Norwegian Embassy goes green -Governance Now

Norwegian Embassy goes green

Calling itself as Delhi’s first green embassy, the prime minister of Norway Erna Solberg inaugurated the compound which has been equipped with eco-friendly technologies

GN Bureau | January 8, 2019

#air quality #Delhi pollution #embassy of Norway #Erna Solberg #green building

As national capital chokes for clean air, the embassy of Norway has gone green by cutting down on its carbon emission and building a greener workplace for its employees.

Calling itself as Delhi’s first green embassy, the prime minister of Norway Erna Solberg on January 7 inaugurated the compound which has been equipped with eco-friendly technologies. The premise has also been awarded with the green rating for integrated habitat tag by the government of India. Till date, only two percent of the building across the country has secured this tag.

According to the embassy, the sewage treatment plant (STP) is built within the embassy premises, which will recycle the water that would be used for watering plants. Moreover, it is estimated that rainwater would save approximately one lakh litre of water annually, especially during rainy season.

“Ensuring sustainable water management and energy efficiency have been a major concern. The new compound is constructed with wells for rainwater harvesting. Geothermal wells are used for cooling by circulating water in 30 wells sunk 100 meters into the earth. Water is heated using solar panels, which produce 200kWh energy per day. This is equivalent to powering a 40w bulb for almost 7 months or a 3W LED for around 7, 5 years,” reads the official statement issued by the embassy.

Total 90 solar plates have been installed in the embassy which is expected to produce 200kw energy per day. “It has been an exciting challenge, not just architectural design, but the whole construction process,” says Terje Gronmo, Norwegian architect. “We have halved the intake of electricity from the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC),” says an official adding, “although we have increased the embassy area three times, we’re conserving the energy.”

“The structure of the building is adapted to the local climate and environmental concerns. 95 percent of the building material used in the construction was purchased from the local market. The handling of materials and the preservation of green areas have also been important, including the environmental concerns for the trees. Trees, probably more than 60 years old, have been shifted, allowing for conservation of as much of the green space as possible,” the official statement says.

“The inauguration today marks the beginning of a new era of cooperation between our two countries. As a green embassy, I hope it can serve as an inspiration for our shared efforts to achieve the green transition and the Sustainable Development Goals. I look forward to seeing our partnership bear more fruits, in business, politics and development,” says Solberg.

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