Companies are coming up with alternatives to air conditioners using traditional, natural cooling techniques which not only reduce carbon emissions but also reduce power bills
Monish Siripurapu, Founder and CEO of CoolAnt. CoolAnt is an artistic, all-natural, air cooling solution for home, office, commercial buildings, retail and public spaces. Photo: Madhu Kapparath
At the Hope Foundation building in Delhi, a façade made of terracotta and louvers blocks the sun, keeping the house and surrounding spaces cooler. A similar structure covers the sides of Anupama, a courtyard house in Hyderabad that incorporates passive cooling design techniques on its south and west facade. The building is also proposed to be covered with a terracotta pitch roof to reduce heat-gain through from the top.
In an increasingly warming world, where, according to a 2023 International Energy Agency report India is projected to have more than a billion air conditioners in operation by 2050, people and companies are working towards adopting alternative solutions that not only reduce carbon emissions and more warming, but also reduce the power bills.
These include companies using traditional and natural cooling products like terracotta or khus to building energy-efficient cooling solutions, all designed to optimise energy consumption and minimise environmental impact.
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Architecture firm CoolAnt uses the properties of terracotta in its facades for buildings, art sculptures as well as cooling towers in big buildings and public spaces. Started in Delhi NCR in 2017 by architect Monish Siripurapu, its products rely on clay-based cooling techniques and inspired by the structure of a beehive.