As rising temperatures and urban heat intensify heat stress across Tamil Nadu, concrete-roofed classrooms often trap heat during peak learning hours, with indoor temperatures sometimes exceeding 38–40 °C. To address this, the Tamil Nadu Green Schools Programme —supported by the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Cool Coalition, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), and technical partner Auroville Consulting—is deploying high-Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) cool roofs as a scalable, low-cost passive cooling strategy.
Key Insights from the Pilot Study
A detailed thermal monitoring study at the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Girls Higher Secondary School in Ambattur serves as an initial proof of concept for this initiative. Using data loggers, globe thermometers, thermal imaging, and the India Model for Adaptive (thermal) Comfort (IMAC), the study quantified the impact of reflective coatings and tiles on classroom environments.
The results confirmed measurable and consistent reductions in peak indoor and ceiling surface temperatures, validating cool roofs as an effective demonstration-led passive cooling measure for schools. These reductions kept classrooms within acceptable thermal comfort ranges for most school hours, directly supporting student focus and cognitive performance.
Towards a Climate-Resilient Future
The success of this pilot has led to the phased expansion of passive cooling across 300 government schools under the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission’s distinguished Green Schools Programme. This initiative is not limited to cool roofs; it forms part of an integrated strategy involving other passive cooling strategies.
While these initial seasonal observations demonstrate immediate benefits, they also hint at more appreciable cooling potential during extreme summer peaks. The full report explores the precise methodology behind these assessments, which has transformed into a platform for the broader “Be Cool” capacity-building for Green Fellows and government officials across districts on thermal comfort audits, baseline assessments and passive cooling strategies, enabling replication in other public buildings, leading to these learnings being mainstreamed into state-wide policy.
Explore the complete technical data, seasonal monitoring results, and the roadmap for scaling these passive cooling measures to many more schools. Download the full report.
