Articles by Vinita Rodrigues

Retrofitting existing buildings consists of making modifications that may improve energy efficiency or decrease energy demand. But one may ask why care about decreasing energy demand when you can just pay extra to get all the energy one needs? However, a holistic perspective that surpasses mere monetary considerations is required for a transition towards energy-efficient spaces. An assessment by the International Energy Agency (2021) indicates that energy demand in buildings in India has grown by 40% since 2000, mostly on account of growing appliance ownership, especially air conditioners, and increased access to modern cooking fuels. The direct use of fossil…

"The house feels like a furnace during summers. We live in a very congested space which makes it difficult to sit inside the house and even more difficult for me to cook due to the heat. I get headaches and my kids experience skin problems too," says Guna, a resident of Jyothipura, an urban poor settlement in Bengaluru. Heat stress is not a new concept given the realities of rising local temperatures in India. But Guna’s plight, faced by every family living in tin-roofed houses in informal settlements, reflects the inequitable realities of heat stress in urban India. Houses of…