Assessing the average Thermal Losses in Indian Households : A study for the city of Hyderabad, AP, India

Abstract:

A Thermal loss occurs when energy is consumed and work is done by a system. The use of ElectricalAppliances in households consumes energy and causes Thermal loss which gets dissipated to itssurrounding surfaces. Harnessing these losses by using principles like Cogeneration or CombinedHeat and Power (CHP) would result in the development of new energy techniques and provide asecure and decentralized supply of Energy to the Built Environment. This study aimed at assessing theaverage Thermal losses occurring from the use of Electrical appliances in Indian households. For thepurposes of this study, a middle-class neighborhood in the capital city of Hyderabad, in the southernstate of Andhra Pradesh, India was chosen where there is an increased demand and usage ofElectricity. The method for this study was centered on a systems based approach and made use of theFourier’s Law of Conduction. As a primary step towards this study, a survey was conducted among100 dwellings with the objective of determining the, average number of people living in thehousehold, their age, total area of the household, common materials used in construction, type ofappliances which consume electricity and the average monthly consumption of electricity. As asecondary step, the data obtained from the survey was used to construct a computer based simulationmodel using PowerSim and the Fourier’s Law of Heat conduction. This computer model emulated thesystems based approach by considering the surrounding Wall & Ceiling surfaces, Floors, Window &Door surfaces as detached systems.

The study revealed that of the 175kW of electricity consumed per month, 32% was dissipated tosurrounding surfaces as Thermal energy which could be harnessed for other forms of RenewableEnergy like Electricity. This would contribute to India’s efforts towards Sustainable Development andmake the households of the country a part of an energy-inclusive society by mitigating CO2 emissions.