Infosys, a global Consulting and Technology leader, has been awarded the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) India ‘Platinum’ rating by Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) for its Software Development Block 1 (SDB 1) at its Pocharam campus in Hyderabad, India. LEED Green Building Rating System is a nationally and internationally accepted benchmark for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.
The SDB 1 uses the innovative Radiant-cooling technology – the first in a commercial building in India, setting out higher standards for energy efficiency in building systems design. It has been built keeping in mind a holistic approach to sustainability in five key areas, including – sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. This is the fourth Infosys building that has won a Platinum rating, taking the total Platinum certified building area at Infosys to over 1 million sq. ft.
Given the high-standards in terms of building design achieved at the SDB1 in Hyderabad, it has now been showcased in the ‘Best Practices Guide for High Performance Indian Office Buildings’ by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, a U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) National Laboratory. Researchers from Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany have also acknowledged the high energy efficiency and comfort parameters in this building after detailed monitoring and study.
Key features of this Platinum rated building include:
Water Efficiency: A 48% reduction in overall water consumption has been achieved in the building through the use of efficient plumbing fixtures and by water recycling. 100% of waste water from the campus will be treated on site, helping in the reduction of potable water consumption.
Energy Efficiency: The building is 40% more efficient than the globally accepted ASHRAE standard. This has been achieved through an efficient building envelope including high performance glazing and adequate shading, radiant cooling system, efficient chillers, pumps and fans, efficient lighting system and smart building automation.
Indoor Environment Quality: Over 90% of the office space has natural light, reducing the need for artificial lighting during daytime. The design includes light shelves along all windows to ensure that the natural light travels as deep into the building as possible. CO2 levels in the building are monitored continuously to ensure good air quality for occupants.
Efficient Material Selection and Management: Recycled materials account for 18% of the total value of materials in the building; these include aluminum, glass, steel, plywood and tiles among others. 38% of the total project material by cost was manufactured regionally thereby reducing pollution due to transportation.
Commenting on the certification, Ramadas Kamath, Senior Vice President – Head of Infrastructure, Commercial, Facilities, Administration and Security at Infosys said, “In 2008, we set out on our journey to design and build the best and most efficient infrastructure for Infosys. With this fourth LEED Platinum certified building, we have achieved a key milestone of 1 million sq. ft. of LEED Platinum office space. As we work towards our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2018, we are investing in disruptive technologies such as radiant cooling which has helped us reduce our energy consumption by over 50% at SDB 1, Hyderabad compared to the Infosys average. With SDB 1 being showcased in the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab best practices case study, we hope to inspire our peers to invest in innovative technologies and implement green building design at the core of their infrastructure projects.”