GREEN RETROFIT MODELLING FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS

Abstract

Buildings as they are designed and used today, symbolize unrestrained consumption of energy and other natural resources with its consequent negative environmental impact. In India, the residential and the commercial sector consume 25% of the total electricity usage of the country and a major portion of this is utilized in buildings. Designing and developing new buildings based on sound concepts of sustainability and applying suitable retrofit options to the existing buildings could substantially improve the energy use efficiency in the building sector with an associated reduction in both local as well as global emissions. With increasing prices, diminishing reserves of the conventional forms of energy and increasing emissions 'Green Buildings' are the need of the hour. This dissertation project 'Green Retrofit Modeling for Existing Buildings' aims to retrofit an existing building within the ITT Roorkee campus as per the LEED-EB rating system and create a model for other existing buildings as a part of an attempt to make the whole campus green. The dissertation involves study of the issues revolving around 'Green Buildings' and the study of similar projects as the dissertation. The Central Library has been studied for its site criteria, energy and water consumption, materials and resources and indoor air quality as the main project study area. The recommendations provide the retrofit solution for each of the above mentioned issues to retrofit the Library building as Green Building. The simulation model of the Library calculate the energy requirement of the building and also calculate the energy savings and reduction in Carbon emission after the implication of the recommendations provided in this dissertation project. Ultimately the retrofit solutions provided for the Library building will promote the productivity, comfort and well being off the library users. The ever rising energy consumption by the existing buildings and the tones of carbon emitted is an increasing threat. On the brighter side, the 'Green Retrofit Measures' can reduce this threat. As a solution to our problems caused by depleting resources and emissions it is absolutely pertinent that all the future buildings and most of the existing buildings should be designed and retrofitted to function as 'Green Buildings'.