Energy-efficient solution from India

In summer, temperatures can exceed 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of India. For low-income families with little or no access to electricity, staying in cooler homes is more a matter of survival rather than just comfort. 

Habitat for Humanity’s Terwilliger Center for Innovation in Shelter partnered with Excel Coatings in a pilot project in 2022 to test roofing coating to reduce the indoor temperature in homes. The coating was applied on the roofs of homes that Habitat for Humanity India built with low-income families in Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur districts in the state of Tamil Nadu. It was used on homes with corrugated galvanized iron (CGI) roofing as well as reinforced cement concrete (RCC) roofing. 

RELATED: The Symbiotic Relationship between Housing and Health

The Symbiotic Relationship between Housing and Health

Climate change was famously called a monster of our own making. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2019, which swiftly evolved into the most significant health problem of this century. The health and economic fallouts are well documented, particularly on already vulnerable families and communities. ⠀ For some people, staying at home posed threats to their health and well-being, including infestations, mold, and structural housing problems. Through these global crises, housing continues to play a pivotal role in ensuring people’s health and well-being. When the pandemic struck, governments around the world including Asia ordered people to stay at home […]

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