadequate to meet the increasing
requirements. Hence, the approach adopted was that, to
the maximum extent feasible, facilities should increase their
dependence on water that is collected, used, purified, and
reused on-site. The protection and conservation of water is
accomplished by designing for dual plumbing that recycles
water in toilet flushing. Waste-water has been minimized by
utilizing water conserving fixtures such as ultra-low flush
toilets and low-flow shower heads.

Rain Water harvesting has been effectively implemented in our building. We Have a Rain Water
harvesting tank of 3,30,000 litre capacity and all rain water that falls on the roof is being collected to this
tank which can be treated and used for drinking/domestic purpose, irrigation etc. The additional source of
water is a well in the compound and water from the well is treated through various process for drinking
and domestic purposes. The water used for washing and flushing are collected and recycled/treated
properly in a sewage treatment plant. This water is used for irrigation for gardens in all the 12 floors and
for landscaping at the ground. It is an automated irrigation system by which wastage of water is
minimized.

We are maintaining “Zero Discharge” policy as per Pollution Control Norms. Other Solid wastes are
disposed through “Kudumbasree” units
During rains, the storm water is permitted to percolate to ground. To facilitate this, we have selected
pavers/blocks that enable that the entire rain water to percolate to the ground. Roof water is collected
directly to the RWH tank and recycled.

 Materials efficiency

The building materials used have been selected carefully

to minimise the impact on environment. The use of
natural wood has been avoided and all windows are
made of Aluminium shutters All handrails are of steel
and all furniture used in the building is made of PVC and
Steel.

Partitioning for cabins have been made with fibre

boards and room partitioning inside each floor has been
made with gypsum boards, which is manufactured with
waste gypsum from fertiliserfactories.other products
that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or
recyclable (e.g. Trass, Linoleum,

 Indoor environmental quality enhancement

Environmental Quality (IEQ) category as specified in LEED

standards, one of the five environmental categories, is
intended to provide comfort, well-being, and productivity of
occupants. The LEED IEQ category addresses design and
construction guidelines especially: indoor air quality (IAQ),
thermal quality, and lighting quality.

For this building indoor air quality is ensured with adequate

ventilation from all the four sides of the building. In the
cafeteria also, food is not prepared, but is prepared elsewhere
and brought for serving. This avoids emission of smoke and
gases while cooking, that has an impact on a clean and
comfortable working environment. Coupled with this, the
unique design with an outer shell surrounding the building
also aid in increasing the building's thermal quality. Creating a
high performance luminous environment through the careful
integration of natural and artificial light sources has improved
the lighting quality of the structure.
The Fully ventilating system adopted in this building is more efficient and it helps to minimize usage of
lights and fan in the office area. As the half height partitions are used, air circulation is also most efficient
in office area.

 Operations and maintenance optimization

While designing the building itself, all the activities that are
required to ensure an eco-friendly maintenance and
operations of all facilities have been planned. Adequate
operating and maintenance personnel are provided to ensure
that this building and the premises including the gardens are
operated responsibly and maintained properly, so as to retain
the green criteria designed at the onset of the project. The
addition of new green technologies such as future generation
of power from wind/solar energy to meet the requirements of
this building is also under the scope of the operation and the
maintenance programme. As already mentioned, the systems
of Zero effluent discharge and recycling of water etc has
reduced wastes and improved the air and water quality in the
environment.

 Waste reduction

Green architecture also seeks to reduce waste of energy,

water and materials used during construction and also during
the operation and maintenance of the building As already
mentioned, wastewater from sources such as washing areas
is used for subsurface irrigation after treatment and to flush
toilets and wash floors etc.. Rainwater collectors are used for
similar purposes. As regards solid waste, since the quantity
does not justify putting up of waste treatment system, the
same is disposed through the “Kudumbasree” units. These
wastes are later used for treatment in the Corporation’s solid
waste treatment facility for conversion as fertilisers.
Cost
The construction of environmentally friendly buildings involves additional cost initially, but it is expected
that in the long run there will be savings that justify the additional up - front cost involved. The total cost
for the building is around 13 crores for 1,20,000 sq. feet built up area, of which about 20% built up area
has been utilised for providing green building features. This would mean that if conventional building
architecture were used, there would have been saving in the built up area to the extent. However, the
recurring cost of operating and maintaining the building has been reduced significantly by adopting the
green building practices.

Details of savings:

1. Power Saving by use of natural ventillation supplemented by Electric Fans in areas that require air
conditioning in traditional building for keeping the working environment comfortable :

The total carpet area of the building is 74,344 sq. feet, which requires air conditioning for providing a
comfortable work environment for engineers and marketing professionals. With the eco-friendly design
features, thesework areas now require only Fans to maintain a comfortable working environment. A total
of 425 fans are provided in the building. Comparing to a conventional design, there will be an energy
saving of 3250KiloUnits per year due to the green building design. The annual saving on this account will
be around Rs 126 Lakhs per year.

Details of working are shown in Annexure “A”

2. Saving due to use of CFL Lamp in place of incandescent lamps

There is a saving of 51177 Watts by using CFL lamps throughout the building. The annual saving is
calculated at Rs 1.2 lakhs per year.

Details are given in Annexure “B”

3. Energy Saving due to Computers

The office has 210 computers, all of which use TFT monitors in place of CRT monitors. It is estimated that
there is an energy saving of Rs 1.7 lakhs per year due to this change.

Details are given in Annexure “C”

4. Energy saving due to Solar Water Heater

We have installed a 1500 ltr solar water heater for our hot water requirements instead of using electric
water heater or other means of heating. There is a saving of approxRs 1 lakh per year due to this.

Details are provided in Annexure “D”

The total saving due to all the above energy saving measures is Rs 130 lakhs per annum

Annexure “A”

Energy Conservation

FANS
By using Ceiling FAN
Total No. of FAN = 425Nos.
Watts of 1No. Fan =75W
Total Wattage of Fans = 425 X 75 = 31875Watts = 31.875KWetails of savings are given below
While using Centralized Air conditioners

Total carpet Area = 74,344Sq. Ft

AC Tonnage = 74,344 = 619.5Ton
120
Total wattage of AC = 619.5 X 1800 =1115.10KW

Power saving by using FAN = 1115.10 – 31.875 = 1083.22 KW.

Amount saving by using FAN:

While using Centralized Air conditioners

Approximate working hour per day = 10Hrs.

Approx. working days per year = 300Days.
Energy consumed by AC for 1Year = 1115.10 X 10 X 300 (KW X Hr.X Days)
= 3345.3 Kilo Units
Unit consumed by AC for 1 Year = 3345Kilo Units

By Using Ceiling FAN

Total No. of FAN = 425Nos.
Watts of 1No. Fan =75W
Energy consumed by fans for 1Year = 425 X 75 X 10 X 300 (Nos.X Watts X Hr.X Days)
Unit consumed by AC for 1 Year = 95.625 Kilo Units

Energy Savings by using Fan = 3345 – 95.625 = 3249.37Kilo Units/Year

Rate/Unit (Average) = Rs.3.88

Amount savings = 3249.37 X 3.88 = 126 Lakh/Year
Annexure “B”

Energy saving - Light fittings

11W CFL lamp = 40W Incandescent lamp

Total Numbers of 11W CFL Fittings = 267Nos.
Total Watts by using CFL = 267 X 11 = 2937 watts
While using Incandescent lamp = 267 X 40 = 10680 watts
18W CFL lamp = 75W Incandescent lamp
Total Numbers of 18W CFL = 362Nos.
Total Watts by using CFL = 362 X 18 = 6516 watts
While using Incandescent lamp = 362 X 75 = 27150 watts

36W CFL Lamp = 150W Incandescent lamp

Total Numbers of 36W CFL = 200Nos.
Total Watts by using CFL = 200 X 36 = 7200 watts
While using Incandescent lamp = 200 X 150 = 30000 watts
Total CFL Wattage = 2937 + 6516 + 7200 = 16653 watts
Total Incandescent lamp Watts = 10680 + 27150 + 30000 = 67830 watts

Power savings by using CFL = 67830 - 16653 = 51177 watts

Amount saving by using CFL:

Energy consumed by CFL for 1Year = 51177 X 2 X 300 ( Watts X Hr.X Days)
Unit consumed by CFL for 1 Year = 30706.2KWH
Rate/Unit (Average) = Rs.3.88
Amount savings = 30706.2 X 3.88 = Rs.119140/Year
Annexure “C”

Energy saving - Computers

Computers
Total Numbers of TFT Monitors = 210 Nos.
Total Watts by using TFT monitors = 210 X 50 = 10500 watts
While using CRT Monitors = 210 X 120 = 25200 watts
Power savings by using TFT Monitor = 25200 - 10500 = 14700 watts
Amount saving by using TFT Monitor:

Energy consumed by TFT monitor for 1Year = 14700 X 10 X 300 ( Watts X Hr.X Days)
Unit consumed by TFT monitor for 1 Year = 44100 KWH
Rate/Unit (Average) = Rs.3.88
Amount savings = 44100 X 3.88 = Rs.1,71,108/Year
Annexure “D”

Energy saving - Solar Water heaters

Solar Water heater capacity = 1500 Ltr.

While working in Electricity wattage rating= 9000Watts
Time for 1Unit of consumption = 7Mins.
No. of working hours /day = 10Hrs.
Unit consumption/Day = 85 Unit
Energy consumed by W.H for 1Year = 85 X 300 (KWH/ Day X Days)
= 25500KWH

Amount saving by using Solar water Heater

Rate/Unit (Average) = Rs.3.88
Amount savings /year = 25500X 3.88 = Rs.98,940/Year