THE building and construction sector has significant energy consumption and carbon footprint. A major share of this is due to space cooling. NITI Aayog estimates that 65 per cent of the energy demand in India comes from space cooling and heating. A warming climate, increasingly frequent episodes of heatwaves and growing access to space cooling are set to bring about a surge in cooling demand in the country.
India is projected to see an 11-fold increase in cooling demand in buildings by 2037-38, compared to the 2017-18 baseline, as per the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Recognising this threat, the country in 2019 became one of the first in the world to bring out a Cooling Action Plan (ICAP). It predicts that a potential reduction of around 20 per cent in cooling load could be achieved by 2037-38, through climate-appropriate building envelopes. An additional 30 per cent reduction in cooling energy can be achieved through improvements in cooling equipment efficiency and better servicing and operation and maintenance practices, it adds. The current codes also specify cooling equipment efficiencies but are largely focused on refrigerant-based cooling. Low-carbon cooling has so far gained very little traction.
CUSTOMISE SOLUTIONS
This story is from the July 16, 2023 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 16, 2023 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
