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For the period 2001–2020, the interannual variability of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is investigated in connection to Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR). According to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) NDVI data, the ISMR and the vegetative activity of the Indo-Gangetic plain (IGP) in the month of January show a significant negative association. We hypothesized that the January vegetation state affects the ISMR via a delayed hydrological response, in which the wet soil moisture anomaly formed throughout the winter to accommodate the water needs of intensive farming influences the ISMR. The soil moisture anomalies developed in the winter, particularly in the root zone, persisted throughout the summer. Evaporative cooling triggered by increasing soil moisture lowers the summer surface temperature across the IGP. The weakening of monsoon circulation as a result of the reduced intensity of land-sea temperature contrast led in rainfall suppression. Further investigation shows that moisture transport has increased significantly over the past two decades as a result of increasing westerly over the Arabian Sea, promoting rainfall over India. Agriculture activities, on the other hand, have resulted in greater vegetation in India's northwest and IGP during the last two decades, which has a detrimental impact on rainfall processes. Rainfall appears to have been trendless during the last two decades as a result of these competing influences. With a lead time of 5 months, this association between January's vegetation and ISMR could be one of the potential predictors of seasonal rainfall variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is one of the leading countries in the production of horticultural produces. Still, the lack of scientific knowledge, infrastructure, and nonexistence of proper storage facilities forces the farmers to sell their produce in the nearby market immediately after harvest. Although refrigeration and cold storage facilities are developing now to store the horticultural produce, they are not only energy‐intensive but also require huge investment. The majority of farmers cannot afford these facilities even on a rental basis for their harvest. The metabolism of fresh horticultural commodities continues even after the harvest and the rate of deterioration rises because their maturation, senescence, and unfavorable atmospheric factors predominate, especially in tropical countries. A low‐cost, energy‐efficient, environmentally benign and made from the locally available material evaporative cooling chamber (ECC) may resolve some of these issues of on‐farm storage. It is an efficient and cost‐effective way to reduce the temperature and increase relative humidity inside the chamber. A lot of evaporative cooling structures were developed, but still, this simple technology did not make a dent in the production catchment rural areas. In this article, an attempt is made to review the basic principle, methods, factors that influence storage conditions of perishables, design consideration of different evaporative cooling systems, major limitations, challenges, and constraints of its low adoption. The recent developments for modifications and improvement in existing ECCs using the latest technological interventions with the help of Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things and their cost analysis are also highlighted. Practical Applications: Adoption of a low‐cost and environmentally friendly evaporative cooling system for on‐farm storage made from locally available materials will reduce postharvest losses and improve the economic status of farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preservation of potatoes in a controlled cool environment (i.e., in cold storage) consumes a substantial amount of energy. The specific energy consumption in Indian cold storage has been estimated to be between 9 and 26 kWh/ton/year. In this article, the potential for minimizing the energy consumption in the refrigeration process of cold storage through passive cooling concepts (i.e., roof evaporative cooling and the earth integration of the storage building) was explored. These passive concepts of cooling have shown significant potential for lowering the cooling loads and the energy consumption in different types of buildings. Therefore, a feasibility analysis for a potato storage building, considering the effect of the passive cooling concepts, was conducted for three different climatic conditions (i.e., hot–dry, warm–humid, and composite) in India. The energy saving potentials in the cold storage were assessed by quantifying the thermal energy exchange between the indoor and outdoor environments using the modified admittance method. The effect of heat transfer through the building envelope on total energy consumption was estimated for the building having various sunken volumes (buried depths) without and with roof evaporative cooling. Further, the economic feasibility of adopting passive concepts was assessed in terms of life cycle saving compared to the base case. Results indicate that earth coupling without and with evaporative cooling has substantial potential to reduce the cooling load and can produce significant savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the interannual variability (IAV) of Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) is investigated using multi-year (1982‒2016) seasonal scale simulations (May‒September) of the regional climate model RegCM4. Model-simulated fields such as surface temperature, wind and rainfall are validated initially to testify the climatological behaviour of ISM. Subsequently, different aspects of IAV associated with ISM are discussed primarily focusing on model simulated rainfall and are verified against high-resolution rainfall analysis from India Meteorological Department (IMD). Analysis indicated that RegCM4 shows reasonable accuracy in simulating major large-scale features, however, has cold bias over entire India and wet (dry) bias over northwest and peninsular (central) India. Easterly (westerly) bias is noticed in the model simulated low (upper) level wind that affects regional Hadley circulation. The cold bias is found to be associated with the feedback cycle of land–atmosphere interaction. Surface evaporative cooling likely affects the static instability in the atmospheric column, thereby limiting the convection and thus reducing rainfall. While categorizing, it is noticed that the efficacy of the model is found to be better in simulating normal monsoon as compared to contrasting monsoon (deficit and excess) year, thereby reducing the simulation skill for the entire period. EOF analysis revealed that first two leading modes of IMD rainfall are linked with large-scale variabilities, viz. El-Nino Southern Oscillation and Indian Ocean Dipole, respectively, but RegCM4 could not well reproduce these relationships. The spectral analysis showed 2–7 year periodicity in the model. However, the associated spectral peaks are close to the red noise spectrum due to their weak power suggesting limited model skill to capture large-scale variability. Overall, this study advocates that the RegCM4 could capture the climatological features of ISM fairly well, but needs further improvement in representing the IAV more accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines experimentally the performance of direct evaporative cooling system for the hot and dry climate of Vidarbha region (Wardha, Maharashtra, INDIA, 20.75° N, 78.60° E). The evaporative cooling system of larger capacity has been designed for effective cooling of classrooms and laboratory spaces of Bajaj Institute of Technology, an engineering institution located at Wardha District. The cooling structures existing in the literature might not be appropriate for this weather condition. Keeping in view this problem, an evaporative cooling section is fabricated using newly developed porous-cellulose material, structured in the form of a honeycomb, to meet the comfort necessities of hot and dry ambience. The evaporative cooling systems of capacity 6000 CFM have been commissioned in the cooler chambers associated with the amenities described above. Experiments have been conducted in the summer months to examine the saturation efficiency of the system, for various test situations in the amenities. In order to reduce the penetration of sound into the conditioning rooms, the effect of Nitrile rubber sheets was also examined. The direct evaporative cooling system exhibited a saturation efficiency ranging from 45.0% to 68.0% for the different test situations in amenities. The provision of Nitrile rubber inside the walls of cooler chamber could reduce the sound intensity by about 18.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present work is to assess the potential of different passive design strategies using the bio-climatic approach in residential spaces across the composite climate in India. For this purpose, a modified building bio-climatic design chart based on composite climate specific adaptive thermal comfort zone (CZ) has been used. The climates of four major cities namely Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Hyderabad, have been selected for bio-climatic analysis using typical meteorological year (TMY) data. The results from the bio-climatic analysis showed that comfort can vary 30% to 60% of the total time during summer and 43% to 70% of the total time during the winter season, respectively. During warmer half of the year (March-October) natural ventilation, sun shading, and direct evaporative cooling proved to be the better choice for passive cooling. However, passive solar heating only provides the noticeable result for improving indoor comfort conditions during the colder half of the year (November-February) for all selected cities. Finally, this study put forward a guideline matrix for the use of passive design schemes in buildings for composite climate of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the techno‐economic assessment of different selected and proposed, CO2 booster configurations for supermarket applications. The mathematical model has been developed for eight different configurations and, analyzed for year‐round operations in five selected major cities of India having different climatic conditions. The performance of the configurations is evaluated in terms of annual energy saving, seasonal energy efficiency ratio, life cycle cost, and additional investment recovery time(AIRT). Subsequently, the performance of the systems are compared with the Basic Booster System (BBS). The results show, 357.4 MWh of maximum AES, and 51.2% of enhancement in SEER, for BBS with both low and medium temperature‐flooded evaporator integrated with the modified evaporative cooler (BBSM‐LT + MT) configuration over BBS in Ahmedabad, India, compared to the selected cities in India. The economic analysis reveals that BBSM‐LT + MT configuration has minimum AIRT of 1.2 years for Ahmedabad, India compared to selected cities in India. Hence, the performance of BBSM‐LT + MT is better compared to other investigated configurations, for all the selected cities. The proposed configurations can be considered as suitable option for supermarket application in terms of energy, environment, and economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CO2 is one of the rediscovered, ecologically safe refrigerants with very low global warming potential which has favorable thermo-physical properties. The CO2 booster refrigeration system has already been identified as a suitable choice for the supermarket application to replace the conventional R404A (high GWP) system. However, the performance of the CO2 booster system is still comparatively lower than the conventional R404A system, especially when operated at high ambient temperature, which compels to improve the performance of the CO2 system with suitable modification. In the present work, an attempt has been made to examine the year-round performance of the basic booster system and basic booster system with the integrated modified evaporative cooling system for Ahmedabad city weather conditions (Hot and Dry climate region). The experimentally investigated and validated data are used for the modified evaporative cooling system with real-time weather data taken from the weather station installed in the institute. Subsequently, the performance of the BBS, BBS-MEC, and R404A systems have been compared in terms of COP, power consumption, and seasonal energy efficiency ratio. The results show that for BBSMEC, SEER enhances by 28.66% and annual power consumption decreases by 22.89% as compared with BBS. In addition to that, the total environment warming impact is also found significantly lower in the case of the BBS-MEC system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major heat waves are occurring over India during the hottest months of May and June. Since the temperature extremes have major impact on human health and agriculture, better understanding the dynamics behind its evolution and propagation will help us to develop effective mitigation strategies. Understanding the spatio-temporal distribution, evolution and dynamics associated with heat waves is lacking over this region, due to the lack of high-resolution weather information. Here, we developed a high-resolution (4 × 4 km) dynamically downscaled hourly climate data for April to June during period of 2001–2016. The downscaled daily surface temperature is in good agreement with station observations, which is also in agreement with the observed features of temperature distribution during this period. Based on the Indian meteorological department definition, intensity of the heat waves is identified and re-classified into minor and severe category. The spatio-temporal distribution of each heat wave shows variation in its spatial coverage and also in its intensity. The distributions of heat waves are mainly over central India, North-West India and states such as Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana during pre-monsoon season. Results show that the increase in meridional heat transport is higher than the zonal advection component, and intensification of heat waves is linked with heat accumulation over a particular region associated with weakening of heat transport. The further amplification associated with depletion of soil moisture will result in the reduction in evaporative cooling, and it will further amplify the surface air temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multi-year comfort field study was conducted in office buildings using evaporative cooling strategy. • Comfort temperature calculated using the Griffiths method was found 28.8 °C (SD=±1.9 °C). • Acceptable indoor humidity and airspeed range of 35–85% and 0.75–1.5 m/s. • Adaptive comfort model for evaporatively cooled buildings was presented. Thermal adaptation can play a significant role in defining thermal comfort levels for evaporatively cooled office buildings commonly found in India. However, there are no dedicated studies to record the occupant perception and indoor thermal comfort in these buildings. The contribution of adaptive thermal comfort theory on occupant perception remains unclear for accurate design and operation of evaporatively cooled office buildings in India. Therefore, a multi-year field study of thermal comfort was conducted in ten office buildings operated under evaporative cooling systems in the composite climate of Jaipur, India. Transverse type questionnaire following Class II measurement protocols was carried out for recording office occupant's sensation and preferences for different indoor variables using ASHRAE 55 seven point and five-point scales, respectively. A total of 1554 datasets were collected spread over a total period of eighteen months, covering the entire summer season which includes very hot and dry days as well as few rainy days. Comfort temperature calculated using the Griffiths method was found 28.8 °C (SD=±1.9 °C). Results from the field study showed acceptable indoor humidity and airspeed range of 35–85% and 0.75–1.5 m/s for office subjects. Furthermore, 80% and 90% acceptability limits based on operative temperature and SET* were determined for present field surveys and results were compared with the existing adaptive models in National Building Code of India for different building types. This work is the first step towards the formation of an adaptive comfort model for evaporatively cooled buildings in the composite climate of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study predicts the thermal performance of office buildings using Direct Evaporative Cooling (DEC) systems for thermal comfort during the summer season of Indian composite climate. For this purpose, thermal monitoring of office buildings using DEC systems was carried out for peak summer months (April to July 2016) in Jaipur city. Experimental results were utilized to calibrate the thermal simulation models, developed using EnergyPlus. Taguchi design was further applied to develop L 16 Orthogonal array of control factors and their respective levels for performing simulation runs. Simulation run outputs were then used for predicting supply air temperature and indoor air temperature as a function of independent variables (control factors) using Multiple Linear Regression technique. Statistical significance of temperature correlations was established using Analysis of Variance. Field validation from two other buildings (of similar characteristics) found a reasonably good agreement (R2 > 0.90) between the onsite measurements and the computed values of indoor temperature. The same methodology was also repeated to suggest mathematical correlations for specific humidity prediction of supply air and then indoor air. Finally, the potential of DEC to offset thermal discomfort was assessed using the proposed mathematical correlations. This was accomplished by plotting the predicted indoor conditions on Composite Climate-specific Adaptive Thermal Comfort Zone (CCATCZ) developed by the authors particularly for office buildings of Indian composite climate. Comfort prediction with ASHRAE Standard 55–2013 thermal comfort zone and CCATCZ revealed that approximately 42% and 52% of the thermal discomfort hours could be evaded with the use of DEC during the summer season. • Thermal monitoring of buildings using DEC systems is performed. • Taguchi L 16 OA is adopted for performing simulation runs. • Mathematical correlations for prediction of supply air conditions and indoor environment are presented. • Around 52% of discomfort can be eliminated with DEC in Indian composite climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural irrigation has significant potential for altering local climate by reducing soil albedo, increasing evapotranspiration, and enabling greater leaf area. Numerous studies using regional or global climate models have demonstrated the cooling effects of irrigation on mean and extreme temperature, especially over regions where irrigation is extensive. However, these model‐based results have not been well validated due to the limitations of observational data sets. In this study, multiple satellite‐based products, including the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) data sets, are used to isolate and quantify the local impacts of irrigation on surface climate over irrigated regions, which are derived from the Global Map of Irrigation Areas (GMIA). The relationships among soil moisture, albedo, evapotranspiration, and surface temperature are explored. Strong evaporative cooling by irrigation lowers daytime surface temperature over arid and semi‐arid regions, such as California's Central Valley, the Great Plains, central Asia, and northwestern India. However, the cooling effects are less evident in areas of eastern China and the Lower Mississippi River Basin despite extensive irrigation over these regions. Results are also compared with irrigation experiments using the Community Earth System Model (CESM) to assess the model's ability to represent land–atmosphere interactions in regards to irrigation. CESM greatly underestimates the surface temperature response to irrigation. The comparison between the offline and coupled simulations suggests that the irrigation‐induced cooling can be regulated by the interactions between land surface and atmosphere, and amplified signals are found over the "hot spot" regions. Meanwhile, model resolution can also influence the magnitude of the local cooling by irrigation. This study, for the first time, thoroughly investigated the observed local impacts of irrigation on surface climate based on multiple satellite‐based products at the global scale. Strong evaporative cooling of irrigation on daytime surface temperature is found over arid and semi‐arid regions, such as California's Central Valley, the Great Plains, central Asia, and northwestern India. However, the cooling effects are less evident in areas of eastern China and the Lower Mississippi River Basin despite extensive irrigation over these regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive cooling is a versatile technology through which energy demands to achieve the thermal comfort in a building can be minimized in places like India, where different climatic zones exist. This paper presents the outcome of various research works carried out in the field of evaporative cooling, nocturnal radiative cooling, and phase change material (PCM) based free cooling of buildings under various climatic conditions. Further, the developed empirical equations/correlations for determining the critical design parameters pertaining to the above said passive cooling technologies are summarized in order to provide a panoramic view. The achievable monthly and yearly average cooling potential through the implementation of direct evaporative cooling, nocturnal radiative cooing and PCM based free cooling system are estimated and reported for five selected cities (Chennai, Bangalore, New Delhi, Jaipur, and Jammu and Kashmir) in India, based on their corresponding weather data. It is inferred that Jaipur with hot and dry climatic zone has the highest yearly average passive cooling potential of 251 W m −2 , whereas Chennai with warm and humid climate zone has 127 W m −2 . In addition, concept of a novel hybrid passive system is presented along with the strategies required in the present scenario to promote passive building concepts. This comprehensive evaluation of cooling potential helps the researchers to select the appropriate passive cooling technologies based on the influencing parameters with respect to local climatic zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field trial comprising total ten treatments viz control three coloured shade nets (Green 35% and 50%, Red & Black 50%), one insect net 50 mesh at three metre height, two evaporative cooling treatments (over tree fogger and micro sprinkler) at 2.5 meter height and two foliar spary treatment (Kaolin 4% and Borax 0.4%) during the fruit development stage) was undertaken on pomegranate Cv. Mridula during 2012-13. Study was aimed to evaluate the efficiency of different treatments against sunburn attack and pomegranate fruit quality under high solar radiation during summer months. Significant difference was recorded in fruit weight and yield. No significant difference was observed in TSS (°Brix). Sun burn attack was recorded less (3.2%) in black colour shading compared to control (9%). No significant difference was found for bacteria burnt disease in openly grown and TSS but acidity and Vitamin-C was reduced in shadnets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For better use of evaporative cooling techniques in humid climate, a desiccant cooling system (DCS) can be an alternative option in place of a conventional cooling system. This paper presents a theoretical comparative study of the performance of a DCS for four different climatic conditions of India (i.e. hot and dry, warm and humid, moderate and composite climates). From the analysis, it was found that the performance of a DCS is suitable in warm and humid climate. The thermodynamic equations of intermediate states of the desiccant cooling cycle are also presented. Effects of some parameters such as outdoor specific humidity, R/P ratio (regeneration air flow/process air flow) and power required to regenerate the desiccant wheel have been studied. The theoretical minimum R/P ratio has been computed for the maximum coefficient of performance (COP) of a DCS and its value was found to be 0.55 in Mumbai (warm and humid climate) for the 80% effectiveness of ECW. This paper also presents the relationship between COP and regeneration power with the different values of R/P ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Results of a preliminary analysis to study the financial feasibility of a hybrid mode operation of a direct evaporative cooler (DEC) with an air conditioning (AC) unit to reduce the annual expenditure on electricity usage (as against a standalone AC unit to provide almost similar level of comfort) are presented. Four different building applications located in four different cities of India have been considered in the study. The hybrid mode operation is found financially attractive for movie theater and waiting hall building applications for all the climatic conditions considered in the present study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Energy consumption in the building sector is very high and it is expected to increase further due to increase in standards of living and change in typology of the building. Other major factor which has a significant effect on energy consumption is climate, especially in hot and dry climate. There is vast temperature fluctuation in such type of climate promoting greater use of air conditioning system, thus increasing energy consumption. The Study examines the energy conservation potential of the Passive Downdraft Evaporative Cooling (PDEC) technique for the commercial building sector in hot and dry region of Ahmedabad. The Study examines four different scenarios, 1) Conventional Case, 2) Envelope Design case 3) Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) Envelope Design case and 4) ECBC Envelope Design case with Evaporative Cooler (EC). Performance of all scenarios is measured through simulation software ‘eQuest’. Simulation results are compared with actual building observations and comparative analysis is done in terms of Cooling load, Energy consumption, CO2 emissions and other co-benefits. The Research finding proves that Passive Downdraught Evaporative cooling technique offer real opportunity for improving indoor thermal comfort conditions in a building whilst reducing cooling load of air-conditioning systems, thereby reducing energy consumption and provides better indoor environment by providing 100% fresh, cool air into a space. The analysis confirms the advantage of such passive cooling strategy in hot dry climate of Ahmedabad. Further research also identifies the significance of the integrated architectural approach.Result of the each scenario with better envelope design and efficient cooling technique has shown significant energy conservation.The findings clearly suggest that while energy efficiency can be achieved through building regulations/codes and appropriate choice of materials/construction technology, but the potential for energy efficiency is much higher when such measures are integrated into the design philosophy and approach. The results can be used to estimate the energy conservation potential of such technique for wider application and also in developing recommendations to encourage the use of such passive cooling techniques. As commercial building floor area in Ahmadabad is projected to be double by 2035[1], there is a large potential to conserve the energy. Developing guidelines and action plan to promote such techniques will certainly help to reduce energy consumption, hence reducing GHG emissions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study focuses on the design integration of passive downdraught evaporative cooling (PDEC) in a school building in the hot and dry climate of Gujarat, India.Ilt sets out the design process through which different options were evaluated and assessed, and demonstrates that the combination of PDEC with other 'common sense' design principles can potentially deliver thermal comfort in school classrooms for most of the year. This is the first time that the application of PDEC to this building type has been evaluated, and indicates significant potential for wider adoption in India. It is anticipated that following construction, post-occupancy evaluation will be undertaken to establish performance in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture in India is characterised by small and marginal farmers and they constitute nearly 80 per cent of the total land holdings. The cultivation of multiple crops under small land holdings results in regular production of lesser quantities of vegetables, which the farmers cannot take to the market regularly, leading to a distress local sale of produce through the middlemen. Facilities to store the produce for a shorter period and taking a bulk of commodity to the market would be a viable option for them. Though the refrigerated storage of vegetables can keep them fresh over a longer period, the high initial investment and energy requirement appears to be the hurdles for small and marginal farmers. The zero energy cool chamber could be the best alternative to such farmers having smaller holdings especially for short term on farm storage of perishables without any recurring expenditure on energy source, as it works on the principle of evaporative cooling. The present study on the storability of vegetables under ZECC had proved its usefulness in extending the storability of tropical vegetables, with reduction in temperature up to 9o C and increase in relative humidity by 18 per cent could be achieved inside the chamber compared to ambience. The ZECC proved useful in storage of vegetables with minimum PLW and decay and the freshness was retained for 3 days in lab lab, 4 days in bhendi, five days brinjal, bitter gourd and radish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An evaporative cooling (EC) storage with fabric walls was evaluated over 5 years. • Evaporative cooling of the structure interior occurred only during the daytime. • Improved storability of perishables by EC was described by a simple equation. • The predictive equation permits estimation of benefits of EC anywhere on the globe. Post-harvest losses of fruit and vegetables in India, estimated to be around 30 %, can cause major economic disaster for smallholder farmers. A significant part of these losses occur due to lack of appropriate cold storage facilities, high temperatures, and low RH of ambient air especially during summer months. The high capital required and lack of uninterrupted power supply makes it difficult for farmers to build cold stores and existing cold storages are not distributed equitably and do not have sufficient capacity to serve India's 100 million smallholder farmers. One cooling option is the relatively inexpensive evaporatively cooled (EC) storage, which was designed to enable farmers to avert distress sale and get a fair price for produce. An EC storage, termed the Pusa EC room, was built using novel construction materials including fabric walls and insulative blocks and evaluated year-round over a period of 5 years (2017–2021) using respiratory and senescence responses of amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) to storage temperatures. Wetting of the fabric walls yielded cooling of the structure interior during the daytime, but not at nighttime. As a result of lowered temperatures, storage life was predicted to be nearly doubled relative to storage at ambient temperatures during the warm and dry spring and summer weeks, however it was not improved appreciably when the ambient temperature declined and RH increased during late summer, fall, and winter. The estimated daily reduction in respired CO 2 for the leafy amaranth, used here as a model plant, was governed by a simple mathematical expression using wet bulb depression of temperature relative to ambient. The predictive equation can be applied to any plant material for which the metabolic response to temperature is defined and permits convenient estimation of the benefits of evaporative cooling, potentially anywhere on the globe. This relationship was used for predicting storage-life improvement for many cities of major climate zones in India using data retrieved from website https://en.climate-data.org. EC room benefits were projected to be highest for warmer, drier climates, as would be expected; however, regional climate classifications were not always found to be a good guide for siting EC rooms due to local and microclimate variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper experimental study has been carried out in a cascade greenhouse with inner thermal curtain to see the effect of thermal curtain. A thermal model has also been developed to predict the air temperature in a cascade greenhouse. The fan-pad system has been used for evaporative cooling and an inner thermal curtain has been used to divide the greenhouse in two zones. Experiments have been conducted in hot summer conditions at Solar Energy Park, IIT Delhi, New Delhi, India for empty greenhouse. Statistical analysis has been carried out to validate the agreement of experimental observations with predicted values. The values of the root mean square percent deviation and coefficient of correlation has been found out 9.0%, 0.90; 5.0%, 0.95 and 7.0%, 0.97 for April, May and June in case of evaporative cooling without curtain in greenhouse-2. The degree of freedom for the experimental work is 10.0. It is found that the use of evaporative cooling with a thermal curtain reduces the temperature of greenhouse by 5°C and 8°C in the second zone of greenhouse-1 and 2 in comparison to greenhouse without curtain in May. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, diurnal hourly values of temperature and humidity in a room, with its roof exposed to the solar radiation in the summer months of April, May and June in Delhi, and having a direct evaporative cooler, have been computed and compared with the values obtained if the roof is unexposed. It is seen that additional heat load due to exposure of the roof to the solar radiation can be taken care of by slightly increasing the flow rate of the evaporatively cooled supply air. For April and May, the resulting conditions of the room air can be brought within an extended comfort zone (ECZ) by selecting an appropriate air change rate (ACH) giving due consideration to the bypass factor (BPF) of the cooler. During the month of June, the ambient air is very hot and its humidity rises; the conditions of the room are not within the ECZ, although the discomfort is mitigated. The levels of thermal sensation, which may be obtained with a direct evaporative cooler, have been computed on a numerical scale (S) which is pertinent to hot-dry and warm-humid climatic zones in India. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Potatoes contain 80% water which results in low shelf life The quality of potato and its storage life is reduced by the loss of moisture, decay and physiological breakdown. These deteriorations are directly related to storage temperature, relative humidity air circulation and gas composition. Bruise prevention, minimum weight loss and disease prevention during storage are significant. In this study, attempts have been made to find out an affordable and effective storage system of potatoes in rural condition. For getting it, the effectiveness of storage of potatoes in zero energy cool chamber was tested. Minimum storage losses as weight loss, sprout loss and rottage has been recorded in case of its storage in zero energy cool chambers as compared to other tested methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the India Energy Security Scenario 2047, the number of residential air conditioner (A/C) units may increase seven-fold by 2037 as compared to 2017. Also, the related energy consumption might increase four times in the next two decades, according to India's National Cooling Action Plan. Therefore, the study of occupant cooling behaviour is essential to reduce and manage the significant electricity demand, helping to formulate and implement climate-specific cooling policies, and to adopt low-energy and low-cost technologies at mass-market scale. The study aims to analyse residential electricity consumption in order to investigate occupant behaviour, especially for thermal comfort by using space cooling and mechanical ventilation technologies. Among the five climate zones in India, this study focuses on the occupant behaviour in a warm-humid climate using Auroville as a case study, where climate analysis of the past 30 years demonstrated progression towards unprecedented warmer weather in the last five years. In this study, electricity consumption data from 18 households (flats) were monitored for seven months (November 2018–June 2019). The study also elaborated the limitations faced while monitoring and proposed a data filling methodology to create a complete daily profile for analysing occupant behaviour through electricity consumption. The results of the data-driven approach demonstrated the characteristics and complexities in occupant behaviour and insight on the operation of different technologies to attain thermal comfort in residential buildings in an increasingly warming climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]