Fwd: Schools Are Not Cool - NY Times

[S. Raj Pandian]

Last semester, I had emailed about some people in New Orleans using innovative solutions to keep cool without AC. This could be a good M.E. project, smart homes/buildings are all wireless sensor networks based.

RP

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: S. Raj Pandian <s...@vcet.ac.in>
Date: Thu, Jun 13, 2013 at 9:07 AM
Subject: Schools Are Not Cool - NY Times
To: "Principal ." <prin...@vcet.ac.in>, velammal <hod...@vcet.ac.in>

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/01/schools-are-not-cool/?emc=eta1

As Global Warming worsens, non-AC schools in formerly cool areas like New York are feeling the heat.

"Cool schools are critical if we are to boost achievement. Studies show that concentration and cognitive abilities decline substantially after a room reaches 77 or 78 [25 or 25.6 C] degrees.

One Oregon study found that students working in three different temperature settings had strikingly different results on exams, suggesting that sweating a test actually undermines performance." 

In India, AC is expensive and unreliable and students might be used to the heat, but as the articles suggests low-cost innovative solutions can be researched upon. Some years back, CNN awarded a Gujarati villager for developing a non-electric fridge using clay. 

Some of our mechanical students studying thermal and refrigeration courses can do some such innovative projects on smart/green buildings with help from students in civil, IT, etc.

RP

--

Dr. S. Raj Pandian
Professor & Head,
Department of Information Technology
Velammal College of Engineering & Technology
Madurai-625 009 (TN)
INDIA
Phone: +91 452 2465289 Ext. 253
Email: s...@vcet.ac.in

URL: http://www.vcet.ac.in/academic/rp_research.html

--

Dr. S. Raj Pandian
Professor & Head,
Department of Information Technology
Velammal College of Engineering & Technology
Madurai-625 009 (TN)
INDIA
Phone: +91 452 2465289 Ext. 253
Email: s...@vcet.ac.in

URL: http://www.vcet.ac.in/academic/rp_research.html