It is more than evident that rising global temperatures will have an impact on businesses as much as any other aspect of our lives. The effects are already being felt across many businesses in most industries resulting in lower revenues, job losses, slowdowns.According to a Lancet journal, India lost close to 162 billion hours of productive labour due to increasing temperatures, roughly amounting to 5.4% of its Gross Domestic Product.
Under such circumstances, innovation and adaptation are key to survival of businesses.
Cool roofs are one such innovation.Let us explore some businesses where cool roof solutions can help mitigate the effect of rising temperatures.
1.Livestock:poultry farms and cattle
Increased body temperature or heat stress will cause production losses in livestock and impact on their ability to maintain normal function.Heat stress can have a significant effect on production and reproduction.Where high temperatures are causing distress, foggers, roof sprinklers, fans or other systems should be used to control heat buildup within buildings. Foggers are less effective if humidity reaches above 80% and temperature rises above 30°C. In these conditions, cool roofs are a must.
2.Cold storage and warehousing infrastructure:
These buildings can house various industries including food processing plants, holding facilities for dry, refrigerated and frozen goods. Typically , these structures have year round temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius. Cold storage buildings are exceptional structures because they experience extremes in both internal temperature and humidity compared to typical buildings. Due to their distinctive nature, these buildings require unique construction assemblies, including roof assemblies. High performance roof design using cool roofs is essential to operational efficiency and decreased energy usage.
3.Shopping malls and departmental stores:
To be “ the coolest place in town” as a shopping center, one needs more than just trendy stores. When outside temperatures are high, shopping centres are particularly popular because of their pleasant air conditioning. Cool roofing is evidently used in shopping complexes to decrease cooling load of air conditioning systems, decreasing costs and saving energy by 10-15% annually.
4.Pharmaceutical manufacturing and storage:
It is well known that temperature and humidity impact microbial growth and germination of spores. Temperature is a consideration for microbial growth: an increase in room temperature from 20-25 degree Celsius can roughly double the rate of bacterial multiplication. Mold propagation is more likely at warmer temperatures( up to about 35-40 degrees Celsius). Humidity also has an impact on the ability of the environment to support growth of any viable contaminants. Cool roofs help maintain the requisite ambient temperatures during oppressive summers.
5.Breweries:
Cooling is an essential aspect of the brewing process, as it helps control the temperature of the wort, which is the liquid extracted from the mash during the brewing process. Cooling system is essential to produce good quality beer ensuring consistent flavour, aroma and colour. Regardless of the brew house equipment used, a brewery cannot produce good quality beer without an efficient cooling system. Cool roofs can ensure protection from external heating and prevent percolation of this heat into the interiors of the brewery units.
6.Medium and small business enterprises:
This sector alone employs around 40% of India’s workforce, contributing immensely to the secondary sector of the economy. Extreme heat poses health and safety risks for employees. Heat stroke or heat exhaustion can occur when working in hot environments for extended periods. This can result in increased sick leave, reduced workforce availability, potential costs for healthcare and employee welfare. Cool roof paints when applied on factory roofs can reduce temperatures by 8-10 degrees centigrade during peak summers thereby increasing thermal comfort and increasing worker productivity. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation formally introduced a cool roof initiative as a part of the 2017 Heat Action Plan, extended also to the MSME units.
7.Real Estate:
As India strides into a future marked by rapid urbanisation, burgeoning population and heightened environmental conciousness, the trajectory of its real estate market is on the brink of a transformative shift. Once considered niche, green buildings are now emerging as the transformative force for sustainable development. The regulatory frameworks like Energy Conservation Building Code(ECBC) and GRIHA promote the same. Technological innovations like cool roof is an important component of green buildings. Green real estate is both environmentally friendly and economically viable, with long term benefits that far outweigh initial costs.
8.Fabrication units of semiconductors:
Under a transformative collaboration with the US, India will get its first ever semiconductor fabrication plant. It will be a key pillar to Make in India scheme to propel India to a manufacturing hub of strategic technologies. A semiconductor fabrication environment is one of the most challenging applications for designing and building liquid based cooling systems. A cool roof in fabrication units would aid in maintaining requisite temperatures in tropical climates like India.
