Thinking green, acting green

As an organisation, we strongly believe in a sustainable approach – reducing energy wastage and creating a positive impact on climate and environment. It was possible only through following green practices. Today, ‘Green Building’ has emerged as the next logical step for India. The necessity of addressing sustainability issues is becoming more and more apparent in this scenario to bring about change, either through the materials and techniques used in each initiative or through social and geographical impacts. The concept of ‘green’ goes beyond plants and trees. It refers to a design that uses energy, water, and other materials in a structured, efficient manner to make a space more livable, interactive, and healthy.

Additionally, a sustainably constructed building can reduce the negative impact on human health and the environment throughout its lifecycle. Combining all these thoughts led to the development of our energy-efficient infrastructure at Sanand, Gujarat. The construction of the building started around December 2016, and the Sanand plant was inaugurated in January 2018. The primary objective of our planning and design was to be cost-effective from an operational cost perspective instead of a capital cost perspective.

The journey of creating a green establishment was not easy, but we were determined to create a clean production facility and a better working environment. Sanand facility aimed to follow eco-friendly designs, technologies, materials, and all the best practices. We wanted to reduce energy consumption and create an uplifting work environment that promoted the well-being of staff.

One of the key elements of the design is optimum utilisation of natural light. Three-layered DGU glasses windows are installed everywhere in the building to ensure maximum sunlight throughout the daytime; Lux-sensor LED lights help to reduce energy consumption at night.

To keep the floor naturally cool, spiral, flexible pipes are placed beneath the flooring through which cold water passes. Once the water heats up, it passes through a radiator, which cools down the water before sending it on a rerun, saving the cost of artificial cooling. Another way in which we save energy is by using solar panels on the roof to generate energy up to the maximum permissible limit.

The design includes materials and systems such as RCC Hume pipes and trenches for collecting rainwater from the roof and storing it in a natural pond. There are two types of wastewater: black water (contains human waste) and grey water (water from household equipment other than toilets). Black water is first treated in septic tanks using bacteria and other microorganisms for first-level purification. This water is utilised for landscaping and flushing systems at the facility. On the other hand, grey water is treated in a sewage treatment plant to remove contamination and produce environmentally safe, treated water.

In Sanand and all our facilities, we have water-saving faucets with a low flow rate and auto-closure function to reduce water wastage. In addition, we’ve used drought-tolerant plants at our facilities that require minimal water and maintenance, saving even more water.

As a business, we strive to be enduring, which can only be accomplished by reducing and reusing waste, using sustainable practices that reduce carbon emissions, and conserving and recycling energy. The whole facility is constructed by using locally recycled materials and quickly renewable wood as much as possible. A waste management system was in place, and no materials were disposed of in landfills.

Sustainability is not a choice for us but a way we lead our lives in this organisation and outside. We believe that even the smallest of our acts will make a massive difference in the end. Even while designing our wide range of products, we try to make environment conscious decisions because we know what we do today will have an impact on our tomorrow.