Can someone explain what is meant by a Green Building?

A Green Building can be a home, an office, a school, a hospital, a community centre, or any other type of structure. Green Buildings are those structures that preserve precious natural resources and improve quality of life.

World Green Building Council or WGBC defines Green Building as a building that, in its design, construction or operation, reduces or eliminates negative impacts, and can create positive impacts, on our climate and natural environment.

It is also known as a sustainable or high performance building.

The salient features of Green Buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on Human Health and Natural Environment.

Some of these include:

• Efficient use of resources such as :
  • Electricity
  • Water
  • Rainwater
• Use of renewable sources of energy such as
  • Solar Energy
  • Wind Energy
• Pollution and Waste Reducing Measures such as
  • Waste management facility
  • Composting or Vermicomposting provisons
• Good indoor environmental air quality
• Use of materials that are non-toxic, ethical and sustainable
• Consideration of the environment in design, construction and operation