IR Reflective Technology

IR Reflective Technology: a boon for heat trapped nations.

Our solution uses IR Reflective technology which reflects the heat-generating IR (Infrared) component from suns rays off the metal roofs of the Indian Slums, which otherwise would have penetrated in the small, congested slum houses and gotten trapped making it non-viable for Slum Dwellers to live in the less ventilated households during peak summers when indoor temperatures could reach as high as 50 Degrees and Surface temperatures of metal roofs up to 75 Degree celsius.

The paint is a special 3 layered heat-reflective chemical coating that reduces the surface temperature of the sheds by 20 to 30 degrees. 

By reflecting the heat, we provide a massively cheap alternative to a rather expensive affair of installing exhausts, air conditioners (which further contribute to CFC emissions thus, bad for the environment) or other methods of reducing heat levels in a slum. When we reduce the issue of heat-trapping, a lot of benefits proceed the Cooler and Greener environment conditions.

Once the heat is trapped it becomes difficult for it to escape during the daytime and thus, keeping the house extremely hot during the day and even during the night. This causes serious health effects. Children, due to the intense heat, face rashes and skin burns along with other issues like indigestion and loss of appetite, thereby making them even more malnourished, weak and ill. Some elders even suffer from strokes and/ or dehydration. They have to sleep outside their houses in peak summers as the temperature IN their house is much higher than that OUTSIDE. More impending effects are observed in heat trapped houses like an increase of aggression indicated by rising domestic violence cases, and other abuses etc.

Some real-life testimonials from the Newyork Times verify this fact about heat stress in India:

“Only by 4 a.m., when it cools down, can we sleep,” a woman named Kamal told him. Her husband, day labourer, suffered heatstroke this year, missed a week’s work and a week’s pay.

Furthermore, According to a Report by C40, Today, around 200 million city-dwellers in over 350 cities live with summer temperature highs of over 35°C (95°F). Even at this level of exposure, heatwaves are the deadliest of all climate risks. By 2050 around 970 cities will be at least this hot, with much higher exposure in Asia, Africa and North America.

Our beneficiaries could be all the low-income families in the tropical and sub-tropical regions where temperatures reach extremely high points and even in those temperatures they do not have sufficient resources to protect themselves from getting heat trapped in their own houses. These beneficiaries would have houses - temporary or semi-temporary - which have metal roofs (The cheapest durable alternative for all seasons). 

Furthermore, as a representation of the general trend of slums, 95% of the slum houses have low heightened metal rooftops and during summer, the tin/metal rooftop attracts too much heat (even up to 80 degrees centigrade) and transferring the same heat into the closed and compact house, acts just like a furnace.

Furthermore, summers in these hot regions similar to the state of Gujarat, India, carry on for not only for 3 but for 5 to 6 months in a year.

Over 70% of the slums in India have no electricity or limited electricity. Having no fan or exhaust fan in the houses results in the suffocation of the people living inside. During the lock-down, people are forced to stay inside with unbearable suffocating heat that causes heat strokes, heat cramps, increased domestic abuse, animal attacks among the discomfort.

This problem had only intensified during the lockdowns but is a continuous phenomenon and a problem of grave concern during normal summers as well. So, if the problem is treated, it stays in action for years to come.

The survey conducted by the organization report that there have been many deaths in the past due to heat strokes, and cases of increased crime rate, domestic abuse, suffocation and heat cramps.

In usual times this was already a huge issue but they combated it by moving out of the house (sleeping under tree shade etc) with the elders, wives and kids as being under that low heightened furnace (compact, metal-roofed houses) was much worse than staying in the direct and extreme summer heat.

With no work and escape from the situation during the pandemic, it had never been worse for them.  

1) We have created a documentary (Attached to the previous Question)

2) I am in process of making an impact assessment statement, and 

3) have a project brochure ready. 

I had led a team to raise funds for the pilot implementation of this project and we have implemented it successfully in the Channi area of my city- Vadodara in Gujarat, India.

Point 3) Improving healthcare access and health outcomes; and reducing and ultimately eliminating health disparities (Health)

and Point 4) Taking action to combat climate change and its impacts (Sustainability)

Both. 

We believe that thought the immediate effects of the implementation is humanitarian as it provides livable conditions to slum dwellers protecting them from impending danger of heat stress, but the LONG TERM implications are on a wider environmental scale where the HEAT ISLAND EFFECT is reduced thus, reducing the overall atmospheric temperature of the area. If implemented on a larger scale, this project holds the potential to reduce the city temperatures to even 2-3 centigrade depending on the scale and extent of product implementation.

We have currently implemented the IR Reflective paints in a CHHANI area slum (In Vadodara, Gujarat) which has over 500 families thus, around 2,000-2,500 individuals living there. Every house has a roof-top of 100 sq ft on average. 

We had led fundraising to implement the product at the pilot site. Through this pilot project, we have implemented the product (IR Reflective Paints) on the roofs of around 25% of houses and have seen a tremendous reduction in temperature in houses where the product has been applied. We have received outstanding support from the community and there is a strong desire from other dwellers to get these paints implemented on their roofs as well. 

Along with this, we have been researching other economical ways to make the condition more livable for the slum sweller by providing nutrition, ration, possibly implementing Hydroponics to inculcate sustainable farming in areas with low water availability, implementing rainwater harvesting etc.

We are in the process of mapping the change for secondary activities but, we have certainly received commendable support for the IT Reflective technology. 

The core technology uses molecules in different layers of coating that reflect the IR Rays of the sun. When these rays are reflected the substrate does not get heated up to that extent which it would have without the paint. 

As this substrate is less heated it conducts less heat inside the room and the surrounding houses. The houses where it is expected to be implemented are quite small, congested and have less scope of implementing exhausts or proper ventilation thus, this technology stops the problem at it's core and thus, restricts the ripple effect of heat trapping. 

Currently affecting 80-90 Families and thus, approximately 360-400 people directly. We plan to scale up when we get more funds from CSR Partners mostly by next year.

Once, we scale up, we have the production capacity for affecting more than 10 million lives across the Indian Subcontinent. This number can be re-assessed and practically be applicable in any heat trapped nation showing potential benefits of using this technology.

Noting the current context of expanse, Every sixth urban Indian lives in slums unfit for human habitation. Slums, in fact, are so common that they are found in 65 per cent of the Indian towns. Yet slum dwellers are the most overlooked section of society. We intend to affect such, though neglected, large portions of populations that exist in almost every country of the world. 

These people who don't have the resources to fix their living facilities face this issue of heat stress the most. For the general population, to combat heatwaves moving in their houses is a go-to option. For these slum dwellers that is the last option because their houses turn into furnaces in such extreme conditions.

We plan to expand our area of coverage of the number of slums and houses we paint. we Intend to expand the team for such implementations given. sufficient support and funds from our network. 

We are currently implementing this model in 1 of 26 Indian states and plan to step by step reach out to maximum people in the Gujarat Slums, proceeding with the slums of other states and consequently other Countries. 

We plan to expand the availability of technology to more partners and stakeholders for them to implement this in their locality. 

Furthermore, we are even trying to make this solution even more cost-effective so as to make it accessible to the most economically disadvantaged communities also. 

Our efforts to make the implementation easier is also being fruits where from earlier requirement of 5 layers of coating, we have developed technology to give same results in 3 layers and soon we might get the same in a single layer of the coat as well.

We measure our impact on 2 fronts:

1) Technical: Measuring the change of temperature pre and post project implementation using temperature guns. We map temperature reduction in/out of house, on surface below surface and even in the surroundings. 

2) Practical aspects: By interviewing, observing people and the change the project has brought in their lives. These practical aspects are concerned with SDGs 2, 3, 4, 6, 11, 13, 16 where we try to make the life of these slum dwellers more equitable and present them with opportunities for them to uplift themselves to compete for equal resources. 

Apart from product implementation, we even focus on implementing new technologies like hydroponics for sustainable nutrition and farming, rainwater harvesting etc based on these mapping and analysis. Furthermore, we make sure that the actions do not counter any of the SDGs or create some non-intended effects that harm the community on humanitarian, social or environmental grounds.

We currently face issues in:

1) Financing projects (Fewer funds restrict the number of areas we can cover)

2) Mentor/ Network to propagate awareness to gain support for the movement

3) Less network to spread the implementation across geographies

4) Limited team to competently handle organisational and implementation related tasks

The project has been initiated by my family business and I along with my mother am in the process of Finetuning the product along with the expertise of my Grandfather is a scientist in the field of organic chemistry.

We are trying to use Nanotechnology for utilising efficient nanomaterials in the chemical composition of the IR Reflective paints to make it even more efficient and thus, economic as well. 

My Mother has been in this business for 10 Years and has studied B>Pharmacy, but has been developing this product in Gujarat, India to make this a viable low-cost solution to substitute energy needs to cool down infrastructure in this extremely hot country. 

I have a background in Management and have contributed to developing plans, strategies and applications for this product to be implemented in Slums and areas most affected by Heat stress. I have recently completed my Bachelors in Business Studies. I have been running the daily operations of the NGO and have been taking up various other Green technology initiatives with relevant stakeholders. 

As a family venture, we outsource the material and implement the application in necessary areas ON COST using CSR funds if any. 

We partner with the Municipal corporation to efficiently mobilise manpower and accrue legal permissions to conduct such activities. We partner we Biovation Technologies, a research centre and testing lab to create and manufacture nanotechnology molecules required for our product development, and partner with other NGOs and CSR partners to gather support and funds for our projects (Organisations like: Rotary Club of Baroda, greens, Aga Khan Foundation etc)

We even accrue resources from The Local government to undertake projects for societal benefit.