NBC 2016:2016 Part 11 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for national building code of india 2016 - approach to sustainability. Part 11 is new in NBC 2016 and reflects the shift toward sustainable building practice. It is an advisory Part: it lays out a structured approach — site, water, energy, materials, indoor environment, waste — and gives qualitative and some quantitative targets at each stage of the building life cycle. Part 11 deliberately does not compete with the established green-rating systems (GRIHA, IGBC LEED, BEE Star). Instead it provides a non-rating baseline that all buildings should aspire to, and points toward the rating systems for certification-level performance. The Part is most useful to clients who want a responsible building without pursuing formal certification, and to designers writing project sustainability briefs.
Sets out the approach to sustainability in buildings: site selection and planning, water conservation, energy efficiency, building materials, indoor environmental quality, waste management, and post-occupancy performance monitoring.
RWH triggers, solar/EV mandates, daylight factor, ECBC envelope U-values, STP threshold, and waste-recycling targets.
| Reference | Value | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Rainwater harvesting — mandatory above plot size— State Bye-Law trigger varies 100–500 m² | ≥ 100 m² (in most States) | Cl. 5.2.2.1 a) |
| Rainwater harvesting — min storage / recharge volume | 20 mm runoff over impervious area | |
| Solar water heater — mandatory above— as per State solar policy | Plot ≥ 500 m² / hot-water demand ≥ 100 LPD | Cl. 6.2.1 b) & c) |
| Solar PV / rooftop — recommended minimum | 1 kWp per 100 m² roof area (indicative) | |
| Daylight factor — min average (habitable rooms) | ≥ 1.0% (working plane) | Cl. 6.3.2.1 |
| Window-to-floor area — min (natural light) | ≥ 10% (cross-ref Part 3) | Cl. 6.3.2.1 (ref. Part 8, Cl. 5.1.1) |
| Energy performance index (EPI) — office target— ref ECBC 2017 / ENS | ≤ 140 kWh/m²/yr (ECBC compliant) | Cl. 6.4 & Table 1 |
| Wall U-value — composite climate (envelope) | ≤ 0.40 W/m²·K (ECBC) | Cl. 6.3.2.2 (ref. ECBC) |
| Roof U-value — all climates (ECBC) | ≤ 0.33 W/m²·K | |
| Window — max SHGC (composite climate) | ≤ 0.27 (≤40% WWR) | Cl. 6.3.2.2 (ref. ECBC) |
| Greywater reuse — recommended for | Flushing & landscape (≥30% reduction in fresh use) | |
| STP — required above— MoEFCC EIA 2006 / SPCB rules govern | Plot built-up ≥ 20,000 m² or ≥ 100 dwelling units | Cl. 5.3.2.2 (c) Note |
| Construction & demolition waste — recycling target | ≥ 20% recycled content (by mass) | Cl. 5.3.4.2 |
| Native species — landscape planting target | ≥ 50% of trees/shrubs | |
| EV charging — provision in new buildings— MoHUA 2019 model; State adoption varies | ≥ 20% of parking with EV-ready conduit | |
| Site vegetation preservation target— For preserving existing natural features like trees and vegetation. | ≥ 15% of site area | Annex C (C-2.1) |
| Roof area for heat island mitigation— Using high SRI material (SRI ≥ 78) or vegetation. | ≥ 50% of exposed roof area | Annex C (C-3.2) |
| Non-roof heat island mitigation— Through shading from trees/structures or using high SRI pavement (SRI ≥ 29). | ≥ 50% of impervious hardscapes | Annex C (C-3.2) |
| Water efficient faucets max flow rate— Applies to lavatory faucets in private and public use. | ≤ 6.0 Litres Per Minute (LPM) | Annex C (C-4.2.1) |
| Operable window area for natural ventilation— For regularly occupied spaces to provide enhanced indoor air quality. | ≥ 5% of net usable floor area | Annex C (C-6.2) |
| Low-VOC paint/coating limit— For interior applications to improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). | < 50 g/l | Annex C (C-6.3) |
| Topsoil preservation depth for reuse— Topsoil from disturbed areas to be stockpiled and reused in landscaping. | ≥ 150 mm | Annex C (C-2.2) |
| Parameter | IS Value | International | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-Rise Building Definition Threshold | Building height ≥ 15 m | Building with an occupied floor > 75 ft (≈ 23 m) above lowest level of fire dept. vehicle access | IBC 2024 |
| Mandatory Refuge Area Requirement | Yes, for buildings > 24m, at 24m and then every 15m. Area is 0.3 m²/person or 15 m² min. | No specific prescriptive requirement; addressed by other means like evacuation elevators or additional stairwells. | IBC 2024 |
| Min. Corridor Width (Institutional/Hospitals) | 2.0 m for non-ambulatory patients; 2.4 m if for stretcher movement | 96 inches (≈ 2.44 m) in new healthcare occupancies | NFPA 101:2024 |
| Max. Travel Distance (Business Occupancy, Sprinklered) | 45 m | 300 ft (≈ 91 m) | NFPA 101:2024 |
| Fire Resistance of Exit Stair Enclosure (High-Rise) | 2 hours | 2 hours | IBC 2024 |
| Automatic Sprinkler Trigger (New Hotels) | Mandatory if height > 15 m | Required in all new hotels, regardless of height (with few exceptions for small buildings) | NFPA 101:2024 |
| Ramp Slope (Means of Egress) | Maximum 1 in 10 (10%) | Maximum 1 in 12 (≈ 8.3%) | IBC 2024 |