Educational Program for Sustainable Heating and Cooling Solutions for India

India is the second most populated country in the world and the third fastest growing economy. As such, there is an increasing demand for basic thermal comforts, such as hot water and air-conditioning. Today, emissions of greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting gases from India are very high due to the use of harmful chemicals named hydrofluorocarbons (HFC). HFCs used in heating and cooling systems are potent greenhouse gases that can be hundreds to thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2) in contributing to climate change. Emissions of HFCs are growing at a rate of 10-15% per year, with the fastest rate in developing countries, like India. Developing new solutions and replacing these harmful substances with CO2 could avoid 0.1°C of warming by 2050. Edu-Cool aims to educated students, researchers and industry in the developing systems that use CO2 and other natural working fluids. Participants in Edu-Cool will have the tools and knowledge to implement environmentally friendly alternatives to HFCs, which could have a lasting impact on the environment on a global scale. Edu-Cool is a three-year research collaboration and educational program that focusses on developing a strong international partnership between industry, SINTEF Energy Research, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and distinguished universities in India: IIT Madras, IISc Bangalore and IIT Kharagpur. The aim of the project is to create a platform for students and young researchers to develop cutting-edge environmentally friendly heating and cooling systems for the Indian market, in close cooperation with industrial partners. The collaboration will focus on the knowhow transfer to the next generation of experts within this field, by establishing shared workshops, dedicated joint master theses at industry sites, educational visits, field investigations and exchange of students and young researcher between Norway and India. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic all physical arrangements are replaced by webinars, and exchange of students and young researchers across countries is put on hold until the situation is back to normal.

Edu-Cool is a three-year research collaboration and educational program that focuses on developing a strong international partnership between industry, SINTEF Energy Research, the Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and four distinguished universities and research institutions in India. The aim of Edu-Cool is to create a platform for students and young researchers to develop cutting-edge environmentally friendly heating and cooling systems for the Indian market, in close cooperation with industrial partners. India is the second most populated country in the world and the third fastest growing economy. As such, there is an increasing demand for basic thermal comforts, as hot water and air-conditioning. Presently, emissions of greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting gases from India are of global significance. Efficient and environmentally friendly cooling, freezing and heating processes are not only necessary to sustain the growing population but to reduce the environmental footprint of India. The Edu-Cool collaboration will focus on networking and the "knowhow" transfer to the next generation of experts within this field, by establishing shared public workshops in both countries. Edu-Cool will enable dedicated project- / master thesis at industry sites, educational visits, field investigations / visits and exchange of students and young researcher between Norway and India (Ph.D./Postdoc). Edu-Cool will position Norwegian research and industry in a leading role within the India heating and cooling industry, which could pave the way for future projects and collaboration between the two countries. The Indian refrigeration sector will benefit with technology knowledge and innovative solutions, which will help to develop new businesses applying clean and environmentally sound technologies. The Edu-Cool collaboration will address 8 of the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable goals.