What ZODIAC Is Doing For A Greener Tomorrow

Inside ZODIAC’s LEED Gold Certified Corporate Headquarters

Zodiac Clothing Co. Ltd.’s corporate headquarters stands majestically, holding a prestigious GOLD certification under the LEED INDIA New Construction rating system by the Indian Green Building Council for its commitment to sustainable development. Reigning for 61 years with the finest men’s fashion across the globe, the expansion of the sustainable manufacturing business is reflected in its major renovation of the Zodiac corporate office building. This commercial building is energy efficient and adheres to the Kyoto Protocol, an international pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming development. Godrej Green Building Consultancy Services has been the consultant for successfully contributing to the significant project.

What Is LEED and Why It Matters
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a thoughtfully devised rating system by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED-certified buildings are a greater investment from an environmental perspective, reducing energy consumption, water costs, and health hazards associated with manufacturing.

Features of Zodiac’s LEED Gold Certified Corporate Office:
Green rooftop: The rooftop is covered with a lawn and plants across most areas exposed to sunlight, providing cooling to the building and reducing the heat island effect in the surrounding area.
Natural ventilation: Natural ventilation cools the building through transoms and operable windows in every office. Besides this, special ducting connected to a fresh air AHU prevents CO2 buildup throughout the building.
Smart HVAC: Peak-load cooling is supplied by high-efficiency, water-cooled central chillers that use 0.67KW per ton instead of the normal 1.5 to 2 KW per ton. These units use outside air only and a non-ozone-depleting refrigerant. The chilled air is delivered through air handling units (AHUs) using VFD (Variable frequency drive) Motors. Every individual office has a thermostat control so that occupants may control their office temperature or turn off the air conditioning when it is not required, thereby using energy only when needed.
Walls from By-products: The debris generated during construction was reused on-site. The walls are built using synthetic gypsum, a by-product obtained from flue gas desulfurization in coal-fired power plants. Hence, the walls are constructed using a by-product of waste generated during power generation.
Energy-efficient lighting: Sunlight reaches every floor through large floor-to-ceiling windows; through light wells, extending from the ground floor to the roof, and a pyramid-shaped rooftop skylight, thoughtfully designed to maximize natural light. All offices and conference rooms have interior windows facing the hallways so that natural light flows through. Daylight sensors automatically dim the lights when sunlight is available and gradually turn up the lights as daylight fades. Occupancy sensors turn lights off when rooms become vacant.
Sensor-based water savings: Wash basins are fitted with motorized low-flow taps with sensors that supply water only when the sensor circuit is interrupted. Even the w/c has a combination flush valve to control the water pressure with “full flush” or “half flush.
Sustainable IT infrastructure: At Zodiac, desktop computers have been replaced with an energy-efficient thin client environment, where all computing happens on powerful back-end servers. The “green server rack” with energy-efficient blade servers has a centralized cooling fan and shares two power supply units among fourteen high-powered servers, instead of individual units. This centralization has resulted in computing heat being heavily centralized, allowing the data centre of 150-sqft to be cooled intensely.
Pest Control: Pest control has been achieved without using harmful chemicals and sprays. All areas have been fitted with low-voltage electronic rodent repellent devices, tucked away into the ceiling. These devices emit a high-frequency sound, not audible to humans, but unbearable to rodents, thereby driving them away.

Results and Proven Performance After Major Renovation of the Zodiac Corporate Office Building
Unlike the electric power plants that burn coal to generate electricity, the refurbished Zodiac office building stands tall, totally transformed into an energy-efficient design that uses 60 percent less energy than a typical office of the same size. The refrigerators and microwaves in the canteen all carry the Energy Star rating. This sustainable building design curbs the sources leading to acid rain, smog, and mercury poisoning in lakes and rivers.

Every year, Zodiac invests significantly to maintain, operate, and improve LEED and its delivery. No other rating system has an infrastructure that matches the supremacy of LEED. Adhering to sustainable development practices, the corporate building incurs lower operational costs and contributes to a reduced carbon footprint, aligning with global sustainability goals.

Finally, ZODIAC's dedication to eco-friendly practices is starkly evident in its LEED Gold Certified corporate office. The certification is an unwavering inspiration for the fashion industry at large, reflecting the company’s efforts to minimise its ecological footprint and inspire sustainable manufacturing. Each garment embodies the same values that inform the company’s architectural decisions, deeply rooted in quality and a profound eco-friendly ethos. ZODIAC paves the way for a future where fashion meets sustainability hand in hand.