By Eunice Hilda A. Mensah
Accra, December 13, GNA – The Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) has launched the Green Building (GB) initiative to revolutionize construction practices in Ghana to promote sustainability and green technology and minimize environmental effects.
A green building is a structure completely designed to be in harmony with the ecosystem, exhibiting minimal environmental impact.
Mr Salah Kweku Kalmoni, Project Manager of GREDA-GB, said the initiative aims to establish a domestic green building certification in Ghana.
He said the initiative would ensure that tenants had a friendly atmosphere with features such as an extended roof to prevent the tropical sun from entering the house, insulated roofs with rain gutters to use rainwater for purposes such as watering gardens, availability of natural light in structure and provision of double flash toilets for different purposes.
“A green building means there’s probably a solar panel on the building, it has enough light that you don’t need to turn on the lights.
“So if you have a solar panel and you decide to use electricity then that’s not green living, you have rainwater to water your plants and you decide to use Ghanaian water then that’s not green living, and if you have light coming in and you decide to turn on your light, that’s not green living,” he said.
Mr Kalmony, also Director of Lakeside Estates, said that if a house is declared green, it means it will have a unique selling point, lower energy needs and make the house more sustainable and comfortable.
“The public has been hungry for a green-certified home, so it’s good news for us, and now they’ll be living in an ecologically sustainable way,” he said.
Mr. Kalmoni explained that acquiring a GREDA-GB house was priced at the Cedi equivalent of $200, which covers both registration and assessment.
“Using the power of our GREDA-GB system, we aim to effectively measure, monitor and optimize building performance. This, in turn, will lead to a reduction in resource consumption, improve passenger comfort and mitigate the environmental footprint of construction. This is GREDA’s contribution to COP 28,” he said.
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Mr. Henry Kofi Danso, the Project Manager said the core of the initiative was an innovative data collection software application accessible to all devices regardless of screen size or operating system.
The app enables users to collect data in the form of text, images and videos, syncing them seamlessly to a secure cloud storage platform.
The certification tool, he said, was structured around seven key criteria – Locations and Transportation, Water Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and Carbon Emissions Management, Indoor Environmental Quality, Materials and Resources. Waste and pollution? and Innovative Technologies.
“These criteria were meticulously developed based on a thorough review of globally recognized assessment tools, ensuring their relevance and effectiveness in the Ghanaian context,” he explained.
Mr. Isaac Ntiamoah, Marketing Manager, Lakeside Estate, encouraged industry players and all citizens to support the initiative because protecting the environment was key, adding: “When we have green and natural things around our environment, it makes life very comfortable, efficient and ecological. -friendly.”
He said: “We cut down a lot of trees and build houses, so if we don’t put in these green technologies, it will make our lives uncomfortable. We have to turn the AC on all the time and turn on all the time.
“But if we have these natural features built into our buildings, we’re going to improve the way we live, so we have the natural environment in our ecosystem.”
Mr Ntiamoah pleaded with property developers to have at least five of the criteria set by the Green Council to improve the lives of customers.
The Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) is a leading organization committed to promoting excellence and sustainability in real estate development in Ghana with a focus on industry best practices.
It plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the real estate industry in the country.
GNA