Page 14 - Shelter - April 2023

THEME PAPER

and communities across March 2022, Indian climate and active technologies
the lifecycle that can scientists warned that while to reduce energy demand
be transformative several cities have heat action and has pursued advanced
in achieving plans and early warnings refrigeration to improve
decarbonization and for heatwaves, a lot of equipment efficiency. Other
democratisation; and implemented adaptation strong macro-level context

2. Considering scientific remains incremental. in India includes Kigali
Transformational adaptation
Cooling Efficiency Program
scrutiny on traditional (UNEP, 2019), Sustainable
building paradigms to for heat would involve a
provide a scientific basis complete shift in how we Development Goals, India’s
Nationally
Determined
build our cities – more space
to Indian construction
wisdom and its unique for nature, more ventilation, Contribution under the Paris
regional context. This revised building codes – Agreement (MoEFCC, 2022),
will unlock digitalization how we work – shifting and Net Zero 2070 (World
given the radical shift work timings, providing Economic Forum, 2021).
from industrial age to cool shelters for exposed Cooling for thermal comfort
information age. livelihoods – and supporting in urban areas is a significant
the most vulnerable who are
Digital transformation most at risk. challenge. India is expected
facilitates decarbonization to have a 150 GW addition to
and democratisation in the Given the rapid growth in its peak load due to increased
built environment through floor space, extreme urban cooling demand alone by
unprecedented value creation heat and pollution, increased 2030, three times the size of
to empower stakeholders. intensity of energy use, and California’s peak load (IEA,
service level requirements 2021). As air-conditioning
How we build today India must address efficiency demand explodes,
sustainably, will change in this sector, particularly passive measures such as
the course of history. In the in the highest energy-using microclimatic vegetation
next two sections we detail end-use: space cooling. The effects, leveraging massing
two significant themes Ministry of Environment, and orientation, natural
for a sustainable built Forest, and Climate Change, ventilation and shading can
environment, i.e reduction Government of India has led effectively reduce the cooling
of active energy demand the development of the India load. Measures such as cool
for space cooling through Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) roofs and cool surfaces not
alternate technologies to 2019 (MoEFCC, 2022a) – a only reduce building cooling
achieve equitable thermal macro-level policy tool aimed load but can also mitigate
comfort and wellness; and to manage India’s cooling urban heat island effects,
the concept of Net Zero growth while neutralising which in turn, improve
Connected Communities. the potential harmful impacts building air-conditioning

ALTERNATE and securing socioeconomic efficiency. Studies and
TECHNOLOGIES TO benefits. There is also progress experience have shown that
ceiling fans can provide good
through the voluntary Energy
ACHIEVE “THERMAL Conservation Building thermal comfort in tropical
COMFORT FOR ALL” Code (ECBC) (Bureau of climate regions and save
As an unusually early Energy Efficiency, 2017) cooling energy demand.
heatwave struck India in that recommends passive The application of low GWP

12 HUDCO-HSMI Publication