Mahindra-TERI Centre of Excellence Launches Report on Sky Modelling and CIE Sky Type Finder Tool

Emphasises the role of accurate daylighting data in creating energy-efficient structures

India, November 29, 2022: Mahindra-TERI Centre of Excellence (CoE), a joint research initiative of Mahindra Lifespaces® and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), released a technical report, guidebook and online toolkit (sky type finder) defining sky luminance across various sky conditions in landlocked cities. This study will help architects, designers and other stakeholders in identifying the measured sky conditions on any day and time of the year, an imperative study by modern architecture. A Sky Scanner and Solar Monitoring Unit was set up at the MTCoE lab, Gurugram to collect the luminance distribution data since 2020. This is the only instrument currently installed in India for collating sky conditions data. The report, guidebook and toolkit were launched at an event held in New Delhi in the presence of eminent dignitaries from the Government and industry.

Daylighting plays an important role in modern architecture in aiding visual comfort and energy efficiency evaluation. This requires an accurate estimation of the amount of daylight for any point within the indoor space. The Mahindra-TERI CoE identified the need for such data and initiated sky modelling research that best represents the luminance distribution as per the CIE standard (International Standards of sky Illumination). The data will be utilised for daylight assessment, energy savings, visual comfort assessment, and will also be crucial for increasing the accuracy of daylighting software which will in turn help architects and designers in selecting glass types and determining the ideal window-wall ratio.

Furthermore, an MoU was also signed between The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Saint Gobain Research India (SGR India), expanding the sky modelling research as part of MTCoE by installing another sky scanner in Chennai, India to record the south coastal data. This will be the first installation in southern India and the second in the country.

Mr. Jitesh Donga, Chief of Design, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd. highlighted in his opening remark that, “Design interventions can be used to increase the efficiency and thermal performance of green buildings. If these design decisions are driven by extensive data, we can customise and optimise the outcomes of integrating these elements into buildings. The data collected from the Sky Scanner can be used by designers and developers everywhere, and accelerate their journey towards efficient, green buildings.”

Dr. Sunita Purushottam, Head- Sustainability at Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd., said, “As a pioneer of green homes in India, we continuously strive to innovate and adopt the most relevant practices in order to transform India's urban landscape in a sustainable way. At Mahindra Lifespaces, we are dedicated towards undertaking a collaborative and research-driven approach toward sustainability. As a part of the Mahindra-TERI CoE research initiative, we identified the need for sky modelling and have released a guidebook developed to create awareness about daylighting and energy efficiency across the built environment.”            

Speaking at the session, Mr. Sanjay Seth, Senior Director, TERI underscored “Sky Modelling is one of the research activities being carried out at MTCoE with an aim to categorize the sky patterns subset from the CIE standard general sky that best represents the sky luminance distribution in Gurugram, India. We are certain that the outcomes of this study will help the architects and designers to select the right glass with optimum visual light transmission and consider the optimum window-wall ratio of the project for better visual comfort and energy savings in their upcoming projects.”

Ms. Shabnam Bassi, Associate Director, TERI added that this study will definitely help green building certification system such as GRIHA for devising visual comfort benchmarks in their future technical developments, she further added that this data set will also help daylight simulation developer companies to upgrade their software to provide more accurate results.

The event was addressed by renowned names in the industry including, Dr. Kartik Kumar, Deputy Director, Saint Gobain R&D; Mr. Jitesh Donga, Chief of Design, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited; Mr. Ankit Bhalla, Manager, GRIHA Council; Mr. Gurneet Singh, Director, Environmental Design Solutions [EDS]; Dr. Sunita Purushottam, Head of Sustainability, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Limited; Dr. Chitrarekha Kabre, Professor, School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi; Ms. Shabnam Bassi, Associate Director, TERI and  Mr. Sanjay Seth, Senior Director, Sustainable Habitat and CEO, GRIHA Council.

The Mahindra-TERI CoE leverages state-of-the-art research techniques, tools, and performance measurement solutions to boost the development of green buildings in India.  The joint research initiative is working towards developing open-source and science-based solutions for India’s real estate sector. 

About Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd.

Established in 1994, Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd. (‘Mahindra Lifespaces’) brings the Mahindra Group’s philosophy of ‘Rise’ to India’s real estate and infrastructure industry through thriving residential communities and enabling business ecosystems.  The Company’s development footprint spans 32.14 million sq. ft. of completed, ongoing and forthcoming residential projects across seven Indian cities; and over 5000 acres of ongoing and forthcoming projects under development / management at its integrated developments / industrial clusters across four locations.

Mahindra Lifespaces’ development portfolio comprises premium residential projects; value homes under the ‘Mahindra Happinest®’ brand; and integrated cities and industrial clusters under the ‘Mahindra World City’ and ‘Origins by Mahindra’ brands respectively.  The Company leverages innovation, thoughtful design, and a deep commitment to sustainability to craft quality life and business growth. The first real estate company in India to have committed to the global Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), all Mahindra Lifespaces’ projects are certified environment friendly. With a 100% Green portfolio since 2013, the Company is working towards carbon neutrality by 2040 and actively supports research on green buildings tailored to climatic conditions in India.  Mahindra Lifespaces® is the recipient of over 80 awards for its projects and ESG initiatives.

About TERI

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) is an independent, multi-dimensional organization, with capabilities in research, policy, consultancy, and implementation. It has pioneered conversations and action in the energy, environment, climate change, and sustainability space for over four decades.

The institutes research and research-based solutions have had a transformative impact on industry and communities. Headquartered in New Delhi, it has regional centers and campuses in Gurugram, Bengaluru, Guwahati, Mumbai, Panaji, and Nainital, supported by a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, sociologists, economists, and engineers, and state-of-the-art infrastructure.

About Mahindra

Founded in 1945, the Mahindra Group is one of the largest and most admired multinational federation of companies with 260,000 employees in over 100 countries. It enjoys a leadership position in farm equipment, utility vehicles, information technology and financial services in India and is the world’s largest tractor company by volume. It has a strong presence in renewable energy, agriculture, logistics, hospitality and real estate.    The Mahindra Group has a clear focus on leading ESG globally, enabling rural prosperity and enhancing urban living, with a goal to drive positive change in the lives of communities and stakeholders to enable them to Rise.

About SGRI

Saint-Gobain Research India (SGR India) is one of the 8 cross-functional R&D center for the Saint-Gobain Group that started its operations in 2012. Located within the IIT Madras Research Park at Chennai, the R&D Center is spread over 120,000 sq. ft. and set up with an investment of about Rs.150 crores. With its proximity to IIT Madras, one of the premier academic institutes in India, the center is part of a unique & vibrant ecosystem that fosters innovation through collaboration with academia while partnering with start-up companies. The center supports Saint-Gobain’s existing businesses while enabling creation of new businesses enabling the Group to accelerate its growth and create customized products & services for its customers. Since its inception, SGR India’s efforts have contributed to the launch of several new products, patent filings and design registrations. The center is committed towards identifying new value creation opportunities and working with the Group’s global R&D network to develop new technologies that can act as future growth engines for India and rest of the world. For the future, while continuing R&D in the areas of core-materials and related technologies, there will also be an increasing focus on sustainability initiatives, digitalization and combinatorial innovation to keep up with India’s fast-growing economy and the constantly transforming environment.