March 8, 2016 | 354 words | 1-minute read
Becomes the first heritage building in India to be awarded the prestigious 'platinum rating' by the Indian Green Building Council.
Mumbai: Bombay House, the Tata group’s headquarters in Mumbai, is the first and only heritage building in India to be awarded the prestigious ‘platinum rating’ by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), under their EB (existing building) rating system.
Built in 1923, Bombay House was designed by the British architect George Wittet, who also designed the Gateway of India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum) and the Institute of Science.
Bombay House has been given this rating for continuously implementing measurable strategies and solutions in five categories: site and facility management, water efficiency, energy efficiency, health and comfort, and innovation.
Some of the sustainable practices being followed by Bombay House are:
- Energy savings: As compared to the specific energy consumption (SEC) on base year in 2010, the energy performance in the building has improved by more than 35 percent.
- Reduction in water consumption: The building is equipped with smart retrofits like waterless urinals, smart metering, measurement and verification which have reduced the consumption of municipal corporation supplied water by 35 percent.
- Use of renewable energy: In order to promote the use of renewable energy, the building has an off-site grid tied solar photovoltaic (PV) installation of 87.5kwP, thereby producing 143,718kwh (electrical units – estimated) annually.
- Waste Management: Bombay House follows a stringent segregated waste management policy leading to best practices in solid waste management.
- Conservation of resources: A green policy has been introduced to promote the conservation of resources. Also, a continuous measurement and verification system has led to savings in electricity, water and other resources.
The project was implemented with the support of occupants of the building, the Associated Building Company Limited (ABCL), a Tata group company, responsible for the building, and Ecofirst Services, the sustainability arm of Tata Consulting Engineers, which works in the area of building retro commissioning and facilitation.