The Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) of India has sent a proposal to the Urban Development ministry requesting approval regarding the obligation to use ‘energy-efficient glass’ on high-rise buildings.
High-rises in the Indian capital of Delhi may soon be obliged to use ‘energy-efficient glass’ on their exterior to allow ample sunlight in but keep the heat out, cutting down on use of lights and air-conditioning.
The Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) has sent this proposal, among others, to the Urban Development ministry for approval. “This is a part of the proposal on simplified building bylaws for Delhi,” said a senior official.
According to DUAC chairman Raj Rewal, the plan for any building will have to ensure use of energy-efficient glass, along with other measures. DUAC had also recommended extra floor area ration for green buildings as an incentive.
The NCR is also going green. In fact, Gurgaon is way ahead of the Capital with 15 such buildings. Five of them have the highest ‘platinum’ certification of the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
One of these, the headquarters of the Institute of Rural Research and Development (IRRAD) has 7,000 litre storage tanks to save rainwater and solar panels that produce 35KW of electricity per annum, enough to take care of the building’s needs, and is considered ‘as green as possible’.
Some experts, however, feel that the use of energy-efficient glass alone will not make a building ‘green’. “Eighty per cent façades of most buildings is enveloped by glass, which lets in a lot of heat. We need design interventions,” said Anumita Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director, Centre for Science and Environment.