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Mall Mania Touches New High

By sachiv1, Section Mall Culture in Kolkata
Posted on Thu Feb 15, 2007 at 12:24:41 AM EST

Eco-friendly malls are the in-thing. Forum's extension, The Courtyard, will not need an extra watt of power, thanks to unique energy-efficient measures

Monthly CESC bill for Forum is Rs 28 lakh Slash power consumption at Forum and use the surplus to light up and air condition The Courtyard
Energy management at both malls to be synchronised. For example, cooling ducts in Forum will be split into servicing the retail section/food court and multiplex
Increased automation, installation of variable drives in the main pump and heat recovery wheels will reduce energy consumption in the AC system
Waste water from Forum and The Courtyard to be recycled and used to wash cars

Glam is no longer enough. Malls in the city are vying to be the most eco-friendly now.

Forum Mall developer Rahul Saraf who built Technopolis, the city's first certified green building plans to power the upcoming high street mall, The Courtyard, without consuming an extra watt.

Impossible as it may seem, Saraf is confident that it's very much within reach, that too without compromising on shoppers' comfort. "We will operate both the malls with the same amount of electricity that Forum consumes at present," he told TOI. The average monthly CESC bill for Forum is Rs 28 lakh.

Saraf 's team will slash electricity consumption at Forum and use the surplus energy to light up and air-condition The Courtyard. "We've planned a a major overhaul of the AC system at Forum so that it works for both malls without increasing chiller capacity. Dipping into the Technopolis experience, technical inputs like increased automation, installation of variable drives in the main pump and heat recovery wheels will reduce energy consumption in the AC system," he said.

The energy management system at both malls will also be synchronised so that electricity is not wasted. For example, the ducts used for cooling Forum will be segregated into two segments one that will service the five levels housing the retail section and food court; and another to cater to the multiplex.

"While the movie hall operates past midnight, the retail section shuts down at 9.30. A lot of energy can be conserved if the two AC systems are delinked," he explained.

Though US eco-friendly building norms are not applicable to mall development, Saraf is keen to borrow as much as he can for the twin retail destinations. At The Courtyard, he plans to set up a car-washing unit on one of the four car parking levels to add another facet of conservation in the project.

"The car wash will demonstrate how waste water from Forum and The Courtyard can be recycled and put to use. We will instal a sewage treatment plant for this," he said. Apart from being a symbolic gesture for conservation, it will enable customers to get their cars washed while they shop, eat or watch a movie.

In his other retail projects like Forum 2 in Kolkata and malls in Howrah, Siliguri, Bhubaneswar and Jamshedpur, Saraf plans to put more green norms into use, both through energy efficient design and recycling of waste. Each will have abundant natural light, thereby reducing electricity costs during the day.

(Source-Times Of India,15/02/07)

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