This new terminal at New Delhi’s main international airport, the second largest airport in India and eighth largest in the world, opened in July 2010 and was the first in the world to be awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) New Construction Gold Certification. This globally recognised certification provides independent verification of a building’s green features, taking into account the design, construction, operations and maintenance of buildings. In the case of New Delhi Airport’s Terminal 3, this includes an emphasis on natural light, where the departure lounge is lit completely by sunlight during the day, as well as 1,200 energy-efficient LCD screens, 300 rainwater harvesting stations and storm drains the control erosion. Ground operations at the terminal are also powered by electric vehicles.
Even though the airport is already a global leader in environmental performance, GMR Group, the consortium that runs New Delhi Airport, is aiming higher. Plans are already underway to increase its LEED certification standard to Platinum.