Housing project aims to secure carbon credits

Biodiversity Conservation India (BCIL), a Bangalore-based developer, has begun an apartment project in the city through which carbon credits are being secured for its resident families.

Announcing this at a press conference here, Chandrashekar Hariharan, CEO, BCIL said, "The company's project 'BCIL Collective', with a budget of Rs 30 crore, will offer 120 homes (units) on 39 acres with benefits to customers that reduce carbon dioxide emission, both in the building process and in their daily living."

"The carbon values are mapped on the basis of the differential in carbon emissions between regular materials used in the building industry and those in our project for building blocks, air-conditioning and lighting. The carbon matrices are certified by professional consulting bodies that help position the 'carbon credit' on the world market. Prices for such carbon tonnage varies from $10 per tonne to $12 per tonne of carbon dioxide emissions," he added.

Located in Yelahanka, off the Doddaballapur road, BCIL plans to build 120 homes with an average of under 40 homes to an acre, against the market's norm of over 65-90 homes to an acre.

To achieve this, the company plans to use its system of earth ventilation which produces nocturnal cooling by lowering air temperature through radiation. Plus, energy back-up is planned through biofuels.

"By adopting hybrid methods savings of 30 per cent to 70 per cent is achieved on things like electrical appliances, home lighting, campus lighting and water heating," said Hariharan.

According to Anup Naik, senior architect, BCIL, the project is planned without using bricks, clay blocks or clay tiles.

"All three materials are energy-intensive in manufacture, apart from using precious top soil that threatens agriculture. This project also uses energy-efficient building blocks that reduce heat gain."

"BCIL homes use building systems and designs that adopt global warming solutions. Campus lighting, for instance, is done with a combination of CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) and LED (light emitting diodes) lighting systems, with no incandescent lamps. Only fluorescent tubes or halogen bulbs are used. Homes offer automation that saves energy for every user," he added.