The Basics

What is a Green Building ?

What is GRIHA ?
Why was GRIHA developed and how ?
What is a Green Building ?
Buildings have major environmental impacts over their entire life cycle. Resources such as ground cover,
forests, water, and energy are depleted to construct and operate buildings. Resource-intensive materials
provide the building envelope and landscaping adds beauty to it in turn using up water and pesticides to
maintain it. Energy-consuming systems for lighting, space conditioning and water heating provide
comfort to its occupants. Hi-tech controls add intelligence to inanimate! buildings so that they can
respond to varying conditions, and intelligently monitor and control resource use, security, and usage of
fire systems etc. in the building. "ater is another vital resource for the occupants, which gets consumed
continuously during building construction and operation. #everal building processes and occupant
functions generate large amounts of waste.
$hus, buildings are one of the major pollutants that affect urban air %uality and contribute to climate
change. Hence, the need to design a green building, the essence of which would be to address all these
issues in an integrated and scientific manner. &t is true that it costs a little more to design and construct a
green building. However, it is also a proven fact that it costs less to operate a green building that has
tremendous environmental benefits and provides a better place for the occupants to live and wor' in.
$hus, the challenge of a green building is to achieve all its benefits at an affordable cost.
( green building depletes as little of the natural resources during its construction and operation. $he aim
of a green building design is to)
* +inimi,e the demand on non-renewable resources and ma-imi,e the utili,ation efficiency of these
resources when in use, and
* +a-imi,e reuse and recycling of available resources
* .tili,ation of renewable resources.
&t ma-imi,es the use of efficient building materials and construction practices/ optimi,es the use of on-
site sources and sin's by bio-climatic architectural practices/ uses minimum energy to power itself/ uses
efficient e%uipment to meet its lighting, air-conditioning, and other needs/ ma-imi,es the use of
renewable sources of energy/ uses efficient waste and water management practices/ and provides
comfortable and hygienic indoor wor'ing conditions. &t is evolved through a design process that re%uires
all concerned the architect and landscape designer and the air conditioning, electrical, plumbing, and
energy consultants to wor' as a team to address all aspects of building and system planning, design,
construction, and operation. $hey critically evaluate the impacts of each design decision on the
environment and arrive at viable design solutions to minimi,e the negative impacts and enhance the
positive impacts on the environment. &n sum, the following aspects of the building design are loo'ed into
in an integrated way in a green building)
#ite planning
Building envelope design
Building system design H0(12heating ventilation and air conditioning3, lighting, electrical, and
water heating
&ntegration of renewable energy sources to generate energy onsite.
"ater and waste management
#election of ecologically sustainable materials 2with high recycled content, rapidly renewable
resources with low emission potential, etc.3.
&ndoor environmental %uality 2maintains indoor thermal and visual comfort and air %uality3
What is GRIHA ?
GRIHA is an acronym for 4reen Rating for &ntegrated Habitat (ssessment. 4R&H( is a #ans'rit word
meaning (bode!. Human Habitats 2Buildings3 interact with the environment in various ways.
$hroughout their life cycles, from construction to operation and then demolition, they consume resources
in the form of energy, water, materials, etc. and emit wastes either directly in the form of municipal
wastes or indirectly as emissions from electricity generation. 4R&H( attempts to minimi,e a building!s
resource consumption, waste generation, and overall ecological impact to within certain nationally
acceptable limits 5 benchmar's.
4oing by the old adage what gets measured, gets managed!, 4R&H( attempts to %uantify aspects such as
energy consumption, waste generation, renewable energy adoption, etc. so as to manage, control and
reduce the same to the best possible e-tent.
GRIHA is a rating tool that helps people assess the performance of their building against certain
nationally acceptable benchmar's. &t will evaluate the environmental performance of a building
holistically over its entire life cycle, thereby providing a definitive standard for what constitutes a green
building!. $he rating system, based on accepted energy and environmental principles, will see' to stri'e a
balance between the established practices and emerging concepts, both national and international. $he
guidelines5criteria appraisal may be revised every three years to ta'e into account the latest scientific
developments during this period.
The Context and Developent
&nternationally, voluntary building rating systems have been instrumental in raising awareness and
populari,ing green design. However, most of the rating systems devised have been tailored to suit the
building industry of the country where they were developed.
$ER& too' the responsibility of populari,ing green building by developing a tool for measuring and rating
a building6s environmental performance in the conte-t of &ndia6s varied climate and building practices.
$his tool has been adopted by the +inistry of 7ew and Renewable Energy. $his tool, by its %ualitative
and %uantitative assessment criteria, is able to rate! a building on the degree of its greenness!. $he rating
would be applied to new building stoc' of varied functions commercial, institutional, and residential.
The challenges
$he &ndian building industry is highly de-centrali,ed with people and5 or groups engaged in design,
construction, e%uipment provision, installation, and renovation wor'ing together. Each group may be
organi,ed to some e-tent, but there is limited interaction among the groups, thus disabling the integrated
green design and application process.
Hence, it is very important to define and %uantify sustainable building practices and their benefits. &t is
also important to separate the role of different participants in ensuring that the building consumes minimal
resources over its entire life cycle and leaves behind a minimal environmental footprint.
The !asic "eatures
$he system has been developed to help design and evaluate! new buildings 2buildings that are still at the
inception stages3. ( building is assessed based on its predicted performance over its entire life cycle
inception through operation. $he stages of the life cycle that have been identified for evaluation are)
8re-construction stage 2intra- and inter-site issues li'e pro-imity to public transport, type of soil,
'ind of land, where the property is located, the flora and fauna on the land before construction
activity starts, the natural landscape and land features3
Building planning and construction stages 2issues of resource conservation and reduction in
resource demand, resource utili,ation efficiency, resource recovery and reuse, and provisions for
occupant health and well being3. $he prime resources that are considered in this section are land,
water, energy, air, and green cover.
Building operation and maintenance stage 2issues of operation and maintenance of building
systems and processes, monitoring and recording of energy consumption, and occupant health and
well being, and also issues that affect the global and local environment3.
The !ene"its
9n a broader scale, this system, along with the activities and processes that lead up to it, will benefit the
community at large with the improvement in the environment by reducing 4H4 2greenhouse gas3
emissions, reducing energy consumption and the stress on natural resources.
#ome of the benefits of a green design to a building owner, user, and the society as a whole are as
follows)
Reduced energy consumption without sacrificing the comfort levels
Reduced destruction of natural areas, habitats, and biodiversity, and reduced soil loss from erosion etc.
Reduced air and water pollution 2with direct health benefits3
Reduced water consumption
:imited waste generation due to recycling and reuse
Reduced pollution loads
&ncreased user productivity
Enhanced image and mar'etability
Why was GRIHA developed and how ?
GRIHA was originally developed to provide a series of guidelines and benchmar's to those interested in
construction of a sustainable and green building. &t was understood that in order to develop a proper
understanding of the elements of a green building and to then construct it, a comprehensive set of
guidelines would be re%uired to direct the interested party in the appropriate techni%ues and processes
towards building a green building. &t was designed as a point based system to give the interested party an
appro-imation of how green the building would be.
The developent process
4R&H( has been developed after a thorough study and understanding of the current internationally
accepted green building rating systems and the prevailing building practices in &ndia. $he team has
researched on several international rating systems. ( few team members were also sponsored under a
study tour by .#(E8 2.nited #tates (sia Environmental 8artnership3 to understand the eco-rating
systems prevalent in the .#. $he team has vast e-perience in providing design assistance to green
buildings in the country and long and varied e-perience in carrying out energy conservation studies in
e-isting hotels, offices, and other commercial building. $he team has effectively utili,ed the several
multi-disciplinary strengths and e-periences of the colleagues at $ER& to arrive at the tools that addresses
cross-cutting issues in the design, development, and operation of a green building.
$he primary objective of the rating system is to help design green buildings and, in turn, help evaluate the
greenness! of the buildings. $he rating system follows best practices along with national5international
codes that are applicable to achieving the intent of green design.
$he green building rating system devised by $ER& and the +7RE is a voluntary scheme. &t has derived
useful inputs from the upcoming mandatory voluntary building codes5guidelines being developed by the
Bureau of Energy Efficiency, the +inistry of 7on-1onventional Energy #ources, +oE; 2+inistry of
Environment and ;orests3, 4overnment of &ndia, and the Bureau of &ndian #tandards. $he rating system
aims to achieve efficient resource utili,ation, enhanced resource efficiency, and better %uality of life in the
buildings.
$he +7RE has constituted a national and technical advisory committee comprising of emninent
professionals and representatives from several government bodies to guide the evolution of 4R&H(. $he
member list is as follows)
#e!ers o" $ational Advisory Coittee
<. #ecretary, +inistry of 7ew and Renewable Energy 1hairman
=. >irector 4eneral, $he Energy and Resources &nstitute 1o-1hairman
?. #r. Representative of +inistry of Environment and ;orest
2not below @oint #ecretary3
+ember
A. #r. Representative of +inistry of Housing and .rban
8overty (lleviation 2not below @oint #ecretary3
+ember
B. >irector 4eneral, 1entral 8ublic "or's >epartment +ember
C. >irector 4eneral, Bureau of Energy Efficiency +ember
D. (ddl. >irector 4eneral, Bureau of &ndian #tandards +ember
E. 8rincipal #ecretary, .rban >evelopment, 4overnment of
+aharashtra
+ember
F. +unicipal 1ommissioner, Bangalore
<G. >irector, "est Bengal Renewable Energy >evelopment
(gency 2"BRE>(3
+ember
<<. >irector, Haryana Renewable Energy >evelopment
(gency 2H(RE>(3
+ember
<=. 8resident, &ndian &nstitute of (rchitects 2&&(3 +ember
<?. 8resident, 1onfederation of Real Estate >evelopers
(ssociations of &ndia 21RE>(&3
+ember
<A. (dvisor, +inistry of 7ew and Renewable Energy +ember #ecretary
<B Head, 4R&H( #ecretariat, $he Energy and Resources
&nstitute
1onvenor
+embers of the $echnical (dvisory 1ommittee
<. (dvisor, +7RE 1hairman
=. #hri #anjay 8ra'ash, #r. (rchitect, >elhi +ember
?. >r. 0inod 4upta, #r. (rchitect, >elhi +ember
A. #hri Haran 4rover, #r. (rchitect, 0adodara +ember
B. #hri (sho' B :all, #r. (rchitect, >elhi +ember
C. +s. #ha'untala 4hosh, #r. (rchitect, Hol'ata +ember
D. #hri #anjay +ohe, #r. (rchitect, Bangalore +ember
E. 1hief (rchitect, Housing and .rban >evelopment 1orporation
:td. 2H.>193
+ember
F. #hri +anit Rastogi, #r. (rchitect, 7ew >elhi
F. #hri $anmay $athagat, Energy specialist, >elhi +ember
<G. #hri 8aritosh $yagi 2E--1hairman, 181B3 +ember
<<. Representative from Bureau of Energy Efficiency +ember
<=. Representative from 1entral 8ublic "or's >epartment +ember
218">3
<?. >irector, Building +aterials and $echnology 8romotion
1ouncil 2B+$813
+ember
<A. Head, 4R&H( #ecretariat, $ER& 1onvenor
Criteria o" the Rating %yste
$he criteria have been categori,ed as follows.
&' %ite %election and %ite (lanning
Conservation and e""icient utili)ation o" resource
*!+ective , $o ma-imi,e the conservation and utili,ation of resources 2land, water, natural habitat, avi fauna,
and energy conservation3 and enhance efficiency of the systems and operations.
Criterion & #ite #election

Commitment #ite selection is the first step to a sustainable habitat and needs to be done appropriately, prior to
commencement of design phase. #ite selection and analysis should be carried out to create living spaces that
are in harmony with the local environment. $he development of a project should not cause damage to the
natural surroundings of the site but, in fact, should try to improve it by restoring its balance. $hus, site
selection should be carried out in light of a holistic perspective of land use, development intensity, social
well-being, and preservation of the environment.
Criterion - 8reserve and protect the landscape during construction5compensatory depository forestation.
Commitment $o preserve the e-isting landscape and protect it from degradation during the process of
construction. &t involves proper timing of construction, preserve top soil and e-isting vegetation, staging and
spill prevention to prevent spilling contaminated material onsite, erosion and sedimentation control, replant
the trees that were cut down during construction in the ratio <)?.
Criterion . #oil conservation 2till post-construction3.
Commitment 1onserve topsoil till after completion of construction activity. $his commitment entails proper
top soil laying and stabili,ation of the soil to prevent erosion and maintenance of ade%uate fertility of the soil
to support vegetative growth.
Criterion / >esign to include e-isting site features.
Commitment $he natural functions of a plot of land 2hydrologic, geologic, and microclimatic3 can be
disrupted by the placement of a building on it. $he design of a green building will factor in ways in which the
natural site features can be protected or even restored. :ayout the site activities and building re%uirements
after carrying out detailed site analysis so as to ensure sustainable site development in tune with its
topographical, climatic, and ecological character.
Criterion 0 Reduce hard paving on-site and 5or provide shaded hard - paved surfaces.
Commitment Reduce hard paving on-site 2open areas surrounding building premises3 to minimi,e the
imperviousness of the site and5or provide shade on hard-paved surfaces to minimi,e the heat island effect on
site.
Criterion 1 Enhance outdoor lighting system efficiency.
Commitment Enhance energy efficiency of outdoor lighting and promote usage of renewable forms of energy
to reduce the use of conventional5fossil-fuel-based energy resources. +eet minimum allowable luminous
efficacy 2as per lamp type3 and ma'e progressive use of a renewable energy- based lighting system.
Criterion 2 8lan utilities efficiently and optimi,e on-site circulation efficiency
Commitment Reduce site disruption due to laying, maintain utility lines, and minimi,e energy use by on-site
utilities. $o reduce transportation corridors on-site, thus reducing the pollution loads.. +inimi,e road and
pedestrian wal'way length by appropriate planning and provide aggregate corridors for utility lines.
Health and well !eing during construction
*!+ective ,$o protect the health of construction wor'ers and prevent pollution.
Criterion 3 8rovide at least, the minimum level of sanitation5safety facilities for construction wor'ers.
Commitment Ensure the health and safety of wor'ers during construction, with effective provisions for the
basic facilities such as sanitation and drin'ing water, and safety of e%uipments or machinery. Ensure
cleanliness of wor'place with regard to the disposal of waste and effluent, provide clean drin'ing water and
latrines and urinals as per applicable standard.
Criterion 4 Reduce air pollution during construction.
Commitment $he dust generated by various construction site activities can contribute significantly to air
pollution. >ust and outdoor air pollutants can cause respiratory problems. 4ood construction practices
involve major mitigation measures for prevention or minimi,ation of air pollution from construction
activities. $his criterion aims to reduce air pollution due to onsite construction. Ensure proper screening,
covering stoc'piles, covering bric's and loads of dusty materials, wheel-washing facility, and water spraying.
-' Building (lanning and Construction %tage
*!+ective $o ma-imi,e resource 2water, energy, and materials3 conservation and enhance efficiency of the
system and operations.
Water
Criterion &5 Reduce landscape water re%uirement.
Commitment Reduce the landscape water re%uirement so as to minimi,e the load on the municipal water
supply and depletion of groundwater resources. :andscape using native species and reduce lawn areas while
enhancing the irrigation efficiency, reduction in water re%uirement for landscaping purposes.
Criterion && Reduce building water use.
Commitment Reduce water consumption in the building by using efficient fi-tures li'e low-flow fi-tures, etc.
Criterion &- Efficient water use during construction.
Commitment +inimi,e the use of potable water during construction. ;or e-ample, use materials such as pre-
mi-ed concrete for preventing loss during mi-ing or use recycled treated water and control the waste of
curing water.
6nergy7 end use
Criterion &. 9ptimi,e building design to reduce the conventional energy demand.
Commitment (pply solar passive measures, including daylighting, in order to reduce the demand on
conventional energy for space conditioning and lighting systems in buildings. 8lan appropriately to reflect
climate responsiveness, adopt an ade%uate comfort range, less air-conditioned areas, daylighting, avoid over-
design of the lighting and air-conditioning systems.
Criterion &/ 9ptimi,e the energy performance of the building within specified comfort limits.
Commitment 9ptimi,e use of energy systems in buildings that maintain a specified indoor climate conducive
to the functional re%uirements of the building. Ensure that energy consumption in building under a specified
category is <GIAGI less than that benchmar'ed figure through a simulation e-ercise of a base case
e-ample.
6nergy7 e!odied and construction
Criterion &0 .tili,ation of fly ash in the building structure.
Commitment .se low-embodied energy industrial-waste fly ash as the construction material. ;ly ash, an
industrial waste with properties of cement and very low-embodied energy, is used in combination with
cement that are high in embodied energy. .se fly ash for R11 2reinforced cement concrete3 structures with
in-fill walls and load bearing structures, mortar, and binders.
Criterion &1 Reduce volume, weight, and time of construction by adopting an efficient technology 2e.g. pre-
cast systems, ready-mi- concrete, etc.3.
Commitment Replace a part of the energy-intensive materials with less energy-intensive materials and5or
utili,e regionally available materials, which use low-energy5energy-efficient technologies.
Criterion &2 .se low-energy material in the interiors.
Commitment ( minimum of DGI of the total %uantity of all interior finishes and products used in each of the
categories mentioned below should be low-energy finishes5 materials5 products, which minimi,e wood as a
natural resource or utili,e industrial waste by using products in any category as listed. $he various interior
finishes used in the sub-system of the building or the interior, which serve the aim of the credit, have been
divided into the following three major categories. &f any interior finish, acclaimed for credit, falls beyond this
classification, the applicant has to clearly confirm the criteria that meet the re%uirements of the credit.
<. #ub-assembly5internal partitions5interior wood finishes5 paneling5false ceiling5in-built furniture5
cabinetry
=. ;looring
?. >oors5windows and frames
6nergy7 renewa!le
Criterion &3 Renewable energy utili,ation.
Commitment +eet energy re%uirements for a minimum of <GI of the internal lighting load 2for general
lighting3 or its e%uivalent from renewable energy sources 2solar, wind, biomass, fuel cells, etc3. Energy
re%uirements will be calculated based on realistic assumptions which will be subject to verification during
appraisal. .se renewable energy sources in buildings to reduce the use of conventional5fossil-fuel based
energy resources.
Criterion &4 Renewable energy - based hot- water system.
Commitment Ensure that a minimum BGI of the annual energy re%uirement for heating water 2for
applications such as hot water for all needs, li'e for canteen, washing, and bath rooms5toilets, e-cept for space
heating3 is supplied from renewable energy sources.
Recycle8 recharge8 and reuse o" water
*!+ective $o promote the recycle and reuse of water.
Criterion -5 "astewater treatment
Commitment 8rovide facility for the treatment of waste water generated in the building so as to have safe
disposal and use of by-products.
Criterion -& "ater recycle and reuse 2including rainwater3.
Commitment .tili,e the waste water treated on-site and rainwater for various applications 2including
groundwater recharge3 where potable municipal water is normally used to reduce the load on both the
municipal supplies as well as the sewerage system and to improve the groundwater level.
Waste anageent
*!+ective $o minimi,e waste generation, streamline waste segregation, storage, and disposal, and promote
resource recovery from waste.
Criterion -- Reduction in waste during construction.
Commitment Ensure ma-imum resource recovery and safe disposal of wastes generated during construction
and reduce the burden on landfill.
Criterion -. Efficient waste segregation.
Commitment .se different colored bins for collecting different categories of waste from the building to
promote the segregation of waste for efficient resource recovery.
Criterion -/ #torage and disposal of waste.
Commitment (llocate separate space for the collected waste before transferring it to the recycling5disposal
stations to prevent the mi-ing up of segregated waste before processing or disposal.
Criterion -0 Resource recovery from waste.
Commitment Employ resource recovery systems for biodegradable waste as per the #olid "aste +anagement
and handling Rules, =GGG of the +oE;. +a'e arrangements for recycling of waste through local dealers to
ma-imi,e the recovery of resources from the recyclable and biodegradable waste and to reduce the burden on
landfills.
Health and well9!eing during post9construction occupation
*!+ective $o ensure healthy indoor air %uality, water %uality, and noise levels, and reduce the global
warming potential.
Criterion -1 .se of low-091 2volatile organic compounds3 paints5 adhesives 5 sealants.
Commitment Building materials such as paints, sealants, and adhesives form important finishes for the
e-terior and interior surfaces. $hey are, however, potential contributors to the poor indoor air %uality and can
have a bearing on an occupants! health. ( wide variety of volatiles are released through o-idation by both
solvent-based and water-based paints, and sealants and adhesives contain to-ic chemicals that are released
during construction and occupancy.
091s - especially formaldehyde, urea formaldehyde, and urethanes - and other chemical substances
contained within the building materials can be injurious to health and can also be odorous. $his measure aims
to select materials with low to ,ero %uantities of such chemicals so as to minimi,e the source of emission. &n
selecting low 091 materials, a practical thumb rule is to choose water-based products with low odour.
Criterion -2 +inimi,e o,one depleting substances
Commitment Employ insulation that is 9>8 2o,one depletion potential3 free/ H1;1 2hydro
chlorofluorocarbon3 and 1;1 2chlorofluorocarbon3 free H0(1 and refrigeration e%uipments and Halon-free
fire suppression and fire e-tinguishing systems to Eliminate or control the release of o,one-depleting
substances into the atmosphere.
Criterion -3 Ensure water %uality.
Commitment Ensure groundwater and municipal water meet the water %uality norms as prescribed in the
&ndian #tandards for various applications 2&ndian #tandards for drin'ing J&# <GBGG-<FF<K, irrigation
applications J&# <<C=A-<FECK. &n case the water %uality cannot be ensured, provide necessary treatment of raw
water for achieving the desired concentration for various applications.
Criterion -4 (cceptable outdoor and indoor noise levels.
Commitment Ensure outdoor noise level conforms to the 1entral 8ollution 1ontrol BoardEnvironmental
#tandards7oise 2ambient standards3 and indoor noise level conforms to the 7ational Building 1ode of &ndia,
=GGB, Bureau of &ndian #tandards =GGBa, 8art EBuilding #ervices/ #ection A(coustics, sound insulation,
and noise control.
Criterion .5 $obacco and smo'e control.
Commitment Lero e-posure to tobacco smo'e for non-smo'ers and e-clusive ventilation for smo'ing rooms.
Criterion .& 8rovide the minimum level of accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Commitment $o ensure accessibility and usability of the building and its facilities by employees, visitors, and
clients with disabilities.
Top
.' Building *peration and #aintenance
*!+ective 0alidate and maintain green! performance levels5adopt and propagate green practices and
concepts.
Criterion .- Energy audit and validation.
Commitment Energy audit report to be prepared by approved auditors of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency,
4overnment of &ndia.
Criterion .. Building operation and maintenance.
Commitment 0alidate and maintain green performance. (dopt and propagate green practices and concepts.
Ensure the inclusion of a specific clause in the contract document for the commissioning of all electrical and
mechanical systems to be maintained by the owner, supplier, or operator. 8rovide a core facility5service
management group, if applicable, which will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the building
and the electrical and mechanical systems after the commissioning. 9wner5builder5occupants5service or
facility management group to prepare a fully documented operations and maintenance manual, 1>,
multimedia or an information brochure listing the best practices5do!s and don!ts5maintenance re%uirements
for the building and the electrical and mechanical systems along with the names and addresses of the
manufacturers5suppliers of the respective system.
/' Innovation
Criterion ./ &nnovation points.
Commitment ;our innovation points are available under the rating system for adopting criteria which enhance
the green intent of a project, and the applicant can apply for the bonus points. #ome of the probable points,
not restricted to the ones enumerated below, could be
<. (lternative transportation
=. Environmental education
?. 1ompany policy on green supply chain
A. :ifecycle cost analysis
B. Enhanced accessibility for physically5mentally challenged.
C. (ny other criteria proposed by the client
%coring points "or GRIHA
4R&H( is a guiding and performance-oriented system where points are earned for meeting the design and
performance intent of the criteria. Each criterion has a number of points assigned to it. &t means that a project
intending to meet the criterion would %ualify for the points. 1ompliances, as specified in the relevant
criterion, have to be submitted in the prescribed format. "hile the intent of some of the criteria is self-
validating in nature, there are others for e-ample ) energy consumption, thermal and visual comfort, noise
control criteria, and indoor pollution levels which need to be validated on-site through performance
monitoring. $he points related to these criteria 2specified under the relevant sections3 are awarded
provisionally while certifying and are converted to firm points through monitoring, validation, and
documents5photographs to support the award of point.
4R&H( has a <GG point system consisting of some core points, which are mandatory to be met while the rest
are optional points, which can be earned by complying with the commitment of the criterion for which the
point is allocated. >ifferent levels of certification 2one star to five stars3 are awarded based on the number of
points earned. $he minimum points re%uired for certification is BG. Buildings scoring BG to CG points, C< to DG
points, D< to EG points, and E< to FG points will get one star, two stars!, three stars! and four stars!
respectively. ( building scoring F< to <GG points will get the ma-imum rating vi,. five stars.


(oints scored Rating
BGCG 9ne star
C<-DG $wo star
D<-EG $hree star
E<-FG ;our star
F<-<GG ;ive star
6valuation procedure o" criterion o" GRIHA
:ist of criteria 8oints Remar's
1riteria <) #ite #election
<
8artly
mandatory
1riteria =) 8reserve and protect landscape during
construction 5compensatory depository forestation.
B 8artly
mandatory
1riteria ?) #oil conservation 2post construction3 A
1riteria A) >esign to include e-isting site features = +andatory
1riteria B) Reduce hard paving on site =
8artly
mandatory
1riteria C) Enhance outdoor lighting system
efficiency
?

1riteria D) 8lan utilities efficiently and optimi,e on
site circulation efficiency
?

1riteria E) 8rovide, at least, minimum level of
sanitation5safety facilities for construction wor'ers
= +andatory
1riteria F) Reduce air pollution during construction = +andatory
1riteria <G) Reduce landscape water re%uirement ?
1riteria <<) Reduce building water use =
1riteria <=) Efficient water use during construction <
1riteria <?) 9ptimi,e building design to reduce
conventional energy demand
C +andatory
1riteria <A) 9ptimi,e energy performance of
building within specified comfort
<=

1riteria <B) .tili,ation of fly ash in building
structure
C

1riteria <C) Reduce volume, weight and time of
construction by adopting efficient technology 2e.g.
pre-cast systems, ready-mi- concrete, etc.3
A

1riteria <D) .se low-energy material in interiors A
1riteria <E) Renewable energy utili,ation B 8artly
mandatory
1riteria <F) Renewable energy based hot-water
system
?

1riteria =G) "aste water treatment =
1riteria =<) "ater recycle and reuse 2including
rainwater3
B

1riteria ==) Reduction in waste during construction =
1riteria =?) Efficient waste segregation =
1riteria =A) #torage and disposal of waste =
1riteria =B) Resource recovery from waste =
1riteria =C) .se of low - 091 paints5 adhesives5
sealants.
A

1riteria =D) +inimi,e o,one depleting substances ? +andatory
1riteria =E) Ensure water %uality = +andatory
1riteria =F) (cceptable outdoor and indoor noise =
levels
1riteria ?G) $obacco and smo'e control <
1riteria ?<) .niversal (ccessibility <
1riteria ?=) Energy audit and validation +andatory
1riteria ??) 9perations and maintenance protocol for
electrical and mechanical e%uipment
= +andatory
$otal score <GG
1riteria ?A) &nnovation 2Beyond <GG3 A
Total score <GA

9 Steps to get a building evaluated under GRIHA
< Registration
= #ubmission of documentation
? 8reiliminary evaluation by $ER& $echnical team
A Evaluation by panel of e-perts
B 8reliminary rating with comments sent to project team
C ;inal submission of documents
D ;inal evaluation by panel of e-perts
E (pproval of rating by advisory committee
F (ward of rating