Environmental Friendly Architecture – Harvesting the SUN for Sustainable Future

Keeping in view the potential of Solar Energy in the field of Architecture, the Society is implementing a research based project ‘Environment Friendly Architecture – Harvesting the SUN for Sustainable Future”. The project is supported by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India.

Background and Objectives

Solar energy utilization in India has been growing steadily over the last two decades. India is endowed with very good solar energy resource. It has the potential of harvesting the Sun’s Energy. A wide variety of technologies have been developed. Presently, the country has a basket of technologies/products that are at various stages of commercialisation. The efforts made for research and development, demonstration and large-scale promotion during the eighties and nineties have resulted in perfecting many of these technologies. As a result, some of these technologies have reached maturity and user-friendly status. The technologies are suitable for decentralized applications and have no negative impact on environment.

Some of the solar thermal technologies are as follows:

• Solar Water Heater
• Solar Cookers
• Solar Air Heaters
• Solar Distillation System

Apart from these technologies, Solar Architecture is another very important field where the solar energy can be used. Solar Architecture is the practice of designing buildings to make the best use of the Sun's energy.

Recognizing this potential, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India has appointed Indian Environmental Society for implementing the project entitled “Environment Friendly Architecture – Harvesting the SUN for Sustainable Future”.

The objectives of the project are as follows:

• To establish strong networking with the peer groups, environmentalists, planners, architects, govt. and non-govt. officials from energy departments, educational departments, etc.
• To organize workshops to discuss the issues related to Solar Architecture and Environment.
• To develop the resource material, to distribute among the beneficiaries, on Energy and Environment with special emphasis on Solar Architecture and Environment.
• To collect data, information, and success stories related to the project.

Achievements

The Society has collected relevant information and success stories on the related topic. The Society has made efforts in retrieving the information on Environmental Friendly Architecture. The project staff is doing research on the issues like use of solar energy in building our houses; passive and active solar architecture; biological basis of architecture: new dimensions in architecture; bio-architecture as a policy for urban and rural planning; government initiative for bio-architecture; etc. The Society is planning to compile the findings of the research in the form of the book.

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