Now generate solar energy from rooftops

 

With the swift advancement of technology, the latest invention is creating solar energy from terrace tops. This is one of the best ideas of space utilisation wherein the terrace of residential and commercial buildings can be used to generate solar power. This Initiative is taken by the government of Gujarat which has aimed to launch two pilot projects in the state capital Gandhinagar.

Each of these projects will generate 5 MW of solar power and have aimed to work towards the extension of this service to five other cities in the coming months. This project in Gandhinagar is the first of its kind in the entire country as it also aims to create a mark for the green energy generation at the household-level.

Gujarat has planned to merge Vadodara, Mehsana, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Surat together to take up the solar rooftop power project with 30MW capacity. These projects are still in the process of functioning and will be taken up by the Gujarat Power Corporation (GPCL).

The concept of Micro generation in Gujarat:

The Gujarat Power Corporation (GPCL) has approached various bidders who can purchase the request for proposal (RFP) documents for these five solar roof-top projects. However, the two pilot projects are being developed under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model in a venture with Azure Sun Energy. Since the initiation of PPP projects, the government had seen a great progress which in turn led the government to set up the roof-top solar project in the other five cities.

How does this project work?

The scheme allows the solar rooftop project developer t o build, finance, own, operate and maintain the solar photovoltaic system units. These will be further connected to the state electricity grid. To create the solar energy on rooftops, the project developers will rent the rooftops of the housing societies along with commercial establishments to launch their solar units. The generated power will then be sold to the state electricity distribution company.

For setting up this project in Gandhinagar, a sum of Rs. 3 per unit for the solar power generated will be paid as green incentive and this has further, moved forward to the terraces of private homes, commercial buildings and government property.

Talking about the mechanics of this project, the photovoltaic modules which consists of an array of the solar cells or the solar panels in the system converts the sunlight directly into the DC power. This is further converted into AC power through an inverter. The project in Gandhinagar uses a special type of inverter which is known as the grid-interactive inverter. However, there is no provision yet to have the power flow into the individual homes and the electrical grid simultaneously. Also for the project in Gandhinagar, the GPCL has imposed a certain restrictions related to the age and the size of the buildings hosting solar power.

For the Gandhinagar pilot project, GPCL had imposed certain restrictions on the age or size of buildings that will host the solar panels. Likewise, buildings applying for the projects should not be aged more than 8-10 years old and the minimum super built up area required is 1,500-2,000 square feet. It is also said that the properties will not be located in a commercial locality of a city or nearby a business district and instead will be situated on an arterial road not less than 40 feet width. Both the project developer and the property owner can take care of the maintenance.

Benefits of the rooftop solar power generation:

A landlord renting out his rooftop for solar power generation will make quite a handsome amount. The scheme lets the owner to earn a green incentive calculated on a per-unit basis of power of the generated solar power which automatically translates the power into direct source which can be paid on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.

How to Generate Electricity at Your Home?

 

The rapidly depleting fuels and energy sources are creating need of alternate power solutions. Moreover, electricity bills will continue to get more expensive over time. The biggest challenge lies in generating cost effective and eco-friendly solutions.

Here comes green electricity which is produced from sources that does not leave negative impact on the environment. It is always best to reduce dependency on foreign resources which will definitely give a sustainable future. This will not only benefit oneself but will also give rise to eco-friendly environment.

Make your Home a “Self sufficient Home”.

A self sufficient home offers simple and cost effective life. It does take a large amount of dedication and initial investment. People grow their own food, generate their own electricity and raise their own livestock. One can generate power at home by implementing energy-generating technologies such as solar panels, bio-gas and wind turbines.

Electricity Generation at Your Home

The practical and economical sources of electricity generated at farm or home include ‘renewable’ sources such as wind, bio waste and sunlight.

Small wind energy system

Such systems are generally installed at homes, farms and small businesses either to reduce electricity bills or as a source of backup electricity. Generally small wind turbines range between in size from 300 watts to 3KW. An average home can save two months of electricity with a one KW residential wind turbine. The number depends on efficiency of the turbine and on the area and size of house.
Following conditions are essential to install a commercial scale wind energy system :

1. The area must be of minimum one acre and should possess good wind resource.
2. Permission from municipal authority to install wind turbines which should be 250-300 mts away from neighbor’s house.
3. Your electricity bills should be high and should have easy access to utility lines.

Vertical axis wind turbine and Horizontal axis wind turbine are commonly used wind turbines. Small wind turbines are mountable on roof top for domestic applications and it stores power in battery.Wind Energy is Environment friendly,  pollution free energy and it does not emit Green House Gases.

Treating bio waste

Bio-fuels obtained from biological waste can also be used to produce electricity. The gas obtained by decomposing waste is safer, eco-friendly and stinks.
The treatment of domestic organic waste and food results in bio energy which is a renewable source of energy. It is used for producing heat, electricity and transport fuels. The domestic bio waste can be treated hygienically by using bio mechanization technology to produce cooking oil.
For installation purpose, it needs one square meter of space and one to fours hours of time. It will not only reduce tendency to throw waste on roads and public places but will also help in overcoming fuel crisis.
The municipal corporation of Vijayawada has plans to install affordable portable bio gas plants in several compounds like households,apartments and hotels. The capacity of these plants would vary between one kg to thousand kg.

Electricity from Solar Panels

 Rooftop solar power plants
Installing rooftop solar power plants is the best example of space utilization along with producing electricity. It can be set up on the terrace of both residential and commercial buildings to generate solar power.
Rooftop solar power plants are designed to meet the domestic needs of the people who have fear of huge bill. Such people use air conditioners, washing machines water-heaters and other home appliances very frequently. The photovoltaic cells of the panel convert solar energy into direct current.
A battery back up can also be attached to the system for power in night. A landlord renting out his rooftop for solar power generation will get good returns.

Solar Thermal or Solar water heater

The free and natural heat of sun can be utilised to hear water via Solar. Installing a climate friendly hot water system can save your energy bill and saves environment. Such heating systems can be installed on the terrace of individual homes and apartment blocks.(Single or smaller systems). A storage tank is mounted horizontally over the solar collectors on the roof. An electric booster is used to heat water in winters.

Solar lighting for apartment common areas

Even solar panels can be used in for lighting in common areas like staircase,parking space. It will lower down the maintenance cost for the flat-owners’ association. It will also make a big difference in common area as well as to the apartment owner.

 

Some innovative ways to generate electricity

• Bicycle Power: The bicycle powered generator can be used to generate electricity. The idea is not new and is widely used in many countries. In 2012, Mysore palace (India)was lightened up for an hour with 10 bicycles pedaled for 10 hours.
• Dance Power: Extra power can be generated by using high-energy environment of the dance party. Dance floor generators are installed for this purpose. It will generate power for the lights and sound system.

Products and Services offered by vendors

Many vendors provide service to different kinds of solar and wind systems such as solar pool heat exchanger, DC solar pump, solar one solar lightning, solar water heater, uni solar laminate, solar hot water tubes and many more.
Along with wide range of products they offer services like consulting, design of renewable energy systems, installation, commissioning etc.

Solar Home Solutions

The ever increasing energy cost is pushing mankind in trouble. It is the time to go “Solar” and live a sustained life along with vast environmental benefits. Solar energy is massively distributed offering wide variety of solar solutions to small households to big industries. It offers state of art solutions which lower down electricity costs significantly.
Some solar solutions for homes are as follows:

Solar Water Heater

Solar water heaters are designed to use free and natural heat of sun to warm domestic hot water. Widely used in Australia, Austria, China, Cyprus, Greece, India, Israel, Japan and Turkey, the heating system involves mounting of a storage tank horizontally just above the solar collectors on the roof. In winters, a gas or electric booster is used to heat the water.Apart from commercial ones, one can also build solar water heating system at small scale level. In this regard, plans are available on the internet.

Benefits
Free and natural hot water
Big savings on energy costs
Reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Very low maintenance costs

Solar Power Generator

 

Solar powered backup system offers instant, free and continuous supply of electrical power. It can produce up to 1800 watts of household electricity on demand. The sunlight collector along with photo voltaic cell capture large quantity of sunlight which is transformed into electricity.

Benefits
Viable, portable and cheaper
Perfect back up solution in emergency
Maximum power in minimum time
Offer multiple uses
Does not require maintenance and fuel
No noise and fumes

Solar UPS

Available at nominal prices, Solar UPS is ideal for small offices and homes.The battery is charged by solar panels or AC electric connection. The system is available in wide range and can be designed as per customer requirement. It can also be used for PCs in Cyber cafe, computer labs in school, colleges, training institutes, cad centers, etc

Benefits
Economical and maintenance free
Offer multiple uses
Noiseless in operation

Solar Inverter

 

Solar inverter converts variable direct current from solar panel into alternating current. Sometimes batteries are also used. It is available in extensive range suitable for both both residential home to multi megawatt power plant.

Benefits
Saves time
Easy to install
Cost effective
Environment friendly

Roof-top Solar Power Plant

 

Rooftop solar power plants aims to meet the domestic needs of the individuals. It is generally preferred by people who have fear of huge bill i.e who often use air conditioners, water-heaters and washing machines and other home appliances. The photovoltaic cells of the panel convert solar energy into direct current. A battery back up can be connected to the system to supply power in night.

Benefits
Saves time
Easy to install
Cost effective
Environment friendly

Solar Lantern

Solar Lanterns have replaced kerosene lamps with LED or CFL. LED Lanterns are rechargeable and very affordable. While CFL lanterns have inbuilt mobile charge option and have long life.

Benefits
Durable and cost effective
Low maintenance cost
Good back up

Solar Reading Lamp

Solar Ready lamps are wirelss, easy to use and carry. It can be used for multiple purposes. It requires 8-10 hours for charging.

Benefits
Highly durable
Require less maintenance

Solar Toys

Solar games and solar powered educational toys use small solar panels. Such toys are cheaper and engage children in learning.

Benefits
Easy to use and reliable
Increase creativity of the kids
Ensure optimum performance
Solar solutions make life simple and cost effective. Being one of the most environmentally friendly electric generation resources, solar power has wide range of applications. It just require and initial investment which lasts for over 10 years.

How to manage your waste at home?

 

Waste is constantly generated in apartments, complexes and buildings. Like cleaning and hoovering, putting trash out is also considered a chore in daily routine. However, people living in apartments are finding themselves with high level of trash, owing to the increase in whole range of wrappers of food, product packages, food waste and other materials which they want to get rid of.
Managing domestic waste has become a necessity. Methods for reducing waste, reusing waste and recycling and composting waste are best options for managing your home waste. Following are some steps for best management of your home waste.

Reduce Trash When You Shop

Reducing household waste is a difficult task but by paying a little attention you can reduce it to some extent:

• Check the amount of packaging on the products you are buying.
• Choose packages that are recyclable.
• Purchase large packs instead of multiple small packets and bottles.
• Cook more at home and consume less of bottled drinking water.

Segregation of Waste:

It is very important to segregate waste before disposing of it. Segregating waste reduces the waste you put out and makes it simpler to recycle and compost. Waste can be segregated as-

• Dry waste: keep separate plastic for dry waste like flowers, papers, plastic, glass and metal as they can be reused and recycled.
• Wet waste: wet waste like vegetables, kitchen waste, fruit peels, tea leaves, egg shells and fish scales etc. should be kept in separate plastic as they can be used as compost.
• Hazardous waste: Hazardous waste includes e-waste i.e. batteries, wires, electronic toys, remotes, bulbs, tube lights; toxic waste i.e paints, insecticides, their containers; and biomedical waste i.e expired medicines, tubes, used cosmetics, thermometer and used syringes. These should be disposed of daily.

 

 

Reduce the amount of waste you create

Reducing waste you throw away has a direct impact, apart from Segregation of waste following can also be done to reduce the amount of waste

• Repair the usable items instead of throwing them away.
• Don’t throw away the things you don’t want anymore. Give it to someone in need or sell it.
• Buy products that are durable and have long life and reduce turnover of clothes and other products.
• Avoid unnecessary purchases of products, clothes and other appliances.

Reusing The Reusable:

• Instead of throwing away everything, you should reuse whatever you can. You can reuse the following:
• Plastic and paper bags can be reused while shopping.
• Plastic bottles and containers can be reused in the kitchen.
• Papers can be used for making creative things.

Recycling And Composting:

Home composting is simple. Put all the wet waste kept separately in a compost bin and let nature take care of it. This compost can be used for your plants and garden to make them healthy. Also many farmers, farming companies and community gardens interested in organic compost, so compost waste can be sold to interested parties. Recyclable materials can be collected by the council or by private waste collection companies for their use. You just have to inform them about it.

Collective Efforts:

All the residents should take collective actions for reducing and managing the waste generated in their apartment. All residents should segregate their waste. There should be separate waste collection bins for different waste. There should be a common compost bin for all residents. The association should create awareness among residents regarding proper waste management.

Rainwater Harvesting-Do it yourself

Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is the act of capturing rainwater and either storing it for use or recharging it into the ground. In Apartments, water from clean catchments (roof) can be routed properly through suitable conduits into a filter. Filtered water can be stored in storage structures for subsequent use. Surface run off can be used to recharge the ground water. This is achieved by recharge wells and/or direct tube-well recharge. The following strategy has been found most suitable for rainwater harvesting implementation.

• Storage of rainwater for direct use: Priority is given to capture as much of the run-off rainwater in storage such as sumps, on-ground tanks or tanks on terraces at intermediate levels (e.g.: sit outs / balconies). However for such a strategy, the run-off only from clean areas can be tapped. It is important that these catchment areas be free from any form of chemical or other toxic contamination and dust content is as low as possible. Typically roof areas qualify well for such a strategy. The water from this run-off is first rain separated, filtered and then let into the storage. The water can be used for all household purposes such as bathing, washing, cleaning, gardening etc directly and can even be used for potable purposes if subsequently it is passed through filters to deal with bacteriological contamination (E.g.: aquaguard filters, boiling etc).

• Groundwater recharge: Excess run-off from above mentioned clean surfaces, run-off from other surfaces such as roads, garden area etc can then is redirected for groundwater recharge. The most effective recharge structure has been found to be a recharge well whose depth is a minimum of around 20 feet. These recharge wells recharge the shallow aquifer. Water needs to be distilled adequately before allowing the water into recharge wells. The location of the recharge wells need to be chosen strategically – both where significant run-off water passes through the recharge well location and which is close to existing bore wells. Recharge wells, over time will help replenish groundwater. If the ground water table rises above the bottom of the recharge well, the recharge well can be used as a withdrawal well. The diagram below illustrates the principle of recharge.

Components of Rainwater Harvesting

1. Conduit/ Pipes
2. Filtration
3. Storage Structures
4. Recharge Structures

• Conduit/ Pipes: Rainwater pipes/conduits carry water from the roof top to the ground. These pipes have to be connected and drawn to the required location by providing sufficient slope so that the water flows with gravity and no water is stored in the pipes after rain stops. The pipes can also be laid underground but sufficient care has to be taken in order to avoid damage to the pipe because of the vehicular movement. The cost of piping depends on various factors like quality of pipe and length of piping works to be done and many other site conditions.

• Filtration: Rainwater has to be filtered for silt and suspended impurities before allowing into any of the storage structures in order to store it for a longer time. Some of the filtration methods can be implemented.

1. First rain separator: It is a mechanism where in first few minutes of rain which carries most of the impurities from the roof are not allowed to pass into the filter or storage structures. It reduces the amount of silt / debris flowing into the filter or storage structures. This in turn reduces maintenance of filter and cleaning of the storage structure.
2. Filter: Rainwater from the roof carries dust and suspended particles from the roof top. These impurities have to be filtered before allowing the water for storage. This can be achieved by passing the rain water through a chamber having layers of graded aggregates and a layer of charcoal. The suspended particles get trapped in the aggregate bed and charcoal adsorbs gases and odor if any. Filter also reduces the velocity of water and hence helps in sedimentation of fine particles in the filter.
3. Underground / Subsurface Filters: In case it is not possible to provide filters over the ground, underground filters can be constructed. The principle of filtration remains the same but the filter will have 2 chambers with the filter media and the water flows through the filter media and moves to the second chamber through the underground pipe.

• Storage Structures: Rainwater can also be stored in HDPE tanks for secondary uses. This procedure involves construction of a small pedestal and placing the HDPE Tank on the Pedestal and connecting the rainwater pipe to the Tank after First rain Separation unit. The water stored in the rain barrel can only be used for non potable purposes like gardening, car washing etc. Proper overflow pipe should be provided in order to avoid water logging near the rain barrel.

• Recharge Structures: Ground water can be recharged using recharge wells. Ground water recharge helps in reviving the underground water level and can act as an additional source of water if recharged consistently. Recharge wells are constructed by digging the earth, placing concrete rings and packing the outer space of the ring using boulders.

Major Advantages of Rainwater Harvesting

• A well planned RWH system can reduce up to 30% of the water requirement from other conventional sources like bore well or municipal supply.

• Rainwater Harvesting provides reliable supply of water in rainy season.

• Can be a major source of drinking water if the other available sources of water are not fit for drinking.

• Reduces the electrical power consumption as pumping water from deeper bore wells is reduced.

• Reduces the consumption of municipal water hence reduces the stress on centralized water supply board.

• Reduces chocking or flooding of the storm water drains as most of the water is captured at the household level.

• Replenishes the groundwater and secures the availability of water for dry seasons.

This article is contributed by “Mr. Kiram Rao, From Hinren Technologies Pvt Ltd“. Thanks to Mr. Kiram Rao & Hinren Technologies for contributing this article to Mahalwalas Realty

All about Rain Water Harvesting

Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) is the act of capturing rainwater and either storing it for use or recharging it into the ground. In Apartments, water from clean catchments (roof) can be routed properly through suitable conduits into a filter. Filtered water can be stored in storage structures for subsequent use.

 

Surface run off can be used to recharge the ground water. This is achieved by recharge wells and/or direct tube-well recharge. Following are important Components of Rainwater Harvesting system.

1. Conduit / Pipes
2. Filtration
3. Storage Structures
4. Recharge Structures

Conduits/Pipes

Rainwater pipes/conduits carry water from the roof top to the ground. These pipes have to be connected and drawn to the required location by providing sufficient slope so that the water flows with gravity and no water is stored in the pipes after rain stops. The pipes can also be laid underground but sufficient care has to be taken in order to avoid damage to the pipe because of the vehicular movement. The cost of piping depends on various factors like quality of pipe and length of piping works to be done and many other site conditions.

Filtration

Rainwater has to be filtered for silt and suspended impurities before allowing into any of the storage structures in order to store it for a longer time.
Below are some of the filtration methods which can be implemented.

• First Rain Separator: First rain separator is a mechanism where in first few minutes of rain which carries most of the impurities from the roof are not allowed to pass into the filter or storage structures. First rain separators play a major role in rainwater harvesting structures by reducing the amount of silt / debris flowing into the filter or storage structures. This in turn reduces maintenance of filter and cleaning of the storage structure. First rain separators can also act as bypass arrangement if the rain water is not to be collected.

Design: Provide a capacity of 0.2 to 0.3 Litres per square meter of the roof area in case the roof is maintained clean.

• First Rain separator by using Y Joints in the Conduit: This can be designed by providing a Y joint for the rainwater pipes at about 8 – 10 feet height and closing the end of the down flow pipe using and threaded end cap. The Other end of the Y joint can be connected to the Filter or storage Structure. First few minutes of rain collects in the pipe till the water level rises to the Y joint level once the water starts flowing to the filter or storage structure. The silt and dirt in the water collects at the bottom of the pipe which has to be cleaned by opening the end cap at least once in a week. A drain hole has to be provided on the cap which ensures that the pipe gets emptied after every rain.

• Filter: Rainwater from the roof carries dust and suspended particles from the roof top. These impurities have to be filtered before allowing the water for storage. This can be achieved by passing the rain water through a chamber having layers of graded aggregates and a layer of charcoal. The suspended particles get trapped in the aggregate bed and charcoal adsorbs gases and odour if any. Filter also reduces the velocity of water and hence helps in sedimentation of fine particles in the filter.

Design: The size of the filter depends on the roof area and the cleanliness of the roof. The filter can be designed to a capacity of 0.5 to 0.8 Liters per square meter of the roof area.

Typical filter constructed at site

 

• Underground / Subsurface Filters: In case it is not possible to provide filters over the ground, underground filters can be constructed. The principle of filtration remains the same but the filter will have 2 chambers. The water flows through the filter media and moves to the second chamber through the underground pipe.

Typical Subsurface filter installed at site

Storage Structures

There are various options available for the construction of these tanks with respect to the shape, size and the material of construction.
Design of Underground Sump: If a new underground sump has to be constructed for the above capacity the size of the sump would be 1.5 M x 1.5 M x 1.2 M or 4 feet x 5 feet x 5 feet (Every Cubic feet holds approximately 28 Ltrs of water). Underground sumps up to 20,000 Litres can be constructed of brick or solid concrete masonry. If the required volume is higher the sump must be constructed of RCC with proper design.

Note: In most cases additional infrastructure like Sumps or recharge wells may not be required. Existing tanks can easily be used to store rainwater.

• Cost of Construction of a New Sump: A new underground sump constructed out of brick masonry will cost approximately Rs. 11 per liter and RCC sump costs approximately Rs. 14 per liter. For the given tank capacity, the cost of construction in Brick Masonry will be 2700 x 11 = Rs. 29,700.

The cost of Construction in RCC would be 2700 x 14 = Rs. 37,800

• Storage in Rain Barrels: Rainwater can also be stored in HDPE tanks for secondary uses. This procedure involves construction of a small pedestal and placing the HDPE Tank on the Pedestal and connecting the rainwater pipe to the Tank after First rain Separation unit. The water stored in the rain barrel can only be used for non potable purposes like gardening, car washing etc… Proper overflow pipe should be provided in order to avoid water logging near the rain barrel.

Typical Rain barrel installed at site

Approximate Cost of Rain barrel Installation

Recharge Structures

Ground water can be recharged using recharge wells. Ground water recharge helps in reviving the underground water level and can act as an additional source of water if recharged consistently.

• Recharge well: Recharge wells are constructed by digging the earth, placing concrete rings and packing the outer space of the ring using boulders.

Recharge Wells constructed at site

Below table can guide you to decide on the size and depth of the recharge well for the required capacity.


Note: The Cost mentioned is approximate and varies on many factors like the soil condition, ground water level, presence of rocks etc.

This article is contributed by “Mr. Kiram Rao, From Hinren Technologies Pvt Ltd“. Thanks to Mr. Kiram Rao & Hinren Technologies for contributing this article to Mahalwalas Realty

How apartments can make money from garbage?

 

Proper solid waste management in apartments can be a source for making money.

Proper disposal of domestic waste has been a talking point for a long time. Projects on solid waste management have been initiated at various corporation levels but poor waste collection practices have halted its significant progress. As the governmental intervention in waste collection is poor, some companies have joined hands with residential societies for waste management and helping them to make money from garbage.

Poor waste management in India

 

Waste management is serious challenge in India. India has a large number of Rag pickers in each city and town owing to immense poverty and large scale population. Even with such a large quantum of Rag pickers, India dumps majority of its domestic waste without segregating it into types of waste.

All types of waste including paper, metals, plastics and other wet contaminants all have their own waste management yardsticks. The Indian paper industry alone imports more than 4.6 million tons of waste paper from Europe each year costing more than Rs 3750 crores. Considering the fact that over 7 million tons of waste paper in India is wasted due to poor waste disposal techniques underlines the importance of having a solid waste management program that can segregate the waste and send the same for recycling.

How to make money from garbage?

 

If you are an apartment owner, there is good news for you as you can make some money by selling your domestic waste while doing your bit for the environment. Various non governmental organizations (NGOs) and private sector companies like ITC Ltd have initiated various projects where apartment owners are who enroll for the project gets an opportunity to make money from apartment garbage.

They are given dedicated waste bags for different waste products. All paper waste goes into one bag while all metal and plastic waste into their dedicated bags. At the end of each month, the wet contamination bag with non recyclable waste is given to the municipal authorities while the companies purchase the recyclable waste like paper waste and metallic waste at various pre fixed prices.

Housewives are more than happy to sell the waste just by taking some effort to segregate the waste at their end. ITC backed wealth out of waste project (WOW) for example collects the recyclable waste after paying Rs 4 per kg of paper and Rs 2 per kg for plastics and metals.

Tips to start and make money from garbage

 

• A team of like minded: Discuss your idea with like minded neighbors and make a team of like minded people. Let your apartment owners associations informed or involved in it.
• Awareness: Create awareness about the waste segregation at source and the concept of ‘Reduce-Reuse-Recycle’. Train all the maids and cooks and do Door-to-Door campaigning.
• Case study of Successful apartments: Visit nearby apartments and study the working of their waste management and how they make money from garbage.
• Categorize waste: Categorize the waste into two -wet and dry waste and run the pilot project for a month.
• Start earning: While there are various NGOs and private firms to buy recycle or dry wastes, similarly there are many nurseries and farmers who are ready to pay for the compost manure generated from the wet waste compost. Once the project is successfully implemented and your apartment started making money from garbage, introduce incentive schemes for the housekeepers and residents.
• Blogged about it: Share your apartment success story of making money from garbage in blogs and even a dedicated page in facebook to generate the public interest.

RWA’s Initiate Self Segregation

Considering the successful model of private companies in the waste management business, various residential societies and RWA’s have joined hands to make a foray into the same thereby earning money as well as cleaning up the environment. The housing societies are now collecting waste from each resident and segregating the waste at their end and selling it directly to recycling agencies.

The wet non recyclable contaminants are sent to the municipal corporation waste disposal plants. On the other hand all recyclable waste like medical waste is collected and then sold to a company dealing in recycling of such medical waste. The RWA’s have made sure that they are earning good profits by smartly segregating the waste at their end as well as doing their bit for a cleaner world.
Along with the money they earn by selling the waste, RWA’s are spreading awareness for a greener world. Considering that each ton of recycled paper prevents 17 trees from being felled along with over 7,000 gallons of water, selling waste is not able a good for finances but the environment too.

How to prevent water exploitation?

 

With the continuous increase in urban population, the people living in cities are facing the problem regarding fresh water supply. Underground water is one of the major sources of water in cities. But excess pumping of the groundwater and less recharging is causing imbalance in the water table. If the over-exploitation continues, the water of the reservoirs will get depleted, the wells will go dry and it will be difficult to get them replenished.

To prevent depletion of water reservoirs and reduce over-exploitation, it is very important to effectively recharge groundwater aquifers in large scale at residential, commercial and institutional buildings to percolate rainwater to water table.

Here are a few tips for recharging groundwater aquifers.

Recharging of bore wells: Bore wells can be recharged by directing filtered rainwater collected in filtration tank of the building to the wells. Rainwater is collected on the rooftop of the building and diverted to the filtration tank by drain pipes. In filtration tank water is filtered. First shower of the rain should be flushed out by separators.

Recharge pit:Recharge pits are small pits confined with brick or stone masonry walls with weep holes at regular intervals. These pits can be of any shape square, rectangular or circular. Filter materials should be filled at the bottom of the pit. The pit should be covered with perforated covers at the top. The capacity of the pit should be decided according to the catchment area, the intensity of rainfall and recharge rate of the soil.

Recharge dug wells: Dug wells are also used as recharge structure. Rainwater is diverted to these dug well from the catchment areas after passing it through a filtration bed. To enhance the recharge rate, it is very important to clean and desalt dug wells regularly.

Recharge trenches: Recharge trenches are suitable harvesting surface run-off. It is appropriate for small houses, gardens, playgrounds and roadsides, where the upper impenetrable layer of soil is shallow. The trench is dug in the ground and refilled with filter materials like pebbles, boulders or brickbats etc. The length of the trench depends on the expected run-off.

Percolation tanks: Percolation tanks are artificial recharge technique. In this method, a highly permeable land area is submerged to facilitate percolation to recharge the ground water. These can be built where land and topography are suitable.

How to convert a regular home into a green, energy-efficient building?

 

Let’s first make the distinction, for the sake of convenience and clarity, between an ‘ecologically sustainable home’ and a ‘green home’. The former is something that you build with materials that make for the least use of exhaustible natural resources—a typical farmer’s house is the best example, with a combination of clay walls, cow dung surfaces, thatch roofs, limestone-coated walls. There have been homes in the urban context that have attempted to use some ‘traditional’ elements but not always with success on reducing use of natural resources.

What is labelled in current times as a ‘green home’ is what you create, architect and engineer as a regular urban home, taking in to account use of building materials for floors, walls and roofs and windows, the use of systems that reduce consumption of water and energy without compromising comfort or convenience. If you are willing to spend a little more as capital cost at the start, you can secure savings into the future that can help you recoup your additional capital cost over 5 to 10 years, depending on the feature that you are adding to your ‘green home’. These could be smarter household appliances, pumps, fans etc.

Green homes can help you save as much 30 to 50 per cent in your energy bills. With the right elements in place, you can rely less on fresh water and therefore increase water security. Beyond savings, green homes can help you generate a bit of wealth from waste, by managing its conversion into either manure or compost or even energy for your kitchen. The important thing is that a ‘green home’ in the urban context will help and enable you to reduce your dependence on government infrastructure for water, energy and waste.

First, green homes don’t cost more; they need a different approach to design and planning; they need your effort to find the right vendors for the right inputs that can offer your solutions that either cut energy and water bills; or increase life cycle of products you install at home.
It is a question of how you spend the money and not how much more or less you spend in building a green home as opposed to a regular home with conventional materials that we have known for the last 50 to 60 years.

The ‘cost’, like in any house, is to do with what you want in a house. Where a green home distinguishes itself is, in the way you have employed materials. For example, using soil blocks instead of bricks increases the duration of your building. It also helps you avoid plastering externally (and therefore cost) while adding to the aesthetic of the building.

Use of natural floors increases aesthetic appeal and even therapeutic value of your house. Ask anyone with arthritis or rheumatism, who walks barefoot at home on vitrified or ceramic tile floors, and then for some months on natural floors. Their pains dramatically ease with natural floors!
So green homes is not about price. It is a whole new order of the future. It is building technology that emerges from careful thought on design and on human needs.

In India, 10 years ago, when ‘green’ was the word for only the colour, the few green buildings that were created by pioneers like the IGBC itself, The Energy Resources Institute, ZED Group in the private sector, and a few others, witnessed a capital cost delta of about 16 to 18 per cent in going green. Today, that figure has come down to a cost differential of zero. This means that a green building costs the same as a regular building, although the mainstream building industry and Indian industry at large are not willing to concede this for their lack of understanding of the design solutions, and the dearth of professional architects and service consultants who have learnt the ropes on building such energy efficiency into their design approaches.

The sum and short of it is that clearly there is no cost difference. However, there is need for many thousands of professionals who can guide such approaches for promoters and managements of builder companies and industry at large.

Green Home Helps To Save Money and Environment

Green Home in India is not a new concept or a new thing to real estate in India. Today green home means a home or apartment project where builder or architect adopts green principles such as rainwater harvesting, effective waste management system and focusing on energy or water efficiency. Increasing conscious of health and environment has resulted in increase in demand for green homes in India. The combination of innovative green ideas and high technology not only helped real estate sector in India but also helped to save money and environment by reducing or eliminating wastage of water, energy & building material.

Everyone wants their home and neighborhood green and clean. It is not required that your home be expensive to make them green home. Builders and developers brings innovative technique to make their project affordable green home. But if you already own a home 5 or 10 years back and it is not a green home, don’t try to make them green by investing on expensive items or things that cannot be handled or maintained easily.

Convert existing homes to Green home

Simple and easy ways to save environment and covert your existing homes to Green home is replacing home appliance that sucks your electricity and replace taps or fittings that consumes your water. Insulating your homes, natural ventilation and lightings, landscaping and replacing with energy star appliance and water saving fixtures can help you to convert existing home to green home.
Bring greenery into homes by adopting balcony gardening, hanging or container garden etc. Use single color flower stick or a colorful bunch in bedroom or living room and ensure some extra oxygen with these plants.

Things to look when buying a Green Home

• Ensure the property is installed with water-saving devices and energy saving devices.

• When choosing flooring for your apartment, choose marbles as they are environment friendly.

• Granite has an advantage of absorbing heat and it is recommended for kitchen slabs.

• Choose location close to office, school and shopping or entertainment.

• If the location or distance between home and office is easy to commuting in bicycle, use bicycle once or twice in a week.

• Let natural sunlight into your house and prevent growth of bed bugs and mites.

• Reduce plastic and promote composting in your neighborhood.

• While painting your home or apartment, go for zero or low-VOC paint.

Guide to Choose Energy Saving Lights for Your Home

 

Every apartment in India uses about 6% or more of its electricity to lighting. There are various forms of lighting devices ranging from fluorescent light bulbs to halogen and LED lights which consume a lot of electricity. Choosing an appropriate lighting device/light bulb can help you save a lot of energy and money. To cut your electricity bills and make lighting more beneficial, you can switch onto energy efficient lighting. Various techniques like installing timers and motion sensors can help you save and reduce the usage of electricity when not in use.

Various countries have opted the low energy lighting for everyday use and inefficient lighting is tossed out. Today, there are a wide range of efficient lighting products available in the market. The main forms of lighting used as energy efficient are the traditional bulbs, compact fluorescents, LEDs, halogen lights, strip lights and luminaries/light fittings. Below are some ideas on how you can save up energy on lighting;

Energy saving incandescent bulbs: If you’re planning to change your lights in your bedroom or any other room, you can opt for the energy saving incandescent bulbs which save up 25% of energy rather than converting it into heat. These lights have a capsule inside them which holds gas around the filament to increase its lighting efficiency. They are not only efficient but can also last up to three times longer than the normal ones. You can buy them in wide range of shapes and colours and can also use it with dimmers.

 

The Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs): They are the curvy versions of the tube fluorescent lights which most of use and can be seen almost everywhere. Unlike the older lights the CFLs consume less electricity and can save you a lot of money for months. A CFL is also rated with an energy star to show that it uses about one fourth of its energy for lighting and can last ten times when compared to other bulbs. Like other lights, CFL lights also are available in various colours ranging from white to yellow tones. They are also encased in a cover to provide the similar shape of the bulb which you were previously using. Do not forget to check the package for these features while purchasing a dim light. The greatest advantage of using CFL bulbs are that they can be recycled and sold to a recycling mart.

Halogen lighting: They are the simplest forms of energy saving bulbs and last up to three times when compared to the other normal bulbs. You can decorate your room with halogen bulbs which come in a wide variety of colours and shapes and also save up a huge amount on your electricity.

The light emitting diode (LED): They are one of the most energy efficient bulbs and use the same technology to that of your cell phone indicator. They save up about 75%-80% electricity. These small lights are designed in a way where they can provide a brighter lighting to your room. They are one of the most developed and rapidly used forms of lighting. Similar to the CFLs they are also graded with an energy star and last up to 25 times more when compared to the normal bulbs. They are available in various replacements for the 60W, 75 W and 40W normal bulbs. An LED is quite an expensive light but is worthy enough as it saves a huge amount of energy.

Efficient strip lights: They are similar to the CFLs but are different in structure and are not twisted. They are the modern versions of tube lights which are more efficient, slim, faster to light up and emit brighter light. They are mostly used in chic places and you can use them in your home to give a classy look. One of the best positions to sue a strip light is to install it in a Reflected mounting place.

Tips for the usage of energy efficient light both indoors and outdoors;

• Replace all the traditional and older bulbs in and around your home with the energy saving lights. This can save up a huge amount of energy and money. Also opt for the energy star bulbs for best quality. The energy star bulbs are available in various shapes and sizes and can also be shopped online.
• If you’re remodelling your home, opt for the recessed cans or light fixtures rated for insulation and are air tight.
• It is advisable to opt for the Star qualified fixtures which are available in various colours, shapes and sizes.
• Installing timers and photocells will save a huge amount of energy and money by turning off the lights when not in use. Also installing dimmers will make an efficient usage of energy.
• It is always better to use natural lights by keeping your windows and doors open rather than using artificial lights during the day. Decorate your home with light colours so that the light reflects inside.
• The perfect devices for the outdoor lighting are the LEDs. Many of us use outdoor lighting for decorative purposes. LEDs and CFLs can be both used for outdoor lighting as they are durable and last long. They can also be recycles and are available as flood lights.
• The outdoor lighting fixtures also come with the energy star tag for you to opt for.

Guidelines to make your home climate sensitive

 

 It is very important to make our homes climate sensitive. With the increasing urbanization and converting of the Indian cities into concrete jungle, it has become very important to treat the building envelope with a sensitive touch – both keeping in mind the environmental implication and cost efficiency.

Thermal effect of building materials

Factors

The solar energy reaches the external wall of a building by radiation and then it travels across the building material by conduction. The heat flows across the unit material in a unit time, depends on the thermal conductivity of the material. The reciprocal of thermal conductivity is thermal resistance which is dependent on the thickness of the building material.

The heat capacity of the envelope of the material is the factor that determines the amount of heat the house absorbs and conducts.

The maximum temperature and the diurnal range are the two ambient characteristics required to be taken in to consideration while choosing materials for the external walls of an apartment building or house.

 

 

The third factor is the orientation and the external color of the building as they determine the absorption of solar radiation. After a threshold, temperature insulation is required to moderate the heat flow from the outer surface to the interiors of the building.

For climates where the diurnal temperature range is quite high, the materials with high thermal mass should be used and for hot and humid climates where the diurnal temperature range is not quite high, the lightweight materials are most appropriate.

However, recent studies have shown that even in the hot and humid climates where there is continuous ventilation, thermal mass can play a big role in providing thermal comfort during nights.

The color of the building material also plays a large role as it determines the amount of solar radiations absorbed. The darker color material absorbs more heat in comparison to the lighter color material. During extreme summers, the difference in the temperature of the room painted white and black was 6?.

You should consider the following to make your external walls and roof weather proof in the extreme hot and humid climate .

Roof

• Due to the heavy rainfall, it is very important to make the roof waterproof and if the building is not conditioned, the vents at the rooftop should be added to improve the air circulation. The hot air rises up and the vents on the top will help in letting the hot air  move out and thus creates a low pressure. This process will start the flow of air through the window and exit through the vents on the top.
  

  

• If the building is air-conditioned than, it becomes very important to insulate your roof. Since, this will restrict the heat flow through conduction from hot air outside to roof and from roof to the conditioned environment inside the building.
• Double roof or false ceiling is also one good method to restrict the roof from radiating heat inside during the daytime since, the space between the two roofs or the roof and the false ceiling acts as a heat buffer.

• Reflective foil insulation is another technology which is installed in the areas of the attic.  It is actually a material that is shiny and is used for reducing the costs of cooling and heating. Heat is reflected back in the summer days and it reduces the cost of air conditioning. Warm air is trapped by these insulators in the winter time reducing the cost of heating. The process of installation of these foils is very easy and you will be able to do it on your own, as there are no requirements of any special tools. it is a very good option for those who want to condition the air of your house in a way that would be energy efficient and be economic at the same time.  

Walls:

• For the wall in hot and humid climate, it is very important it to transmit less heat to the interiors and promotes airflow.
• Do not use wood cladding or any material, which is sensitive to water.
• Use the low e glass for the glazing.
• Use the light color for the exterior of the wall.

Tips for Green Living in Your House

 

Most of us crave to re-model our properties in India with different concepts. Few of us would like to concentrate on interior design while few others would like to convert the apartment into a healthy place to live in. One of such concepts is turning your home/apartment eco-friendly. Going green does not literally mean permanently renovating your building but to change your lifestyle and have a positive effect all around.

It does not matter if you own the apartment you are staying in or have rented it, you can still create your own eco space living without hampering the design of the house. All you need to do is follow the below simple steps;

Efficient energy use: In order to get a healthy eco-friendly home ambiance, you should make sure that you unplug all the electrical sockets connected to all your electrical appliances when not in use or not use for few hours in a day. Almost all the electrical gadgets in your home make use of the electricity and are turned off when not in use. When you turn off the equipments, they are in a standby mode and consume tons of electricity. This is more than enough to waste tons of electrical energy each day. In order to avoid this, make sure you unplug all the appliances when not in use. You can also use power strips to avoid the wastage of energy. Also make use of natural light and ventilation rather than the artificial one. If any electrical appliances are not in a working condition, recycle it rather than storing it in your room.

Keep a check on your waste: Restricting the production of waste and recycling them is one of the best options. Most apartments in India lack space, hence you need to be creative enough to store the milk crates, newspapers and other objects in your car trunk or under a closet. Avoid storing up of unnecessary items thinking them to be useful sometime later in life. The more you store such items the more you will have to clean up in future.

Efficient computer use: This is one of the most important ideas to save energy and make your place an eco-friendly one. Make sure to turn off and pull the plugs when you are not using your computer. They consume the maximum amount of energy when compared to other appliances. You can also plug your PC connections into a surge protector.

Replace your bulbs: There are arrays of energy efficient bulbs which are available in the market. Swap your old traditional bulbs with compact florescent bulbs like CFLs, LEDs, strip lights and so on. These bulbs save up to 60%-70% electricity and last 10 times longer than the normal bulbs.

Compost the waste: Every household does produce large amount of vegetable and organic residues. In such cases make a compost pit in your garden or your lawn and make a productive use of it for your flower bed or garden. If you lack space, try doing this in your neighbour’s garden or your friend’s garden.

Going green in Bathroom: Make sure you keep your bathroom clean always and avoid the growth of mould. Try the organic cotton shower or the hemp curtain with a nylon liner. This is hygienic than the PVC coated curtain and can be washed frequently to avoid moulding.

Usage of cold water: You can save up to 80% of energy if you wash your clothes in cold water.
Recycling and reusing: This is one of the most effective ways to go green in your surroundings. You need to stop the excessive usage of various appliances and gadgets. Collect all the used cans, electrical items tins and plastic items and recycle them. Avoid using disposable products and opt for recycled products.

 

Indoor plants: Having potted plants and small lawns inside your home is one of the best ways to produce fresh air. You can either cultivate ornamental plants in pots and place them inside your home or keep plants which do not need much care like bottle planting and so on. Also you can create a small lawn for your pet in your balcony. Proper care and fertilizers to your indoor gardening can make your home ambiance an eco-friendly one.

Cleaning process: Avoid using chemical cleansers all over your home to clean floors, walls, tiles and other places. Instead, use home based cleansers like white vinegar, baking soda, essential oils and so on. Home based natural products are also available in market these days.

Reduce water usage: There are various ways in which you can efficiently use water.  Installing a low flow toilet, an aerator, sink faucet and a shower head can reduce the consumption of excessive water.

Heating and cooling systems: Avoid the usage of the air conditioner during winter; instead make use of the natural air and ventilation. Also switching your room temperature to two degrees can save you a huge amount of money.

Buy organic food rather than purchasing chemical based foods. Also avoid using plastic bags and carry fibre or jute bags.

Henceforth we hope that the above tips are useful to create an eco-friendly ambiance along with a healthy life.