Assessment of solar shading strategies in low-income tropical housing: the case of Uganda

Developing countries in tropical and subtropical areas will be the worst hit by climate change. Very little research has been done to assess the impact of climate change on thermal comfort in low-income housing in these regions. The effects of solar shading strategies and solar absorptance properties of walls and roofs on thermal comfort in Ugandan low-income housing are studied in this paper. Various shading strategies including curtains, roof and window overhangs, veranda and trees as well as effects of painting on solar heat gain and thermal comfort are modelled using EnergyPlus software. An adaptive approach for naturally ventilated buildings defined by the European Committee for Standardization standard BS EN 15251:2007 is used to assess the conditions. According to the results, solar shading is less effective in meeting thermal comfort requirements and it should be used in conjunction with other strategies to achieve desirable results. White painting, in contrast, significantly improved the conditions and significantly reduced the risk of overheating. Solar shading proved to be effective during the hottest periods of the year, reducing the risk of extreme overheating by up to 52%

Training for real: matching employer needs to training supply

This article was published in the journal Proceedings of ICE: Municipal Engineer [© Institution of Civil Engineers]: www.municipalengineer.comFor 40 years, the Water, Engineering and Development Centre of Loughborough University has trained engineers in the practical requirements for infrastructure services in low- and middle-income countries. This was started to rectify a mismatch between what was being taught in universities and what was being done in practice. Often this gap was addressed by ad hoc, uncoordinated, costly and often ineffective training courses. This mismatch is still apparent and so researchers explored why training providers are not meeting employers' needs. The action research went behind training needs analysis to examine the dialogue between the 'suppliers' (universities) and the 'demands' of the employers (local authorities and water utilities), across the water and sanitation sector in Uganda, through a series of forums, interviews, workshop appraisals and case studies, as well as trialling innovative training techniques. The research identified areas for improvement, especially in the area of employer engagement, skill needs and the management of human resource development