Frequently Asked Questions

What is Indian Green Building Council?

Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) is a part of CII-Godrej Green Business Centre, which is actively involved in promoting the Green Building movement in India. The council is represented by all stakeholders of construction industry comprising of corporate, government & nodal agencies, architects, product manufacturers, institutions, etc. The council is industry-led, consensus-based and member-driven. The vision of the council is to serve as single point solution provider and be a key engine to facilitate all Green Building activities in India.


How can I join the Indian Green Building Council?

IGBC membership is open to all organizations involved in construction activities. To join the council visit IGBC membership page on website www.igbc.in


What are the benefits of joining IGBC?

IGBC offers the following benefits to its members:

• Access to information
• Platform for networking
• Opportunity to play an active role in the advocacy of green buildings
• Participation in local chapters activities
• Special discounts for IGBC programmes and publications

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Do you have a membership for individuals?

IGBC national membership is corporate or organizational in nature, but all full-time employees of national member companies may utilize their company's national member benefits. Individuals from member companies are encouraged to participate in the local IGBC chapters. Local chapters also allow individuals to involve their community and support local green building efforts.


What is IGBC Green Homes rating system?

The IGBC Green Homes Green Building Rating System provides a set of performance standards for certifying the design and construction phases of residential buildings. The specific credits in the rating system provide guidelines for the design and construction of residential buildings of all sizes and types. The intent of IGBC Green Homes is to assist in the creation of high performance, healthy, durable, affordable and environmentally sound residential buildings.


When to use IGBC Green Home rating system?

IGBC Green Homes is designed primarily for new residential buildings. However, it is also applicable for existing buildings redesigned in accordance with the IGBC Green Homes criteria. The project team can evaluate all the possible points to apply under the rating system using a suitable checklist. The project can apply for IGBC Green Homes certification if it can meet all mandatory requirements and achieve the minimum required points. Further Green Homes rating system has been categorized to two certification levels as, rating for 'Projects with Interiors' and 'Projects without Interiors'.

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What are the thresholds for different rating levels under lGBC Green Homes rating systems?

IGBC Green Homes ratings are awarded according to the following scale:

Projects with Interior

What is IGBC Green Homes Pre-certification?

Pre-certification is an option provided for 'Projects without Interiors' aspiring to get Pre-certified at the design stage. The documentation submitted for precertification must detail the project design features which will be implemented. The rating awarded under precertification is based on the project's intention to conform to the requirements of Green Homes Rating system. It is important to note that the Pre-certification rating awarded need not necessarily correspond to the final IGBC Green Homes Rating. The final rating would depend on the implementation of all the design parameters detailed in the Pre-certification documents. Precertified projects are required to provide the status of the project to IGBC, in relation to the rating, once in every six months until the award of the final rating.


Does green building cost more?

Considerable research and analysis has been carried out with regard to the cost impacts of a green building. The cost could be slightly higher than a conventional building. But then, this needs to be seen with a different paradigm. The question is how do we compare the costs? There needs to be a baseline cost for all comparisons to be alike.
The incremental cost is always relative and depends on the extent of eco-friendly features already considered during design. The incremental cost would appear small if the baseline design is already at a certain level of good eco-design; It would appear huge if the base design has not considered green principles.
The second and rather a critical paradigm is to look at the incremental cost in relation to the life cycle cost. This kind of an approach could be revealing. Over its life cycle, the operating cost would work out to 80-85 % of the capital cost while the incremental cost which is a one-time cost is only about 8-10 %. Due to substantial reductions in operational cost, the total cost of ownership of green buildings is invariably lesser than conventional buildings. The incremental initial cost for the first few green buildings in India can be found in the following table. The declining incremental cost over the years is evident.

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Where can I get trained on Green Building rating system?

IGBC offers one day training programmes on green building concepts which include introduction, basic technical information and details about the Green Building rating systems in India. An advanced training programme (2 days) covering the Green Building rating systems and the documentation process is also being offered from 2009. Training programmes are available nationally at various cities as per the IGBC training calendar, at select CII industry conferences and at the annual Green Building Congress. In-house training programmes can also be organised for companies upon request.


What are the benefits of attending the Green Building training programme?

The main objective of Green Building training programme is to share best practices on Green Buildings and impart knowledge on Green Building concepts & LEED India rating systems. Benefits of Green Building training programme are as follows:

• Exposure to Green Building Design Strategies
• Acquire Knowledge on LEED India Green Building Rating System
• Exposure to Green Building Case Studies in India and abroad
• Get equipped to take IGBC Accreditation Professional Examination

Can products be certified under IGBC Green Building rating systems?

No, IGBC Green Building rating systems programme addresses the design and construction of green buildings. The certification recognizes the building as a whole & its living / work environment and not the individual products. However, green building products can contribute to points under the certification system. In attempting to meet these requirements, green building practitioners identify products / equipment that have desired environmental performance attributes.


What is LEED India?

LEED India is the indigenized version of the LEED rating system and is administered by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) under license agreement with the USGBC. Launch of LEED India Green Building rating system for New Construction and Core & Shell lead to a significant growth in registration of new commercial building projects for green certification. LEED India rating system refers to local and national codes wherever available and to intentional benchmarks in absence an Indian equivalent. LEED India rating system is a performance based approach. Rather than prescribing specific technologies & materials LEED India sets the performance benchmarks and encourages the project team to achieve them with optimal resource inputs in their context.

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What types of buildings are addressed by LEED India rating system?

LEED India certification scheme addresses all types of new commercial buildings. Government buildings, Office buildings, Retail complexes, IT parks, Airports, Hotels, Hospitals, Schools, Colleges and Renovation of Heritage/ Historic buildings are currently registered with IGBC for LEED India certification.


What is a LEED Accredited Professional and how do I become one?

LEED Professional Accreditation distinguishes building professionals with the knowledge and skills to successfully steward the LEED Certification process. The LEED AP credential represents knowledge of the LEED Rating System and its application in practice. LEED APs facilitate the integrated design process and streamline the LEED Certification process. For more information visit: www.gbci.org

What are the benefits of LEED India certification?

LEED India certification is third-party validation of a building's energy & environmental performance. LEED India certified projects blend enhanced environmental, economic, and occupant-oriented performance. They cost less to operate and maintain; are energy- and water-efficient; have higher lease-up rates than conventional buildings in their markets; are healthier and safer for occupants; and are a physical demonstration of the values of the organizations that own and occupy them.


What is LEED India New Construction (NC)?

The LEED India Green Building Rating System for New Commercial Construction and Major Renovation (LEED India NC) provides a set of performance standards for certifying the design and construction phases of commercial, institutional and high-rise residential buildings. The specific credits in the rating system provide guidelines for the design and construction of buildings of all sizes in both the public and private sectors. The intent of LEED India NC is to assist in the creation of high performance, healthful, durable, affordable and environmentally sound commercial & institutional buildings.

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How does LEED India New Construction work?

LEED India for New Construction is a performance-oriented rating system where building projects earn points for satisfying criteria designed to address specific environmental impacts inherent in the design, construction, operations and management of a building. The LEED India certification system is organized into six environmental categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources and Indoor Environmental Quality. Additional points are reserved under the Innovation & Design category to reward LEED India projects that develop new solutions, employ new technologies or realize exemplary performance in any LEED India criterion.


What are the thresholds for different rating levels under LEED India New Construction?

LEED India for New Construction ratings are awarded according to the following scale:
Certified : 26-32 points
Silver : 33-38 points
Gold : 39-51 points
Platinum : 52-69 points


Is it possible to achieve all 69 points in one project?

LEED India rating system is designed to be comprehensive in scope and coverage of various energy & environmental performance criteria. A significant number of criteria are dependent on the site conditions. As such a project sited using LEED criteria has a very high scope of achieving more credits. The highest number of credit points attempted thus far, in India, is 61 points.

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Why would a project choose to get LEED India Certified?

LEED India certification is third party recognition from Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) which signifies that the building is designed on sound environmental principles and constructed responsibly with minimum environmental impacts. Just like a nutrition label on packaged foods, it indicates the level of green features and operational savings that can be expected from a green rated building.


Where can I get a copy of the LEED India New Construction Comprehensive Reference guide?

The LEED India New Construction Comprehensive Reference Guide is available for purchase at CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre, Hyderabad, India. The LEED India New Construction Abridged Reference Guide (.pdf) is available for free download on the IGBC Website www.igbc.in


At what stage should a project register for LEED India certification?

Ideally a project should register at the preliminary design phase before any construction activity begins at the site. This aids in design modifications, enhanced material specifications, more efficient equipment selection on the design front and appropriate project planning, documentation of construction activity, data collection on the construction front. In such an integrated approach a higher level of rating can be achieved without excessive incremental cost and effect on project schedules.

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What is the process for LEED India certification?

LEED India Certification process:

1. Feasibility study for the project by professionals well versed with the rating system
2. Online project registration at www.igbc.in
3. Identify and implement operational improvements & equipment upgrades necessary to obtain desire level of certification
4. Prepare documentation by colleting information and performing calculations to satisfy each prerequisite and credit submittal requirements.
5. Submit documents to IGBC for the preliminary review
6. After receiving preliminary review comments from IGBC, prepare additional documents for final review as per required clarifications
7. Submit documents to IGBC for final review
8. Final review comments with certification award
9. Acceptance of award/ Appeal for award of rejected credits
10. Declaration of award

What is LEED India Core and Shell?

The LEED India Green Building Rating System for Core and Shell (LEED India CS) provides a set of performance standards for certifying the design and construction of Core and Shell Buildings. The intent of LEED India CS is to assist in the creation of high performance, healthful, durable, affordable and environmentally sound buildings. The LEED India CS Rating System was developed to serve developmental projects where project teams routinely do not control all aspects of a building's design and construction, most often the interiors and low-end HVAC components. The scope of LEED India CS is limited to those elements of the project under the direct control of the owner / developer.


What are the thresholds for different rating levels under LEED India Core & Shell?

LEED India for Core & Shell ratings are awarded according to the following scale:
Certified : 23-27 points
Silver : 28-33 points
Gold : 34-44 points
Platinum : 45-61 points

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What is Pre-certification?

Pre-certification is a unique aspect of the LEED India Core and Shell Rating system. Pre-certification is IGBC's formal recognition of project intent to built green. Projects aspiring for LEED India Core and Shell rating can apply for pre-certification immediately after finalizing their design & specifications. Precertification is granted to projects on review of the early design stage documentation. This documentation, which reflects a realistic set of project goals and intentions, forms the basis for an award of Pre-certification. Pre-certification specifies the anticipated level of rating for the proposed green features. Pre-certification provides the core and shell owner/developer to market his green project to potential tenants and financiers highlighting its tangible and intangible benefits.
Upon Pre-certification, the project is expected to report progress of the project to IGBC every six months till the building is commissioned completely and occupied. This reporting is essential to extend the validity of the pre-certification. The pre-certification cost is a one time payment submitted along with the pre-certification documents.


When can I submit for pre-certification?

A project team may submit for pre-certification after registering the project under LEED India for Core and Shell rating system. Pre-certification is granted to projects on review of the early design stage documentation.


How much of the building can I control and still be eligible for LEED for Core and Shell?

LEED India CS rating system was developed for commercial & institutional buildings where the developer controls less than 50% of the interior fit-out of the building.

Should the project be fully commissioned to obtain certification?

Yes the project has to be commissioned to receive certification. Commissioning verifies that the building systems installed match the Basis of Design requirements and deliver desired performance. This would be physically audited by IGBC during certification process.

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