Sustainable development through green building concept in Sri Lanka

Abstract

The construction sector accounts for a large percentage of the world’s total energy consumption and green house gas emissions. One of the effective and intelligent initiatives in infrastructure sector is sustainable development through green building concept. “Green Building” concept is a practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resources-efficient through the building life cycle. Implementing the green building concept can result in reduction of carbon emissions by 35%, water usage by 40%, energy usage by 50% and solid waste by 70%. This paper also discuss the factors to be considered for green building construction and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) assessment method to declare a building as a green building. The unique departure from traditional building model to green model delivers savings in energy cost, reduction in water consumption, reduce in water cycling in green building constructed in Sri Lanka are highlighted in the paper.