Everything You Need to Know About Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Rating System

India’s infrastructure and construction industry is growing rapidly, becoming one of the nation’s biggest economic drivers. However, this growth comes with environmental challenges, such as increased energy use, water consumption, and waste production. To address these concerns, the industry must adopt sustainable practices. Green building concepts not only make construction eco-friendly but also improve the health, productivity, and well-being of occupants.

Recognizing the need for a sustainable future, the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) launched the Green Building Movement in 2001 to promote eco-friendly construction practices across India. This initiative has helped spread awareness and encourage developers, architects, and stakeholders to embrace green solutions for a better tomorrow.

What is IGBC?

Formed in 2001, Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) is part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and is headquartered in Hyderabad. Its primary goal is to create a sustainable built environment for everyone and position India as a global leader in green construction by 2025.

Today, IGBC has been instrumental in shaping the green building movement across India. With support from central and state governments, they have facilitated incentives for eco-friendly construction in 14 states. Over 90% of India’s green buildings are certified by IGBC, with more than 5,820 fully operational projects. Their work ensures that sustainable construction isn’t just good for the environment but also practical and affordable for everyone involved.

Here’s what IGBC does:

• Developing Green Rating Systems: IGBC creates frameworks to certify buildings based on how environmentally friendly they are.
• Certification Services: It helps certify projects that meet green building standards.
• Training Programs: IGBC offers training to professionals, such as architects, engineers, and developers, to implement sustainable construction practices effectively.
• Green Building Congress: IGBC hosts an annual flagship event that brings together experts and stakeholders to discuss advancements in green buildings.

The council collaborates with local chapters, state governments, central agencies, and global organizations like the World Green Building Council to promote sustainable practices, ensuring that India’s construction industry moves toward a greener future.

Understanding the IGBC Rating System

The IGBC Green New Buildings Rating System is a voluntary program designed to guide and evaluate the construction of eco-friendly buildings. It focuses on creating sustainable structures that are not only environmentally friendly but also improve the quality of life for occupants. The system takes into account materials and technologies currently available, ensuring that the approach is both practical and innovative.

The rating system evaluates buildings based on a combination of mandatory requirements, credit points (which can be earned by meeting specific criteria), and performance-based assessments. It has been developed to be both comprehensive and user-friendly, addressing national priorities such as energy and water conservation, waste management, and occupant well-being.

Features 

• Holistic Approach: The system promotes green practices across architectural design, water efficiency, energy savings, and occupant comfort.
• Architectural Recognition: Rewards projects that showcase excellence in design, including passive architectural features like natural ventilation and shading.
• Resource Optimization: Encourages efficient use of construction materials like steel and cement.
• Water Efficiency: Recognizes efforts to reduce water usage during construction and building operation.
• Green Product Certification: Promotes the use of certified green products, ensuring sustainability from raw material extraction to disposal.
• Counseling and Support: Offers handholding support to project teams through IGBC counselors.
• Site Visits and Audits: Includes site inspections and performance audits before awarding the final certification.
• Continuous Feedback: Projects are encouraged to report energy and water consumption annually to support further research and refinement of green practices.

Scope 

The IGBC Green New Buildings Rating System is designed specifically for new construction projects. It applies to a wide range of building types, including:

• Offices and IT parks
• Banks and shopping malls
• Hotels and hospitals
• Airports, stadiums, and convention centers
• Educational institutions, libraries, and museums

However, residential buildings, factories, schools, and integrated townships are covered under separate IGBC rating systems.

The rating system classifies buildings into two categories:

• Owner-Occupied Buildings: Where at least 51% of the building’s area is occupied by the owner.
• Tenant-Occupied Buildings: Where at least 51% of the building’s area is leased to tenants.

Projects can choose the appropriate category based on their scope of work.

Overview and Process of IGBC Green New Buildings Rating System

The IGBC Green New Buildings Rating System focuses on creating eco-friendly and sustainable buildings. It evaluates various aspects under these main categories:

• Sustainable Architecture and Design
• Site Selection and Planning
• Water Conservation
• Energy Efficiency
• Building Materials and Resources
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Innovation and Development

This rating system helps guide the construction of new buildings, no matter their size or type. To achieve certification, projects must meet all mandatory requirements, and the more credits they earn, the higher their rating level.

When to Use the IGBC Green New Buildings Rating System

The IGBC Green New Buildings Rating System is primarily for new buildings, whether they are owner-occupied or tenant-occupied. The team responsible for the project can assess all the criteria to determine how many points they can earn, using a checklist specific to the building type. Certification can be applied for once the project meets the mandatory requirements and scores enough points.

Registration Process

To get started, organizations should first register on the IGBC website (www.igbc.in) under the “IGBC Green New Buildings Rating System” section. The site provides information about registration fees, including different rates for IGBC members and non-members. Registration is the first step in the process, helping establish contact with IGBC and providing access to necessary resources such as documents, templates, and important communications.

Certification Process

To earn the IGBC Green New Buildings certification, a project needs to meet all mandatory requirements and score enough credit points. The project team must submit supporting documents during both the preliminary and final submission stages. Here’s what needs to be submitted:

1. General Project Information:

• Project details (type, spaces, occupancy, number of floors, area)
• Drawings (master plan, parking plans, floor plans, elevations, sections)
• Photos or rendered images

2. Filled-in Templates

3. Supporting Documentation:

• Narratives and calculations
• Manufacturer details, invoices, material test reports, etc.

There are two submission phases:

Preliminary Submission: Submit all documents showing the mandatory requirements and minimum credits. After this, third-party reviewers will evaluate the documents and provide feedback within 30 days.

Final Submission: After addressing the feedback from the preliminary phase, submit the final documents. The rating is awarded after this review, which also takes 30 days.

It’s important to note that the mandatory requirements and credits considered in the preliminary review are provisional. They are not finalized until the final submission and additional documents are provided to show that the design features are properly implemented. Any changes to the credits after the preliminary review must be resubmitted during the final review.

Levels of Certification

IGBC awards buildings with a certification level based on how well they meet these criteria. The more sustainable features a building has, the higher its rating:

In simple terms:

• A Certified rating means the building follows basic green practices.
• A Silver rating reflects good efforts toward sustainability.
• A Gold rating highlights a nationally recognized, top-quality green building.
• A Platinum rating is the highest level, showing global excellence in eco-friendly construction.

With the rapid introduction of new green technologies, materials, and equipment in the market, the IGBC rating system is regularly updated to stay in line with advancements. Projects must register under the latest version of the rating system, and teams have the flexibility to transition to newer versions during implementation.

By keeping pace with innovations, the IGBC ensures that its guidelines remain relevant and effective in shaping India’s green building movement. For more updates and resources, project teams can visit the official website: www.igbc.in.

This continuous evolution ensures that the IGBC not only sets benchmarks for sustainability but also adapts to meet the future needs of eco-friendly construction.

Government Incentives for IGBC-Rated Green Buildings