Green Building certificates are granted to construction works designed, built and operating in an environmentally friendly way, allowing effective use of electricity, water and other natural resources, reduce waste and pollution, protect users’ health and improve productivity of workers in the buildings.
Yannich Millet, a consultant on sustainable construction and efficient energy use, said there were different green building certificates, such as Lotus, Leed, Green Mark, HQE and EDGE. Each certificate sets specific requirements, but all requirements are based on the general principles of efficient use of energy sources and friendliness to the environment.
The benefits that green works bring are real. Huynh Trung Hieu from Indochine Engineering Vietnam, a building consultancy firm, cited works in Vietnam: Moc Bai Factory in Tay Ninh; President Palace Building in district 1, HCM City; and Big C – Green Square in Binh Duong.
Forty-two construction works have been recognized as ‘green’ in Vietnam and the number is expected to increase, especially as metro areas look to build smart cities.
Big C in Binh Duong received LEED Gold and Lotus Silver certificates. In order to obtain the certificates, the construction work must meet requirements. For example, it must have solar panels installed on the roof and cold storage equipment to save power.
With the equipment, the construction cost of the building is higher. But it offers 21 percent savings in power consumption and 42 percent in water consumption, and it takes 7.5 years to take back the investment capital.
Green works can help investors save money and develop society in a sustainable way, but many investors remain indifferent to green building.
According to Hieu, few Vietnamese investors know about green building certification, and many of the ones who know don’t intend to get the certificates. the investors don’t want to spend more money on materials and green solutions, and still doubt the efficiency.
Tran Thanh Vu, an energy simulation expert, said if a construction work has a life expectancy of 50 years and energy-saving solutions allow the investor to recover the amount of additional money he has to spent on solutions after 10 years, he should apply the solutions.
However, the problem is, according to Vu, that the investor doesn’t intend to use the work for 50 years, but he could sell the work to others after several years of use.
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Forty-two construction works have been recognized as ‘green’ in Vietnam and the number is expected to increase, especially as metro areas look to build smart cities.
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