Concluding day of 9th GRIHA Summit presented affordable green solutions n building sector.

Change and innovation are closely related. The opportunities and possibilities for change through innovation have never been this abundant. A lot of start-ups focusing on environment, solid waste, water, construction etc. have evolved in India. Sustainability will be a major driver behind strategic innovation in the challenging new world full of opportunities.

Embracing a sustainability agenda can stimulate innovation, pushing companies to rethink their operations, products and business models. ‘Green products’ or ‘techniques’ often refer to products, services or practices that allow for economic development while conserving for future generations.

Proactively encouraging innovation and technology, The 9th GRIHA Summit witnessed various discussions on this front. Moderating a session on innovative products by start-ups, Mr Gaurav Shorey, Founder Member, 5waraj & MD, PSI Energy (TED speaker), said, “The session with its lineup of luminaries who have dedicated their lives to the service of the country and the environment, served as an inspiration for people who are looking at contributing to greening India themselves. Their stories about the kind of struggles they experienced, yet coming out triumphant, deeply resonates with the spirit of GRIHA.”

The building sector, specifically, poses a major challenge to energy conservation.It is noteworthy that buildings consume about 40% of energy globally. In India, as compared to 2011, by 2021 the electricity consumption through space cooling and heating appliances will grow by 180% due to affordability of these appliances and changing lifestyles. To reduce the consequent environmental impact, it is not sufficient to just manage the electricity demand, but it is equally important to substantially generate electricity from green sources.

Highlighting the use of renewable energy in the housing sector, Mr Shirish Garud, Senior & fellow Director, Renewable Energy Technologies, TERI said, “30 years ago it took 15 days to set up rooftop solar plants, now it takes half a day. New developments in using AI and IoT are going to change the landscape of renewables integration in building dramatically.” 

This use of innovation requires a push from the designers to integrate renewable energy sources in a passive design strategy which can ensure self-sufficiency for residential projects. This will also impact the grid energy consumption positively. In a session on financing sustainable affordable housing, Mr Sriram Kalyanaraman, MD &CEO, National Housing Bank, said, “The low income housing finance project worth 100 million USD was financed by World Bank and implemented by NHB is the first of its kind worldwide.” GRIHA Council and NHB also signed an MoU on the sidelines of the Summit.