Assessment of Energy Efficiency in a School Building with Reference to GRIHA-PRAKRITI Rating System

Abstract

School is not only a building or an assembly of students and teachers, but also can be defined as a space for children to grow and shape their thoughts. Children spend almost half their working hours of the day at school. The lessons and values learned here at school affect the perception of students in their lives. Surroundings of a person leave a great impact on him. Hence, schools need to be sustainable for better growth of students as well as the environment. On a national level, the GRIHA-PRAKRITI rating system is currently working on this concept. This paper includes a detailed analysis and assessment of Senior Secondary School, Aligarh Muslim University at Aligarh, India, based on seven major criteria under the GRIHA-PRAKRITI rating system by using both qualitative as well as quantitative research methods. All 15 criteria are not analyzed in detail. So, the rating of the building has been calculated out of 25 points. The points came out to be 14 out of 25 and the 2-star rating is achieved. This school building was established in 1987 but still, it came out as a green building. The incorporation of only passive design strategies and creativity can contribute to a green building, hence saving resources and the environment as well.