How to check a green home claim before you book

Green words are easy to print. Checking them is easier than most people think. Here are four checks you can run on any project, in the sales office or from your phone.

Check 1: ask for the paper

Do not accept adjectives. Ask: "Can I see the letter from the rating body?" It should name the project, the rating system, the level and the date.

Check 2: look it up yourself

Most rating bodies list projects on their own website. Search for the project there. Do not rely on a link sent by the sales team; type the rating body's address yourself.

Check 3: find the stage

Is it a design-stage rating, or a final one after completion? For a home under construction, design stage is normal. Just know which one it is.

Check 4: confirm the scope

Does the rating cover your tower or phase? Large projects can be rated in parts. Make sure yours is included.

Red flags

• A level is shown, but no letter can be found.
• The name on the letter does not match the project you are buying.
• "Certified" is used when the letter says pre-certified.
• A percentage of savings is quoted with no source.
• Answers change each time you ask.

What a good answer sounds like

"Our project is pre-certified at design stage under this system, at this level. Here is the letter. We plan to apply for final certification after completion. These are the features in your agreement."

That is clear, checkable and honest. It is the kind of answer you should expect from any builder, including us. Call us about The Shalott Marque and ask us anything on this list.

First, know the main rating systems

You will usually see one of four names in India. Each is run by a different body, with its own website and its own levels:

• IGBC: the Indian Green Building Council, part of the Confederation of Indian Industry. It runs a Green Homes rating.
• GRIHA: a national rating system developed by TERI with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• LEED: a rating system run by the U.S. Green Building Council and used in many countries.
• EDGE: a certification created by IFC, part of the World Bank Group, focused on energy, water and materials savings.

You do not need to know their rules. You only need to know which one the builder claims, so you can check with the right body.

A step-by-step check on your phone

1. Write down the exact claim from the brochure or hoarding, word for word. "Designed to green standards" and "IGBC Gold pre-certified" are very different claims.
2. Ask for the letter by email. An email gives you a dated record of what was shared.
3. Match four details on the letter: project name, promoter or owner name, rating level, and date.
4. Type the rating body's website yourself and search for the project in its directory or registered projects list.
5. Check the stage: pre-certified, provisional or final.
6. Check the scope: which towers or phases are covered.
7. Ask which green features will be listed in your agreement or its specification schedule.

Why the agreement matters more than the label

A label describes the project as a whole. Your agreement is what you can hold the builder to. Under section 14 of the RERA Act, 2016, the promoter must build according to the sanctioned plans and specifications, and cannot make major changes without the consent the Act requires. So the features you care about, such as solar water heating, rainwater harvesting, low-flow fittings or sewage treatment, should be written into the specifications.

Section 12 of the Act also helps. If you pay money relying on a statement in an advertisement or brochure, and the statement turns out to be false and causes you loss, the promoter must compensate you. Keep the brochure and the emails.

Turning claims into rupees, honestly

Green features can save money, but only if you can measure them. Here is the right way to think about it, with illustrative numbers:

Say a solar water heater saves a family the use of a 2 kW electric geyser for one hour a day. That is 2 kWh a day, or about 730 kWh a year. At an assumed tariff of ₹7 per unit, that is around ₹5,100 a year. The real figure depends on your usage, the weather and your tariff. Be wary of any brochure that quotes a fixed percentage saving with no working shown.

Common mistakes

• Treating pre-certification as a finished result. It is a design-stage assessment. The final rating comes later, if applied for.
• Accepting "IGBC-aligned" or "green-inspired" as a rating. These words have no defined meaning. Ask if there is a registration or a letter.
• Checking the label but not the maintenance. Solar panels, STPs and rainwater systems need upkeep after handover. Ask what it will cost the association.
• Forgetting your own tower. A rating for phase one does not cover phase two by default.

Questions to take to the sales office

• Which rating system, which level, and at which stage?
• Can you email me the letter today?
• Does it cover my tower?
• Will you apply for final certification? When?
• Which green features are listed in the agreement?
• What will they cost to maintain each year, roughly?

Write the answers down with the date and the name of the person you spoke to. Clear answers, written down, are worth more than any label on a hoarding.

Words on a green brochure, in plain English

• Pre-certified: the design has been assessed and is expected to meet a level, if built as designed. It is not a final rating.
• Certified (final): the completed building has been assessed by the rating body after construction.
• Registered: the project has signed up with the rating body. It says nothing yet about the level.
• Aligned, inspired, designed to: marketing words with no fixed meaning. Ask what lies behind them.
• Scope: the towers, phases or buildings that the rating actually covers.

Features worth asking about for a first home

For a family on a budget, some features matter more than others, because they show up in monthly bills and daily comfort:

• Cross ventilation: windows on two sides of a room let air move, so you may need fans or air conditioning less.
• Solar water heating or solar panels on common areas, which can lower common electricity costs shared through maintenance.
• Low-flow taps and dual-flush cisterns, which reduce water use without changing your habits.
• Sewage treatment and recycled water for gardens and flushing, which reduce demand on fresh water.
• Rainwater harvesting, for storage, recharge or both.

For each one, ask two things: is it in the specifications of my agreement, and who maintains it after handover? A feature that is not maintained stops saving anything within a few years.

The same standards apply across the group: SUYUG Infra has delivered 4 Mn sq ft, with 1.5 Mn sq ft under development, and expects buyers to check every claim.

The short version

Ask for the letter, check the rating body's own website, note the stage and the scope, and get the features written into your agreement. Those four steps take minutes and protect one of the biggest purchases of your life. Any builder who is proud of a green rating will be glad you asked, and happy to show you the proof.