Beyond the Green Label: Why Quantifying ‘Greenness’ in Operations is the True Test
Insights from Mr. Juzer S. Kothari thari, Managing Director of Conserve Consultants sultants
India’s green building movement has achieved remarkable scale. But how do we ensure that a certified building remains truly ‘green’ years after occupancy? Our Managing Director, Mr. Juzer Kothari, recently addressed this critical question in a cover story for Construction World.
In this newsletter, we share his expert perspective on the evolution from green certification to verifiable, performance-led Net Zero outcomes. Read on for hard data on energy performance indexes (EPI), water efficiency, waste tracking, and the financial case for going Net Zero.
All core insights, data, and quotes below are directly from Mr. Kothari’s feature.
The Green Footprint: A Quarter Century of Progress
Over the last quarter-century, India has seen the emergence of green building rating frameworks such as IGBC, LEED, GRIHA, EDGE, and GEM. A direct outcome of the adoption of these rating systems is that India today has over 13 billion square feet of certified green building footprint across more than 15,000 registered projects.
Buildings, green by design through the lens of architecture, simulations, and specifications, have ushered in a much-needed shift in thinking about the sustainability of the built environment. This movement has also paved the way for a thriving green building materials industry spanning concrete blocks, lighting, HVAC components, paints, carpets, etc.
The Core Challenge: Measuring Operational ‘Greenness’
However, while evaluating a building’s material preferences, resource consumption, and waste generation may be fairly doable during its construction phase:
“The ability to quantify ‘greenness’ in operational terms after occupancy has remained limited. How green is a green-certified building? is a difficult question to answer with clarity, especially over time.”
Juzer S Kothari, Managing Director, Conserve Consultants
The Data-Driven Reality of Net Zero
Net Zero (whether energy, water, waste, or carbon) is inherently data-driven and performance-led. It cannot be claimed without continuous measurement, monitoring, and verification.
Organisations committing to Net Zero Energy and Water pathways must invest in:
Metering and sub-metering systems
Real-time monitoring, data analytics, and performance dashboards
Periodic audits and third-party verification
“With Net Zero energy targets, the expectation is not only to reduce consumption but also to offset it through renewable energy, making continuous measurement essential.”
Tracking Energy Efficiency (EPI) :Energy efficiency is tracked using the Energy Performance Index (EPI) , calculated as kilowatt-hours consumed per square foot per year.
Conventional commercial office buildings in India often operate in the range of 120-160 kWh/sqm/year.
High-performance buildings are now achieving 80-100 kWh/sqm/year or lower.
Water Efficiency & the Path to Net Zero Water
Water efficiency is assessed through per capita consumption and water balance charts, complemented by the proportion of water recycled or reused (via sewage treatment plants and rainwater harvesting).
Efficient buildings now achieve a Water Performance Index of 15-25 litres per person per day, compared to conventional levels of 45-60 litres.
However, moving towards Net Zero water brings a nuanced challenge: balancing freshwater demand with rainwater harvesting and reuse.
“Measuring this balance, especially capturing runoff at site boundaries, is still evolving and not yet uniformly practiced at scale.”
Carbon Measurement: The Most Complex Frontier
Carbon measurement is the most complex and evolving area.
Scope 2 (energy use) is relatively straightforward.
Scope 1 (direct emissions) and Scope 3 (indirect value chain emissions) , including embodied carbon in materials, remain challenging.
The need to measure embodied carbon through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and product-level carbon footprints is a step in the right direction, but adoption in India is still at an early stage. As regulatory and market pressures increase, this will become a critical area of measurement.
The Waste Measurement Challenge
Measuring waste presents unique challenges. The foremost challenge lies not within the building, but in ensuring that the external waste processing ecosystem supports these goals.
Since segregation typically happens through third-party vendors, waste performance is primarily monitored through vendor-integrated reporting systems, which provide visibility on recycling volumes and landfill diversion metrics.
The Financial Case: Upfront Cost vs. Operational Reality
Net Zero requires an initial investment. Evaluating this upfront cost necessitates viewing Net Zero through the lens of operations.
Green Buildings (Baseline):
By virtue of using better materials, optimised systems, and improved design strategies, a typical green building can achieve 15-25% savings in energy and water compared to conventional baselines. However, over time, without continuous monitoring, these efficiencies can diminish
Net Zero Buildings (Performance-Driven):
In contrast, Net Zero buildings are fundamentally performance-driven. Their clarity of objective to ensure that what is consumed is balanced or neutralised on an ongoing basis introduces a level of operational discipline often missing in conventional green buildings.
“Daily or monthly tracking helps leakages in systems, processes or behaviour to become immediately visible and quickly addressed.”
The Result:
The operational energy costs of Net Zero buildings can be reduced significantly; in some cases, approaching near-zero electricity costs over time, especially where renewable systems are optimally integrated. After the renewable infrastructure payback period (typically 4 to 6 years), the savings directly impact the bottom line.
Final Thoughts from Conserve Consultants
Mr. Kothari’s message is clear: Certification is a milestone, not a destination. The future of the Indian built environment lies in continuous measurement, operational discipline, and a verifiable path to Net Zero.
We invite you to share your thoughts. How is your organisation tracking performance post-occupancy? Let’s discuss in the comments below.
