GREDA's green building certification to ensure sustainable development
The Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) has launched its Green Building Certification System meant to assess residential properties across the country for sustainable development.
Advertisement
The certification process will evaluate the architecture of buildings, energy efficiency as well as water usage to promote the construction of environmentally responsible, healthy and resource-efficient buildings in Ghana.
The prototype GREDA green building certification checklist was first introduced at the GREDA/Graphic Real Estate Experience Fair held in December 2022 with a presentation which was well received by stakeholders.
Now launched on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, at the Silver Star Towers in Accra, real estate companies and individual developers who wish to get their houses certified are expected to register with GREDA as well as meet financial requirement of GH₵2000 for the assessment and eventual certification.
After the registration and payment, trained and certified assessors will then be deployed to undertake the exercise based on a rating tool structured around seven main criteria – Site and Transport, Water Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and Carbon Emission Management, Indoor Environmental Quality, Materials and Resources, Water and Pollution as well as Innovative Technologies.
The GREDA is also developing a dummy app that would enable clients to run it by themselves to check whether their properties are ready for assessment.
Database component
Speaking at the launch, Council Member for GREDA, Salah Kweku Kalmoni noted that the focal point of their certification system laid in a software database component, which had been meticulously designed to be rights-protected.
He said the administration of the system would be undertaken by GREDA professionals with technical support from the Faculty of Built and Natural Environment of the Koforidua Technical University.
“This will not only ensure the security of information gathered on houses but also serve as a robust repository of raw data for future research and educational purposes.
“By harnessing the power of our GREDA Green Building Certification System, we aim to efficiently measure, monitor and optimize building performance and this in turn, will lead to a reduction in resource consumption, occupant comfort and mitigated environmental footprint for structures.
How it works
Project Manager and Consultant for the GREDA Green Building Certification System, Architect Henry Kofi Danso explained that the proposed green building rating tool would be applicable not only at the occupancy stage of a building but also throughout the design, construction, operation and maintenance phases of a residential building project.
Mr Danso, who together with Mr Kalmoni propounded the GREDA Green Certification System, said the criteria for the certification were carefully developed based on a thorough review of globally recognized rating tools to ensure their relevance and effectiveness in the Ghanaian context.
“Each criterion is assigned a total credit which is the sum of all the indicator points and the possible points for an indicator are determined by the level of sustainability it represents,” he said.
“The GREDA Green Building Certification System will award a total of 130 possible points with a minimum requirement of 45 points for certification. Higher scores result in different levels will attract two-star rating (45-59 points), three-star (60-79 points) four-star (80-105 points) and five-star (106-130 points),” he said.
Graphic support
The Director of Sales and Marketing of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Franklin Sowa, pledged the GCGL support to the GREDA towards the success of the green building certification initiative.
He said conversations around green issues were global problems which were of interest to all and sundry, including the GCGL so the company, in its daily activities tries as much as possible to be environmentally friendly.
“Indeed, conversations around green issues are global issues that are of interest to everybody and I am happy to hear some of the questions which clearly show that we understand the issues or we all feel committed to drive this agenda,” he said.
Mr Sowa also called for all hands to be on deck to ensure that the nation adhered to green building initiatives which will be of immense benefit to our health systems and sustainable development.
“The greener we get, the healthier we will be as a people and that means our medical cost will be going down and our lifespan is also likely to be extended because the things which are killing us are too many and it is important that we all get committed to this initiative,” he said.
He reiterated the GCGL commitment towards the partnership with GREDA which he said would last longer and also to the success of the GREDA and its members in their endeavours.
“The partnership with GREDA from the Graphic Communications Group is a sealed partnership that we don’t see it ending today or tomorrow because they are doing the right things and as far as the members of GREDA and industry is recording positivity, then we are in business.
As far as you are doing good things, then the world will hear about you and your businesses will grow,” he assured.