If you are planning or managing an apartment or hotel project in Bali with a total gross floor area (GFA) exceeding 50,000 m², compliance with the Green Building (Bangunan Gedung Hijau / BGH) standard is no longer optional — it is a legal prerequisite that determines whether your building can legally operate.

 

What is Green Building and why does it matter for your project?

Bangunan Gedung Hijau (BGH), or Green Building, refers to buildings that are designed, constructed, and operated in accordance with sustainable technical standards — covering energy efficiency, water conservation, and resource management — as regulated under Government Regulation (PP) No. 16 of 2021 and Minister of Public Works and Housing (PUPR) Regulation No. 21 of 2021.

This regulation carries real legal weight. BGH compliance is now a requirement in the issuance process for both the Building Approval (Persetujuan Bangunan Gedung / PBG) and the Certificate of Occupancy (Sertifikat Laik Fungsi / SLF) through the SIMBG system. In practice, buildings that do not meet this standard risk having their permit applications stalled — even before operations begin.

 

Note for projects in Bali:

The Bali Provincial Government maintains a strong commitment to environmental sustainability, which is reflected in its spatial planning and licensing policies. Large-scale hotel and apartment projects face closer scrutiny compared to other regions in Indonesia.

 

Does your project fall under the mandatory category?

PP 16/2021 and Permen PUPR 21/2021 differentiate BGH obligations by building type and floor area. For apartment and hotel projects, the relevant thresholds are as follows:

 

Building type

Minimum GFA

Status

Hotel & resort

> 50,000 m²

Mandatory

Apartment / residential tower

> 50,000 m²

Mandatory

Mixed-use (hotel + retail)

> 50,000 m²

Mandatory

Buildings below threshold

< 50,000 m²

Voluntary

 

It is important to note that 'floor area' here refers to the total gross floor area (GFA) of the building, not the land area. Mixed-use projects combining apartment and hotel functions within a single tower commonly exceed this threshold and therefore fall under the mandatory category.

 

Four BGH compliance phases to plan for

Under Permen PUPR 21/2021, BGH certification covers the entire building lifecycle — not just the construction phase. Here is what this means in practice for project managers:

 

Phase 1 — Technical planning (Design stage)

OTTV calculation for facade efficiency, specification of low-flow sanitary fixtures, and selection of low-carbon materials. This is the most critical phase: errors here directly affect construction costs and the permit timeline.

Phase 2 — Construction execution

Verification that the green design is implemented on-site: construction waste management, dust and pollution control, and documentation of material compliance.

Phase 3 — Operational stage

Audit of indoor air quality, ventilation systems, lighting, and integrated waste management. This phase is relevant when applying for the initial SLF.

Phase 4 — Periodic evaluation

BGH performance is evaluated every 5 years in conjunction with SLF renewal (PP 16/2021 Article 127). Building systems that have degraded may result in the SLF not being renewed.

 

Note for project managers:

Include BGH consultation milestones in your master schedule from the SD phase. If this is only addressed at the Construction Documents (CD) stage, drawing revisions that affect both timeline and budget become highly likely.

 

Key technical standards you need to know

The following three SNI (Indonesian National Standards) serve as the primary reference in BGH audits and verification for hotel and apartment projects:

 

SNI

Subject

Relevance for hotels/apartments

SNI 6197:2020

Energy conservation in lighting

Lighting power density (W/m²) for public areas, corridors, and guest rooms

SNI 6390:2020

HVAC system efficiency

Chiller COP, AHU efficiency, and central AC system design

SNI 8153:2015

Building plumbing systems

Bathroom fixture flow specifications, greywater recycling systems

 

SNI Note:

Older articles often still cite SNI 03-7065-2005 for plumbing systems. This standard has been superseded by SNI 8153:2015, which is the currently applicable reference.

 

By: Adv. Dipo Farizi, S.H., CLA