GRIHA Help Centre
General
Due Diligence
- 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?
- How is the project management team informed about the observations during the GRIHA Due Diligence / Site Visit?
GRIHA Prakriti
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 MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy) for green campuses?
- 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?
Monthly Mailers
Online Panel
- 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?
- Can the client access the web panel with project detail? If yes, then what is the process?
- We have logged in for the first time after registration. Please let us know how to access individual criterion for preparing the documentation as per project requirement.
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
- 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?
- We need to get our product enlisted in your catalogue. Can you please suggest the procedure?
- Parameters to register products for Green ratings.
- Procedure to get your product enlisted in our catalogue.
Rating/Documentation Process
- 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)?
- Is there a specific format for uploading the clarifications to the comments raised by GRIHA Council after the first review?
- How long does it take to get GRIHA Certification? What is the process for getting the Certification?
- Can the documentation be submitted partially?
Rated Projects
Reference Material
- 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 is GRIHA V 2015 going to come into effect and when will the updated manuals be available?
- Where can we find the detailed/ reference document or manual for GRIHA version 3.0 apart from the addendum on the GRIHA portal.
- What are the contents of the GRIHA Manual V2?
Registration & Fees
- Is there any restriction on how old the building should be to go for EB Rating?
- Can we have GRIHA rating for Existing Buildings applicable on Residential Colonies? If yes, How?
- Can we register the project under GRIHA with the ‘good for construction’ drawing?
- Can a Data Center project be registered for GRIHA rating?
- Can we apply for SVAGRIHA in case of variation between on-site construction and Municipal Approval drawing?
- What is the procedure to get Pre-certification under SVAGRIHA?
Training
- 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?
- What are the reference materials for CP exam?
GRIHA
Criterion 1: Site Selection
Criterion 2: Low-impact design
Criterion 3: Design to mitigate UHIE
- 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?
- What is the right approach to calculate the net paved area for criterion 05 (GRIHA Version 3)?
- A project is using interlocked concrete paver blocks with gaps, laid over sand bed as pervious paving. Is this composition considered pervious to comply with the criterion 05 (GRIHA Version 3)?
- Are concrete blocks or concrete road acceptable as high SRI material for paving under Criterion 5 (GRIHA Version 3)?
- Is it necessary to provide the parking inside the hostel premises, when it’s located inside a campus?
Criterion 5: Air and pollution control
Criterion 6: Preserve & protect landscape during construction
- Why should there be only one standard to determine and decide if the soil has enough nutrients or not?
- What is the minimum soil nutrient level for all regions in India?
- Can we store top soil in layers of more than 40 cm thickness as we have a space constraint on our site?
- Is it possible to get the soil testing done at NABL accredited labs?
- Is it possible to get the soil testing done at NABL accredited labs?
- We are proposing transplantation for the existing trees on site. However, there is not enough space available on site. Can we transplant the trees in any forest area after taking due permission from the respective authority?
Criterion 8: Energy efficiency
- What will be the EPI for a naturally ventilated hostel building?
- Since ECBC 2017 has been released, should GRIHA projects comply with the requirements of ECBC 2017?
- What should be the Energy Performance Index (EPI) for airports?
- Is the ECBC clause for motors applicable to a naturally ventilated residential building?
- Are motors running for less than 1500 hours per year exempted as per ECBC?
- Can we reuse Air Conditioners from another building in a GRIHA project?
Criterion 9: Renewable energy utilization
- 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?
- How can a project comply with the mandatory requirement in Criterion 18 of GRIHA v3, in case of phase wise construction?
- Is it mandatory to consider solar PV system to meet 1% of the total lighting and AC connected load?
Criterion 10: Zero ODP materials
Criterion 11: Achieving indoor comfort requirements (visual/ thermal/ acoustic)
- How should the compliance for daylight be met in a building? Is it calculated floor wise or consolidated per building?
- Are the noise levels to be monitored only during the occupied hours of the building, or between 6 am to 9 pm as specified in GRIHA Manual?
- Will SRR be calculated for a hospital building with central open courtyard, which is not conditioned and has proposed landscape features?
- Can report generated through Revit software be used as a thermal comfort compliance document?
- Why is thermal comfort required in circulation spaces where human activity is extremely low?
- Is there a change in the SHGC values in GRIHA V 3 and GRIHA 2015?
Criterion 12: Maintaining good IAQ
Criterion 13: Use of low VOC paints and other compounds in building interiors
- 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?
- What should be the VOC limit for ’adhesive' used to apply Vinyl flooring?
Criterion 14: Use of low flow fixtures and systems
- 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?
- What should be the number of uses for various water fixtures in a Commercial project?
- What is the baseline criterion of water use for Indian WC's flush in Criterion 11 (GRIHA Version 03)?
- How can a builder make sure that the tenants follow requirements of Criterion 11 (GRIHA Version 03) in their leased apartments?
Criterion 15: Reducing landscape water demand
- Can the water requirements for landscape irrigation be excluded for the monsoon months?
- What is the plant factor for exotic trees on ground?
- Is it acceptable to use any low flow hose nozzles/ sprayers connected to a hose pipe to earn 1 point?
- How can the tree area be calculated in Criterion 10 (GRIHA Version 3) if either ground cover or lawn comes under the tree? Please clarify the correct course of action if lawn and trees are overlapping each other.
- If a client wishes to go forward with manual irrigation then what should be done for criterion 10 (GRIHA Version 3)? What measures can be taken by the landscape architect in this case?
- What is the Irrigation system efficiency for manual watering in Criterion 10 (GRIHA Version 3)?
Criterion 16: Water quality
- 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
- 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?
- Can the treated water quantity be considered in Criterion 21 (GRIHA Version 03) if the water is not being used on site?
- During monsoon the potable water demand for our project will be met by rainwater harvesting. How should the rainwater tank size be calculated in Criterion 21 (GRIHA Version 03)?
Criterion 18: Rainwater recharge
- Kindly provide the peak hourly rainfall data for Delhi & Gangtok.
- 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
- What documents are needed to demonstrate non- applicability in Criterion 21 (GRIHA Version 03)?
Criterion 19: Utilization of BIS recommended waste materials in building structure
- What is the percentage of conventional red bricks that is allowed in criterion 19?
- Will using 6 mm sand cement plaster and 6 mm gypsum plaster with wall putty impact GRIHA norms?
- Except for a small part of the building, AAC blocks are used for all the wall constructions. Are we eligible for points under Criterion 15 of GRIHA v3?
- Is Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS) accepted as a waste material in GRIHA?
- The structural engineer of a particular project states that fly ash bricks as per GRIHA’s specification are not available in market. So how can be Criterion 15 (GRIHA Version 03) complied with?
- In Criterion 15 (GRIHA Version 03), the calculation of fly ash content needs to be done based on weight or volume?
Criterion 20: Reduction in embodied energy of building structure
- 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?
- Do gypsum partitions qualify in Criteria 16 (GRIHA Version 3) for reduction in embodied energy?
- Can we get points in Criterion 15 as well as Criterion 16 (GRIHA V3) by using fly ash?
Criterion 21: Use of low-environmental impact materials in building interiors
- Will a 3rd party certificate be required if the project uses products from the GRIHA product catalogue?
- What is the meaning of built-in furniture under Criterion 17 of GRIHA v3?
- Can doors and window frames made of best quality, well-seasoned Ghana Teak or Ivory Cost or Burma Border wood be considered as low energy material in interiors?
- Are flamed granite and flamed kota considered as low embodied energy products?
- Does GRIHA award points for use of regional materials that are extracted and processed within certain distance from the project site?
- Will FSC certificate for engineered wood be accepted by GRIHA for Criterion 21?
Criterion 22: Avoided post construction landfill
- 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
Criterion 24: Labor safety and sanitation
Criterion 28: Smart metering and monitoring
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
Criterion 31: Innovation
GRIHA LD
Resource impact : Site Planning
Energy (Developmental Quality)
Energy (Self Sufficiency)
- 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?
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?
Water and waste water management (Developmental Quality)
- 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 2 : Passive architectural design and systems
- 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
- 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
Criterion 12 : Use of low-energy materials in interiors
Criterion 13 : Adoption of green Lifestyle
PRECERTIFICATION
General
- 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?
- Is Precertification for GRIHA - LD possible?
GRIHA Existing Buildings (EB)
Criterion 2: Microclimatic Impact
Criterion 4: Metering & Monitoring
Criterion 5: Energy Efficiency
Criterion 6: Renewable Energy Utilization
Criterion 7 : Water Footprint
Criterion 8 : Reduction in Cumulative Water Performance
- What is meant by cumulative water performance?
- What rainfall should be considered while calculating rainwater harvesting system?
- Base case for landscape will be 100% lawn areas?
- Base case for flow fixtures will be as per GRIHA baselines from current book?
- What about cooling tower water use? Do we get any extra credit for this?
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?