Science, Engineering and Health Studies

Analyzing the effects of orientation, window size and position on solar heat gain for four Indian cities

Amalan Sigmund Kaushik S — 2026-02-04

The orientation of a building is the most important passive design strategy to achieve an energy-efficient design. Solar insolation studies help identify orientations that minimize solar heat gain. However, existing literature often overlooks the challenges posed by site constraints that prevent implementing the optimal orientation. India, covering just 2.4% of the world’s land area but accommodating 18% of the global population, faces a significant land scarcity issue. Consequently, the available development sites may not allow for the ideal orientation. In this research, in order to address this issue, Trichy, Chennai, and Mumbai, Kolkata across India were chosen and a solar insolation study was conducted for four different possible orientations of buildings in each of the cities and the best orientations were identified. Subsequently, the empirical calculation method outlined in GRIHA was used to calculate the ideal window design (size and position) for all orientations. The findings reveal that a north–south–oriented building module (M1) minimizes solar heat gain in Trichy, Chennai, and Mumbai, while a northeast–southwest orientation (M4) is optimal for Kolkata; moreover, orientation-responsive window redistribution reduces annual solar heat gain by up to 11.55% even in non-optimal orientations. The findings provide a transferable reference framework for designers to apply the methodology across other cities.

Sustainable planning for cities: Weaving e-infrastructure for green transportation in current city profile of Bhubaneswar, India

Swati Prasad — 2026-03-24

Growing CO₂ emissions in the environment have significantly contributed to global warming. With the average global temperature increase from carbon concentration in the air, recording almost 1.5^oC (IPCC, 2023), governments across regions must shift to using electric vehicles (EVs) in the transportation sector. By 2050, greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles are expected to have reduced by 50%, according to the research (NRDC India, 2022). By 2030, Bhubaneswar, already designated as a “Smart City,” is envisioned as a green transportation hub in eastern India. This development highlights how the city adopts a holistic and inclusive approach to developing EV infrastructure through accessible and sustainable transportation. The demand for ownership of e-vehicles in Bhubaneswar has also increased substantially. The growth is hindered due to a lack of EV infrastructure, including charging stations, and a compromised distribution. The background of the study revolves around the fact that despite existing government policies at the national and state levels, there needs to be more methodology for providing e-vehicle charging infrastructure on the ground. Digitized geospatial analysis has been recommended to investigate infrastructure for charging various types of EVs based on their battery specifications and charging methods and to plan public charging infrastructure locations. The space allocation of the public infrastructure has been proposed based on road density and activity areas. For high-density roads, infrastructure provision has been proposed at every two km with six stations; for medium-density roads, every four km with four stations; and for low-density roads, every six km with two stations. The paper’s key findings include the establishment of a methodology to find the EV demand and e-infrastructure requirement for the baseline years of 2025 and 2030 to suffice EV needs for the city of Bhubaneswar, India. The proposal includes policy support and intelligent technology to weave a robust e-infrastructure across the city.

Pharmacy education in Myanmar: The past, present, and future

Mi Mi Saw — 2026-04-03

This review article aimed to describe an overview of pharmacy education, including the challenges and barriers to pharmacy education in Myanmar. Pharmacy education in Myanmar is a content-based education system. The curriculum’s courses in undergraduate professional subjects are related only to pharmaceutical sciences; those related to clinical, social and administrative sciences are not covered. Clinical pharmacy is implemented in postgraduate programs; however, it is not sufficiently developed. Moreover, the subject of social and administrative pharmacy has not yet been implemented in Myanmar. Updating the curriculum and establishing a pharmacy council were identified as key challenges because the current curriculum does not align with modern pharmacy practices, and the absence of a regulatory pharmacy council limits the standardization, governance, and advancement of pharmacy education, particularly in specialized areas within pharmacy schools. The rapid and ongoing change in pharmacy worldwide forces pharmacy education in Myanmar to adapt to patient and public safety and efficiency in drug utilization. It is concluded that a four-year pharmacy program should be revised to address the challenges and barriers worldwide.