Overview
JSW Real Estate partnered with Accacia to tackle the embodied carbon emissions in their large-scale residential construction project in Dolvi in Mumbai. This development focused on sustainable living and incorporated ecological corridors, energy-efficient design, and water management. However, the project faced significant challenges with carbon emissions due to the materials and construction processes involved.
Accacia provided its AI-powered embodied carbon module to analyze and optimize the project's carbon footprint, resulting in a strategic decarbonization plan that reduced the embodied carbon footprint by nearly 50%.
Challenges
- Embodied Carbon Impact: Projected to be the majority of the project's carbon footprint, with emissions of 15,200 tons of CO₂ (110 kg CO₂/sqm).
- Core and Shell Materials: Contributed 47% of total emissions.
- Need for Action: JSW needed to identify carbon-intensive materials and construction stages while maintaining high-quality standards and sustainability goals.
Solutions
Accacia’s Embodied Carbon Module allowed JSW to analyze emissions from every project stage—from material extraction to construction. Key solutions included:
Identified Hotspots:
- Vitrified tiles, high carbon steel in reinforcement, and rubble from offsite contributed to 20% of building components and 95% of emissions.
Recommended Solutions for Emissions Reduction
Total Solutions: 11 solutions that could achieve approximately 25% emissions reduction.
1. Cost-Neutral Options:
- Achieve a 16% reduction in emissions without compromising on quality.
2. Greener Materials:
- Green Concrete:
- Replaces traditional Ready Mix Concrete (RMC).
- Emissions Reduction: Reduces carbon emissions by 25-40%.
- Recycled TMT Steel Bars:
- Use of recycled steel bars in construction.
- Emissions Reduction: Reduces steel-related emissions by 74%.
- Cork Tiles:
- Substitute cork tiles for traditional vitrified ceramic tiles.
- Emissions Reduction: Lowers tile-related emissions by 21%.
Waste Reuse and Recycling:
- Recycled debris transformed into concrete aggregates, minimizing emissions from mining fresh materials.
- Mobile solar towers replaced diesel-powered lighting systems, reducing on-site energy emissions by 90% during construction.
Sustainable Water Management:
- A wastewater treatment system was introduced to recycle water on-site, enhancing the project’s overall sustainability.
- 17% of wastewater is reused by diverting it to a system that filters, disinfects, and removes micropollutants.
Results:
- 50% Reduction in Embodied Carbon: Achieved through Accacia’s strategic decarbonization interventions.
- Significant Material Savings: Optimizing material choices resulted in considerable carbon savings, particularly from concrete, steel, and tiling.
- Cost Efficiency: Several decarbonization strategies resulted in cost savings or negligible cost premiums, making the solutions both environmentally beneficial and economically viable.
Why JSW Chose Accacia
- Comprehensive Analysis: Advanced embodied carbon platform provided detailed insights into each stage of the project’s carbon footprint.
- Tailored Solutions: Recommendations customized to align with JSW’s project needs while significantly reducing emissions.
- Sustainable Partnerships: Accacia connected JSW with vendors specializing in green building materials, ensuring all proposed solutions were readily implementable.
