The short answer
Three rating systems are common in Indian real estate. IGBC ratings come from the Indian Green Building Council, part of the Confederation of Indian Industry. GRIHA is the national rating system developed by TERI with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and run by the GRIHA Council. LEED is the US Green Building Council's international system. Each awards a level based on credits for site, energy, water, materials, indoor environment and similar categories.
Check two things before you give a rating any weight: whether it is a design-stage pre-certification or a final certification after construction, and whether the certificate names this project or phase. Then ask what specific features earned it — solar water heating, efficient glazing, rainwater harvesting, water-efficient fixtures, sewage treatment and reuse — because those are what affect your bills and comfort.
For rooftop solar on a house, the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana gives central financial assistance of ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and ₹18,000 for the third kW, capped at ₹78,000 for systems of 3 kW and above. Housing societies and resident welfare associations can get ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities, up to 500 kW. Apply through the national portal.
What a green rating certifies
A rating scores a building against a list of criteria. Typical credits cover: site planning and preservation of trees and soil; energy efficiency of the envelope, lighting and equipment; on-site renewable energy; water-efficient fixtures, rainwater harvesting, and sewage treatment and reuse; materials with recycled content or low emissions; waste segregation; daylight and ventilation; and access to public transport. Some credits are mandatory; others are optional and add points.
Most systems allow a pre-certification or provisional rating at the design stage, which developers often advertise, and a final certification after construction when the developer submits evidence that the building was built as designed. A pre-certification says the design meets the criteria; it does not prove the building does.
A rating is about the building as designed and built, not about how it is run. A green-rated society that switches off its sewage treatment plant or never maintains its solar panels will not deliver the savings, and the rating will not be withdrawn because of that.
IGBC, GRIHA and LEED compared
IGBC: the Indian Green Building Council was formed by the Confederation of Indian Industry in 2001. It runs separate rating systems for green homes, residential societies, townships, new buildings, existing buildings and others. Its levels are Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. IGBC ratings are the most common in Indian residential projects.
GRIHA: Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment was developed by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and adopted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy as India's national rating system; it is administered by the GRIHA Council. It rates buildings from one to five stars and has a simpler version, SVAGRIHA, for smaller projects. Many central and state government buildings are GRIHA-rated.
LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is the US Green Building Council's system, certified through Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI). Its levels are Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. It is widely used for offices and by multinational occupiers, and less often for Indian housing.
You may also see IFC's EDGE certification, which focuses on measured savings in energy, water and embodied energy in materials, and building energy codes: the Energy Conservation Building Code for commercial buildings and the Eco Niwas Samhita for residential buildings, issued by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, which some states have adopted into their bye-laws.
The systems are not directly comparable level for level. A Gold under one system is not the same as a Gold under another. Compare the features, not the badge.
How to check a green claim
Ask for the certificate and check it on the rating body's website, which list certified and registered projects. Confirm the project name, the phase or tower, the rating system, the level and whether it is pre-certified or final.
Check that the green features appear in the documents you sign. A solar water heater, rainwater harvesting, a sewage treatment plant, low-flow fixtures and double-glazed windows should be in the specifications schedule of your agreement for sale, not only in a brochure.
At possession, check that the features exist and work: the solar panels are connected, the sewage treatment plant runs, the rainwater harvesting pits are not blocked, and the fixtures match the specification. Our snagging guide covers the inspection.
Costs and benefits for a buyer
Benefits you can expect, depending on the features: lower electricity bills from efficient lighting, glazing, insulation and solar water heating; lower water bills or less tanker dependence from water-efficient fixtures, rainwater harvesting and treated water for flushing and gardens; better daylight and ventilation. How much you save depends on your own use and on how the society runs the systems. We do not cite a percentage because no figure applies to every home.
Costs to consider: some features cost more to build, and that may be reflected in the price; and some carry running costs that the society pays through maintenance — operating a sewage treatment plant, cleaning solar panels, maintaining pumps and filters. Ask for the society's estimate of these costs.
Other incentives: some states and city authorities offer developers additional floor area, fee concessions or faster approvals for green-rated projects, and some lenders have offered green home loan variants with concessions. These benefit the developer or depend on the lender's current offer; ask for the specific terms in writing rather than assuming you will receive them.
Resale: a green rating is one of many features buyers weigh. There is no reliable Indian data that shows a fixed resale premium for green-rated homes, so do not pay extra on that expectation alone. In office leasing, consultancies report that occupiers increasingly prefer green-certified buildings, which matters if you are buying commercial space.
Rooftop solar: PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana
The Union Cabinet approved PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana on 29 February 2024, with an outlay of ₹75,021 crore, to install rooftop solar in one crore households and provide up to 300 units of free electricity a month. It is run by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy with the electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs).
For residential households, central financial assistance is ₹30,000 per kW for up to 2 kW and ₹18,000 per kW for additional capacity up to 3 kW, so ₹30,000 for 1 kW, ₹60,000 for 2 kW and ₹78,000 for 3 kW or more. For group housing societies and resident welfare associations, assistance is ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities, including electric-vehicle charging, up to 500 kW, with the limit worked out at 3 kW per house and including any individual systems in the society.
How to apply: register on the national portal (pmsuryaghar.gov.in) with your electricity connection details, choose a registered vendor, get the DISCOM's feasibility approval, install the system and apply for the net meter. After the DISCOM inspects and commissions the system, submit the bank details for the subsidy, which is paid into your account. State governments may add their own subsidy; check your DISCOM's site.
In an apartment, the roof is a common area, so an individual owner needs the society's consent to use it; a society-level system for common facilities is usually more practical. In a rented home, the owner must agree, because the connection and the subsidy are in the owner's name.
Questions to ask a developer
Which rating system and level, and is it pre-certified or finally certified? Which phase or tower does it cover?
Which features earned the rating, and are they in the specifications schedule of the agreement?
Who will run the sewage treatment plant, solar and rainwater systems after handover, and what is the estimated annual cost?
Is there rooftop solar for common areas, and is net metering in place?
Has the project applied for final certification, and when?
Features that matter more than the badge
For a flat buyer, a few features drive most of the practical benefit. Orientation and shading: homes that avoid direct western sun and have shaded windows stay cooler. Glazing: better glass and frames reduce heat gain and noise. Cross-ventilation: rooms with windows on two sides need less fan and air-conditioner use for part of the year.
Water: dual plumbing that uses treated water for flushing, low-flow fixtures and working rainwater harvesting reduce dependence on municipal supply and tankers. Ask how many days a year the society bought tanker water in an existing project by the same builder.
Energy in common areas: LED lighting, efficient lifts and pumps, and rooftop solar for common loads lower the society's electricity bill, which shows up in your maintenance charges. Ask for the expected common-area electricity cost.
Indoor air: low-emission paints and adhesives and good ventilation in kitchens and bathrooms affect health more than most buyers realise. These are easy to check at the site and in the specifications.
Common mistakes
Treating a pre-certification as proof that the building was built green.
Assuming a rating for one tower or phase covers the whole project.
Paying extra for a rating without checking which features earned it and whether they are in the agreement.
Installing rooftop solar on a society roof without the society's consent, or with a vendor not registered on the national portal, which can cost you the subsidy.
Common questions
Which is better, IGBC or GRIHA?
Neither is simply better. Both assess energy, water, site and indoor environment; IGBC is more common in private housing, and GRIHA is the national system used widely for government buildings. Compare the specific features of the project.
Does a green rating mean lower electricity bills?
It can, if the features are relevant to your flat and the society runs the systems properly. The saving depends on your own use; no fixed percentage applies.
What is the subsidy under PM Surya Ghar for a 3 kW system?
₹78,000: ₹30,000 per kW for the first 2 kW and ₹18,000 for the third kW. Systems above 3 kW get the same ₹78,000 maximum.
Can a housing society get the PM Surya Ghar subsidy?
Yes. Group housing societies and resident welfare associations can get ₹18,000 per kW for common facilities, including EV charging, up to 500 kW, subject to a limit of 3 kW per house.
How do I verify a project's green certificate?
Check the rating body's website for the project name, phase, level and whether it is a pre-certification or a final certification, and make sure the features are in your agreement's specifications.
Is pre-certification the same as certification?
No. Pre-certification is a design-stage rating. Final certification comes after construction, when the developer shows the building was built as designed.
Sources
- Press Information Bureau, Cabinet approves PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, 29 February 2024 (PRID 2010133) — ₹75,021 crore outlay, one crore households, 300 units a month; checked 2 October 2026
- Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, PM Surya Ghar central financial assistance structure (March 2024) and the national portal pmsuryaghar.gov.in — ₹30,000/kW up to 2 kW, ₹18,000/kW to 3 kW, ₹78,000 cap; ₹18,000/kW for GHS/RWA common facilities up to 500 kW; checked 2 October 2026
- Indian Green Building Council (CII) rating systems and levels; GRIHA Council rating system (one to five stars) and SVAGRIHA; USGBC LEED levels; checked 2 October 2026
- Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Energy Conservation Building Code and Eco Niwas Samhita (residential); checked 2 October 2026
Last checked 2026-10-02.