Never too late to change colours at home

Times of India , Monday, April 21, 2008
Correspondent : Neha Lalchandani
NEW DELHI: Thanks to the rising din over climate change, the concept of 'green buildings' is fast catching on. But for a developed city like Delhi where the scope of new constructions is extremely limited, the larger question is whether existing buildings can be made energy efficient. Expert says that while structurally there may not be many possibilities, there are several measures that can be taken to ensure the buildings in the city are environment friendly. Most ways of altering an existing building to make it energy efficient are expensive since they involve a lot of reconstruction. For instance, one way of insulating the building is by having cavity walling for insulation. This implies having two walls, instead of one with a normal thickness of 9 inches. However, says George Varughese, president of NGO Development Alternatives, since most buildings in Delhi have already either exhausted or exceeded their allotted areas, building this extra wall may not be possible. "This also need to be done only on those walls that are exposed to the sun," he adds. A little less effective but a more feasible way of insulating buildings, says Varughese, is use of 'green clothing'. "Plant a creeper, ivy or money plant, on the walls. It works wonders to keep the building insulated against extremes of cold or heat and thus helps in energy conservation," he says. Constructing covered balconies is also a good idea to protect rooms from direct sunlight in summer and provide a good place where the family can spend time during winter. "Nothing is better than natural heat. A place where one can spend time in the sun during the cold months will also save on electricity costs of running heaters," says Gaurav Shorey of TERI. TERI has developed its own system of rating green buildings called GRIHA — Green Rating For Integrated Habitat System. Rain water harvesting structures, while not very expensive, can go a long way in making a building energy efficient. In fact, the government has several promotional schemes to encourage rain water harvesting in the city. To reduce electricity consumption, experts advise switching over to CFLs and T5 tube lights immediately. CFLs use a fourth of the energy used by incandescent bulbs and provide the same light at a much lower cost. "But while buying tube lights make sure that the chokes or ballasts are electronic and not electromagnetic. Heat losses are considerably reduced with electronic ballasts resulting in more energy saving," says Shorey. "Solar lighting for the areas that are exposed to sun during day is also a good option," says professor AGK Menon, an architect. "Changing the entire lighting system to solar is a very expensive so a better option is to replace lights like those at gates and entrances of homes with specially manufactured solar lights," he says. For airconditioners, experts advise the temperature should not be set too low and ceiling fans should be used in tandem for optimum benefits. "Fans increase the airflow within a room and when used used with an AC running at say 25 degrees Celsius, would have the same effect as an AC running at 22 degrees Celsius without any ceiling fans," says Shorey. This, however, would not work for rooms that are on top floors since fans would only circulate the warm air from the roof. For that, the roof tops need to be properly insulated. Whitewashing them is a cheap yet effective alternative. One can also use broken china mosaic to tile the roof top since it's reflective. A roof top garden is an aesthetic way to acheive the same effect. Glass should also be used extremely judiciously in buildings, warn architects. "Glass absorbs heat and keeps it in. Hence it is a good idea to have windows with awnings and canopies," says Shorey. Experts say that you need not tear down your existing building and replace it with a 'green structure' to do your bit for to keep the environment in good health. Even simple practices like using electricity with care, switching off extra lights, preserving water and planning your energy consumption can go a long way in making your homes energy efficient. neha.lalchandani@timesgroup.com
 
SOURCE : Times of India, Monday, April 21, 2008
 


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