New DMRC building to be eco friendly

Times of India , Monday, January 14, 2008
Correspondent : Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI: After earning carbon credits to the tune of Rs 1.2 crore annually for the regenerative braking system used in Delhi Metro trains, the corporation is now getting set to rake in some more moolah by constructing a state-of-the-art green building in Connaught Place.

Christened Metro Bhawan, the building will house the Delhi Metro headquarters from where the entire operations and control of Phase I and II will be handled. The building, which will be ready in the next six months, has been designed in keeping with the latest technology available for energy conservation.

All the 4000-odd lighting fixtures put up in the 11-storey building (including two basement levels), for instance, are intelligent. This means that each fitting has a built-in sensor by which it automatically gauges the amount of sunlight available in the room and adjusts the brightness on a scale of three to 100. The sensors are also sensitive to the occupants in the room and the fixture automatically switches off when the person leaves the room.

In spaces like the auditorium, service rooms, lift lobbies, corridors, kitchen and basements, electronic ballasts have been attached to the fixtures to make them dimmable. Fixtures also have energy efficient reflectors so that light being emitted spreads evenly in the room. For the lighting in the basement and exterior of the building, timers have been provided. There is also extensive use of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) in the building.

Apart from the lighting, the building has been designed in a manner to provide maximum cross ventilation and natural light. A dome has been provided in the centre to allow natural light in from the centre and lots of doors and windows have been provided on either side.

Architecturally, several projections have been planned on the exterior to adjust the amount of direct sunlight entering the building. The large number of windows, however, will not affect air-conditioning as they have been secured with double glass. The chiller plant in the building will not take in air from outside, but use the cool air being let out.

All the controls - heating, air-conditioning and ventilation - will be monitored by a centralised building management system which will ensure proper energy management.

Once the building is operational, the corporation is planning to apply for carbon credits against the resources being conserved through the techniques used. On December 29 last year, DMRC got registration from United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) for trading in carbon credits, enabling it to earn revenue to the tune of Rs 1.2 crore annually for environment friendly technologies adopted.

Metro Bhawan, meanwhile, will house all senior officials of DMRC along with the Operation Control Centres (OCCs) of the entire Metro train network. The building is being secured with a biometric access control system which maps 200 points on one’s hands.

megha.suri@timesgroup.com

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Delhi/New_DMRC_building_to_be_eco_friendly/articleshow/2697615.cms

 
SOURCE : Times of India, Monday, 14 January 2008
 


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