GRIHA Help Centre
General
Due Diligence
- (#7887) Criteria checked during Due Diligence I, II and III
- Where is the compliance report submitted in response to the due diligence report of GRIHA Council?
- How many site visits are done by GRIHA officials during the GRIHA LD certification process?
- What are the expenses involved during the site audit process?
- When is the site audit conducted?
- How does GRIHA Council help the project management team to ensure that the site work is in compliance with GRIHA criteria?
Incentives
- Are there any tax benefits if we opt for GRIHA EB?
- Are SVAGRIHA projects eligible for additional free FAR in Haryana?
- Is there any specific Incentive program for Mumbai, / Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat or any other state?
- What are the incentives provided by Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India for GRIHA rated buildings?
- What are the incentives provided by Department of Housing and Urban Development, Government of Punjab for GRIHA rated buildings?
- Does SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) provide any financial assistance to GRIHA certified buildings?
Monthly Mailers
Online Panel
- (#811) Compliance report trigger mail
- (#8128) Multiple building appraisal mismatch
- Where is the compliance report submitted in response to the due diligence report of GRIHA Council?
- When I login for uploading project documentation, the following message is displayed: No buildings are available / active. No criteria are visible on the panel, so how can I start uploading the documents?
- Is it possible to do changes in the checklist once it has been saved on the GRIHA online panel?
- How are the documents uploaded online?
Orientation Workshop
- Can separate training session be arranged for client’s employees?
- Can a CD/soft copy of the presentation for workshop be obtained by the client?
- Is there any additional fee for conducting the workshop?
- Where is the orientation workshop conducted?
- Who all must participate in the orientation workshop?
- At what stage is the orientation workshop conducted?
Product Catalogue
- (#8231) Can usage of products expired in the GRIHA product catalogue also help in earning points?
- (#8231) Validity of products registered in GRIHA product catalogue
- (#8163)Registering computer workstation in product catalogue
- (#691) Accredited labs for product testing
- Will a 3rd party certificate be required if the project uses products from the GRIHA product catalogue?
- What are the benefits of getting a product registered in the product catalogue?
Rating/Documentation Process
- (#8263) Climate classification for Guwahati
- Timeline of GRIHA projects
- (#659)GRIHA LD- Provisional rating
- How we calculate rating chart after reduction of non-applicable clause?
- How famous has the GRIHA rating system been for stand-alone domestic buildings?
- How to convince client to go for GRIHA EB (other than EE)?
Rated Projects
Reference Material
- (#642) Building emission standards in India
- (#8166) Demonstrating compliance with NBC 2016
- What is the definition of Green Buildings?
- Is there any reference manual specifically for GRIHA - LD which defines the stages of certification in a more detailed and elaborate manner?
- Where can the GRIHA manual Version 2 be purchased and what is the cost?
- When GRIHA V 2015 did came into effect and where on the website is the manual located?
Registration & Fees
- (#8245) GRIHA certification for aircraft hangar
- (#8220) Queries on SVAGRIHA certification fees clause
- Sunset period for GRIHA v2015
- (#650) Registration for industrial buildings
- (#8191) Eligibility for GRIHA EB
- (#8173) GRIHA branch in Hyderabad
Training
- (#877) Sample papers for CP exam
- When is CP exam held?
- How to register for the CP exam?
- When will my name reflect in the list of certified professional’s on the GRIHA website?
- When will I get certificate for CP?
- What is the eligibility criterion for appearing for the CP exam?
GRIHA
Criterion 1: Site Selection
- (#7927) Documentation to demonstrate compliance with UDPFI guidelines
- (#7842) Will PMSSY approved plans be acceptable to GRIHA
- (#542)Density interpretation on FSI increase
- Can Canteen be considered as a service in criterion 1, Appraisal 1.1.2?
- Can 1 point be earned if only 3 services are available near the project site?
- CRITERION 1 (Site Selection): Can 01 point be claimed considering that the site is located inside an educational campus?
Criterion 2: Low-impact design
- (#8167) Source of insolation values
- (#8093) Sketch-up software for insolation analysis
- (#8073) Insolation analysis
- (#515)Pyrosim software for CFD analysis
- (#380) Shading analysis to avoid solar PV shading
- (#8094) Solar insolation analysis
Criterion 3: Design to mitigate UHIE
- (#8262) Exclusions for areas treated with high SRI finishes
- (#604)SRI compliance in cold climates
- (#551)High SRI tiles in setback area
- SRI value for external pavement
- How should an open water body or swimming pool be considered for Criterion 5 Calculation under GRIHA V3
- According to criterion 05 (GRIHA Version 3), net paved area should not exceed 25% of the site area. So how would be the site area calculated for a new block being added to an existing project?
Criterion 4: Site imperviousness factor
Criterion 5: Air and pollution control
Criterion 6: Preserve & protect landscape during construction
- (#8212) Plantation requirement and plant factor for native grass
- (#817) Mature trees
- (#802) Top soil preservation for developed site
- (#732) Top- soil preservation in redevelopment site
- (#591)Diaphragm wall for maintaining slopes and carry out excavation during monsoon
- Accredited labs for soil fertility testing
Criterion 7: Construction management practices
Criterion 8: Energy efficiency
- (#8174) Power rating for air-cooled VRF system
- (#8232) System losses requirement in GRIHA
- (#771) Load losses for Transformer with Thermal Insulation class A or C
- (#533) Data Center in mixed use buildings
- (#8197) Building Envelope Peak Heat Gain Factor and EPI threshold for cold climate in GRIHA v2015
- (#8162) Installing DC motor fans in place of BEE star rated fans
Criterion 9: Renewable energy utilization
- (#7970) Solar PV installation on-site
- (#559)Solar hot water calculation
- The project is mixed use type consisting of a hotel block (24hr occupancy), service apartments(24 hrs occupancy) and retail part( 12 hrs occupancy). In this case, what percentage of HVAC and lighting load needs to be consider to achieve respective points
- What should be the minimum number of years that RECs should be purchased for to comply with Criterion 18?
- Can the project claim points In criterion 19 GRIHA Version 3, for installing SWH even though the hot water requirement is less than 500 lt/day?
- Can a Solar PV System installed within an institutional campus boundary be considered towards GRIHA compliance?
Criterion 10: Zero ODP materials
Criterion 11: Achieving indoor comfort requirements (visual/ thermal/ acoustic)
- (#8227) Approach to Indian Adaptive comfort model
- (#8222) Is SHGC mandatory in GRIHA since it is a prescriptive requirement in ECBC?
- (#704) Spandrel glass in WWR calculation
- (#481) Daylight factor for atrium kitchens/ food courts
- (#8209) Daylight requirement in exhibition spaces
- (#8192) Roof parapet in WWR calculations
Criterion 12: Maintaining good IAQ
Criterion 13: Use of low VOC paints and other compounds in building interiors
- (#8075) 3rd party certificate for low VOC content
- What is the percentage of VOC in paints to be considered a low VOC paint?
- Is there any norm of VOC for Carpets?
- Are there any norms of VOC for the Vinyl print (multi-color graphics) to be pasted on partition?
- Is there any VOC limit to be followed for Grout?
- Is there any VOC limit to be followed for polish to be applied for wooden surface?
Criterion 14: Use of low flow fixtures and systems
- (#8070) Flow rates of plumbing fixture with aerators
- (#795)Building occupancy calculation
- (#713)Online calculator is not equipped to handle the project complexities
- What is the number of uses to be considered in criterion 14 ( Use of low flow fixtures and systems) of GRIHA Version 2015?
- What are the baseline flow rates for water fixtures and flush fixtures for GRIHA Version 2015?
- What is the design pressure for faucets and flush fixtures?
Criterion 15: Reducing landscape water demand
- (#8212) Plant factor for native grass
- (#8149) How to get evapotranspiration data?
- (#8076) Plant factor of barren land
- (#7992) Irrigation system timer control
- (#7958) List of native trees
- (#7923) Water demand for existing trees in undisturbed areas
Criterion 16: Water quality
- (#843) Water quality for irrigation
- Can the average annual quantity of water from on-site water bodies used to capture rainwater be considered to meet per-capita water demand?
- Is providing a Sewage Treatment Plant a mandatory requirement to achieve 3 star rating?
- Does the wastewater treated with a Septic System comply with GRIHA requirements?
- A project is divided into two different phases, out of which only one phase is going for GRIHA rating. A combined STP is proposed for both the phases. So how can the project apply for points in Criterion 21 (GRIHA Version 03)?
- Can water be tested in any laboratory to ensure water quality in Criterion 28 (GRIHA Version 03)?
Criterion 17: On-site water reuse
- (#8180) Laundry water consumption for reuse calculations
- (#8179) STP treated water discharge during monsoon
- (#7831) Centralized STP and WTP for two GRIHA projects
- While calculating annual water reuse demand, can kitchen and lavatory faucet requirement be excluded?
- Will harvested rainwater diverted to various wells across the campus be accepted for compliance under Criterion 17 of the GRIHA Rating?
- Are the calculations performed for Criterion 21 (Water recycle and reuse (including rainwater), done for the entire year or just the rainy season?
Criterion 18: Rainwater recharge
- (#8135) Sizing of RWH system
- (#8206) Multiple queries for project with large rocky site area
- (#8190) Unavailability of peak hourly rainfall data
- (#560)Rain water Harvesting and Conservation Manual methodology
- Percent of rainwater to be recharged
- Rainfall data for rain water harvesting calculation
Criterion 19: Utilization of BIS recommended waste materials in building structure
- (#8241) Low energy materials in differnt categories
- (#8233) Procedure to calculate the total percentage of cement replaced with fly ash
- (#485) Solar PV for Hot water generation
- (#588)Is recycled Aggregate considered BIS recommended waste?
- Use of recycled aggregates in building structure.
- Use of waste material in building structure
Criterion 20: Reduction in embodied energy of building structure
- (#7850) Low energy walling material
- (#8035) Embodied energy reduction
- Embodied energy calculation.
- How to evaluate base case in a project that uses Post Tensioned slabs and AAC blocks as the design case?
- How to calculate reduction in embodied energy of building to demonstrate compliance with Criterion 20 of GRIHA Rating?
- Criterion 20 (GRIHA V2015) states that the reduction in combined embodied energy of load bearing structure and masonry walls should be demonstrated. Is a load bearing structure compulsory for achieving points in this criterion?
Criterion 21: Use of low-environmental impact materials in building interiors
- (#8082) Documentation requirement for rapidly renewable wood.
- (#580)Are UPVC frames considered as low energy material
- (#574)Is quarry dust considered an industrial waste in GRIHA
- (#574)Are cement tiles considered as low environmental impact flooring
- (#532)Low energy international materials
- Will a 3rd party certificate be required if the project uses products from the GRIHA product catalogue?
Criterion 22: Avoided post construction landfill
- (#576) Visitor population for water and waste calculations
- What category of waste generation norm should be considered in case of medical consultation rooms, labs or minor OT?
- Will a project which is part of an existing campus get points in Criterion 24 (GRIHA Version 03) if the waste is being sent to a centralized facility?
- Does the builder need to supply following things for attaining 3 star pre certification : 1) solar thermal system 2) garbage chute 3) rain water harvesting
Criterion 23: Treat organic waste on site
- (#8221) Organic waste calculation for a hotel project.
- (#8201) Organic waste treatment using crusher
- (#8031) Quantification of wet waste generation
- Can vermi composting be done off-site or should it only be done on site for meeting the requirements of Criterion 25 (GRIHA Version 03)?
- Is a centralized waste treatment system accepted for compliance with Criterion 25 (GRIHA Version 03)?
Criterion 24: Labor safety and sanitation
Criterion 25: Design for universal accessibility
Criterion 26: Dedicated facilities for service staff
Criterion 28: Smart metering and monitoring
- (#8226) Connecting to GRIHA online benchmarking platform
- (#8206) Connecting to GRIHA online benchmarking platform
- (#7987) GRIHA Online Benchmarking Platform
- (#7980) BTU meter requirement for each chiller
- (#611)Joint sub meter for lighting and ceiling fan load
- (#568)Extended water metering in Multi-dwelling projects
Criterion 29: Operation, maintenance protocols
- Who conducts the energy audit for demonstrating compliance with Criterion 32 (GRIHA Version 03)?
- When is the energy audit conducted for demonstrating compliance with Criterion 32 (GRIHA Version 03)?
- Is it necessary to install meters and sub-meters at individual dwelling unit level or they can be installed at common area level in an apartment?
Criterion 30: Performance assessment for final rating
- (#767) 2-way communication with GRIHA platform
- Documentation submission for audit and validation
- Audit for Energy, Thermal & Acoustic, Water and Visual parameters
- Can a BEE Certified ECBC master trainer be hired for doing the final audit instead of energy auditor?
- Should the project be fully commissioned for GRIHA rating?
- What is the time period for which the project GRIHA rating is valid?
Criterion 31: Innovation
- (#8122) Electrical vehicle charging points as an innovation strategy.
- (#876) Innovation point for E-charging slots
- (#846) Green walls
- (#648)Low smoke electrical cables as innovation point
- (#8129) THD Controller for innovation
- (#8080) Innovation points for organic waste management.
GRIHA version 2019
Criterion 3: Design to Mitigate UHIE
Criterion 7: Energy Optimization
Criterion 10: Visual Comfort
Criterion 11: Thermal and Acoustic Comfort
Criterion 12: Maintaining Good IAQ
Criterion 13: Water Demand Reduction
Criterion 14: Wastewater Treatment
Criterion 15: Rainwater Management
Criterion 20: Reduction in GWP through Life Cycle Assessment
Criterion 22: Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Criterion 23: Safety and Sanitation for Construction Workers
Criterion 26: Positive Social Impact
GRIHA LD
Resource impact : Site Planning
Energy (Developmental Quality)
Energy (Self Sufficiency)
- (#8152) Compliance for GRIHA LD
- What method/ thumb rule can be used to calculate the annual building energy consumption for the Phase 2 buildings of a project as energy simulation for the proposed phase 2 is not possible in the absence of architectural and energy data.
- What are the types of simulation required during GRIHA LD certification process?
Site planning (Developmental Quality)
Solid Waste Management (Developmental Quality)
- The following commitment “On-site incinerators to be provided for treatment of medical / hospital waste or provision for the same to be sent to a treatment facility (If Applicable)" is not applicable for our project, so will we lose this point?
- How can the contractual tie-up with e-waste recyclers for purchase and safe recycling of e-waste be documented?
- How can the strategies to recycle and reuse construction and demolition waste on site be documented?
Transport (Developmental Quality)
Water and waste water management (Developmental Quality)
- (#452)Rainwater Quantification
- Will installing low flow plumbing fixtures help a project under GRIHA LD earn points for water self-sufficiency?
- A project is in its inception stage with no water supply lines, rainwater storage and sewage treatment plant on site. How can it comply with BIS standards for water quality?
- Can an average LPCD value be considered for a project with mixed use?
SVAGRIHA
Criterion 1 : Reduce exposed, hard paved surface on site and maintain native vegetation cover on site
Criterion 2 : Passive architectural design and systems
- (#8266) Reduced solar access in buildings.
- Is there any mandatory fresh air requirement for the spaces? SVAGRIHA or GRIHA manuals do not specify any requirement for this. The client suggests that fresh-air will be available through regular door openings
- The developer will not be providing any kind of Desert coolers & Fans in the building. Please suggest how can points be achieved for installing low-energy cooling/heating system?
Criterion 3 : Good fenestration design for reducing direct heat gain and glare while maximizing daylight penetration
- (#7956) Insolation of building fenestration
- (#874) Insolation value
- Building design to be constructed in villages in hot and dry climate, where glass window is not a suitable option and client intends to use MS windows with iron grill and no glass. So how can we comply with the SHGC requirement?
- Building design proposed to be constructed in villages in hot and dry climate. As it’s a daytime use building, all windows and doors will be open during working days. Should we go ahead with 100% Visual Light Transmittance (VLT) for daylight calculation?
Criterion 4 : Efficient artificial lighting system
Criterion 5 : Thermal efficiency of building envelope
- There are a specific set of external wall materials in the drop down menu of the calculator. What should be done if the project is using different materials / different combination?
- Can you please add fly ash bricks in material thermal efficiency (Criterion 5) and embodied energy (criterion 11) calculators?
- There is a mention of threshold values in Criterion 05 of SVAGRIHA. Do these values consider sum of heat gain from Building Envelope, LPD, EPD, Occupancy (or) this value is only for heat gain from Building Envelope.
- While considering ‘Sq.ft/TR’, which area, ‘conditioned space’ or ‘total space’, should be considered for calculation?
- If the developer is not providing any kind of air-conditioners, fans & geysers, then how can we achieve points ?
- Can you please suggest appropriate Air Conditioners which can help in achieving points in Criterion 6 (Use of Energy Efficient appliance) of SVAGRIHA?
Criterion 6 : Use of energy efficient appliances
- For office buildings, SVAGRIHA states "Non-applicability: Office buildings can opt out of installing Solar Water Heaters”. So will the project lose two points or will they be deducted from the denominator as well?
- Our project is a government school providing mid-day meals. What should be the hot water requirement for kitchen needs?
Criterion 7 : Use of renewable energy on site
Criterion 8 : Reduction in building and landscape water demand
Criterion 11 : Reduce embodied energy of building
- (#571)Embodied energy of fly ash brick for walling
- Do partition walls refer to masonry walls in Criterion 12 (SVAGRIHA)?
- The project will have flooring majorly of polished kota stone. Does GRIHA consider it as a low embodied energy material or not? Further, is there any list for low embodied energy material with GRIHA for reference?
Criterion 12 : Use of low-energy materials in interiors
Criterion 13 : Adoption of green Lifestyle
Criterion 14 : Innovation
PRECERTIFICATION
General
- (#778) Inconsistency in sanctioned plans and working drawings
- Is it mandatory to submit all test reports during pre-certification if the project is not going for Environmental Clearance?
- Would a project be eligible for precertification If it’s in a preliminary stage with no approval drawings?
- What are the benefits of GRIHA pre certification for an upcoming project?
- I want to know about upcoming pre certified GRIHA projects in Noida or Greater Noida (Commercial or Residential).
- Can hospital buildings apply for GRIHA Pre-certification?
GRIHA for Existing Buildings (EB)
Criterion 1: Accessibility to Basic Services
Criterion 2: Microclimatic Impact
Criterion 3: Maintenance, Green Procurement and Waste Management
Criterion 4: Metering & Monitoring
Criterion 5: Energy Efficiency
- (#8197) Equipment and meters under tenants scope in existing building
- (#8194) Submission requirement for energy consumption
- Please explani no cost EEMs, in apprasial 5.1.2
- Do we have to do calibrated energy simulations for the Energy credits? Or just implement the ECM's?
- Are points awarded for use of emission reduction from diesel generators by the use of emission control technologies?
- What is EEm's?
Criterion 6: Renewable Energy Utilization
Criterion 7 : Water Footprint
Criterion 8 : Reduction in Cumulative Water Performance
Criterion 9: Achieving Indoor Comfort Requirements
- Can ECOTECT radiance be used for daylight simulation?
- In the case of not meeting day lighting requirement of 25%. Since it is an existing building how should the project approach the situation.
- Also both daylight measurement and simulation has to be performed for daylight compliance?
- If it’s an air-conditioned building Temperature and RH has to be taken?