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Dr. E. V. S. Kiran Kumar Donthu

Assistant Professor
Department of Architecture, Planning and Design IIT (BHU)
Phone No(s): .+919515010377
Email: kirankumardevs.apd@itbhu.ac.in
Area of Interest: Applied thermal sciences-sustainable building & comfort technologies, Futuristic façade material technologies, Constructability, 3D printing in construction, Healthy buildings, Resource efficiency, Building diagnostics, Zero-carbon buildings & campuses, Design for Biodiversity, Hydrogen energy for buildings, Building Information Modelling (BIM), Digital Twin, Immersive technologies for built environment, Frugal engineering in building design & construction, Sustainable building technology and policy
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Dr E V S Kiran Kumar Donthu is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture, Planning and Design at Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi. Having a diverse set of academic qualifications in built environment & sustainability, he acquires over 9+ years of academic, research (excluding PhD) and industry experience. Pior to IIT-BHU, he was a faculty in Industrial Design at National Institute of Design, and a visiting faculty to Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. He completed PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore and a post-doctoral research fellowship from Energy Research Institute @NTU. He was also a visiting researcher to CNRS laboratory of engineering sciences for the environment at La Rochelle University, France. Prior to NTU, he was a Research Associate at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), India. He is a recipient of Minister’s award from Ministry of National Development, Singapore and ‘Roll of honour” from TERI for his research contribution. He holds a master degree in Building Technology from Indian Institute of Technology Madras and a bachelors degree in Architecture from Andhra University.

Having worked on the first IGBC platinum rated green home in the state of Telangana, and the first GRIHA 5-star rated residentail township in the state of Andhra Pradesh, he is specialized in the areas of energy efficient & low carbon building technologies, sustainable and climate resilient construction in tropical climates. His past work includes design charettes and parametric design approach for sustainable building design; demand-side building energy optimisation: impact of building form on energy consumption, impact of cool roofs and vegetation on microclimate, window/ shading design optimization and availability of daylight in high rise buildings; visual comfort, building thermal analysis and energy simulations; study of adaptive thermal comfort based setpoint on energy savings; energy analysis of artificial lighting and rooftop solar PV; integration of heat pump and solar thermal technologies for water heating in hot humid climates; design and analysis of passive/ low energy building design strategies such as, passive downdraft evaporative cooling, radiant cooling for residential and commercial buildings; resource efficiency with sustainable water and waste management strategies.

Besides this, he gained experience on performance evaluation (using both experimental and theoretical) of various building envelope technologies, energy efficient lighting controls and cooling technologies such as heat control films, double skin facades, electrochromic glazing, automatic daylight redirecting blinds, micro mineral based cool roof technologies, DALI integrated LED lighting, chilled beams, movable external window shading, PCM embedded roof tiles, durable nano cool surface coatings and indoor air pollution and moisture abating paints. He also aquired with other technical skills such as, developing theoretical models to use  satellite based solar radiation data for building analyses, thermal performance indicators and characterization of building materials for Indigenous roof tiles, thermal and air flow characterization using IR thermography and heat flux measurements, luminance mapping using HDR image analysis, visual comfort analysis based on colour temperature characterization, field studies on indoor air quality, CO2 decay tests and blower door tests for building air tightness measurements, calibration of side-by-side rotatable test beds, design and execution of laboratory test setup for urban heat island evaluation, physical modeling using scaled similarity theories, field experimentation, theoretical models for transient thermal performance analysis using 1D finite difference methods; analytical models for surface energy balance, Influence of buildings on urban microclimate, outdoor thermal comfort models and evaluation; resource efficiency surveys & energy audits for Indian commercial buildings, railway stations and data centers, cost models for climate resilient housing structures in consultation with stakeholders in the South Asian countries-Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan; carbon footprint and life cycle cost analyses for affordable green homes,

He has collaborated with industry partners, public and private agencies on various projects, some of which including, agencies such as GDN, UNEP, DST- India, IGBC, GRIHA, LBNL-Flexlab and Industries like 3M, TRANE, SHARP and Saint Gobain. In addition, he also gained expertise in prototyping, teaching, techniques for creating novel products and solutions through design and technical interventions.

AR 304 Advanced Building Construction (IIT-BHU, Even semester)

AR 421 Construction Project Management (IIT-BHU, Even semester)

Design Research Methods (NID AP, Even Semester)

Materials & Processes (NID AP, Odd Semester)

CE 402L Functional Design of Buildings (IIT T, Odd Semester)

 

  • Smart home: Demonstration cum testing facility (Ongoing)

Sponsor: Indorama Ventures Center for Clean Energy Plaksha University, Punjab
  • Computational simulations to optimize UHI effect and improve building energy efficiency (2021-2024)

Sponsor:  Northumbria University, New Castle, UK
  • Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED®) Accredited Professional
  • WELL Building Standard Accredited Professional (WELL®AP)
  • Registered Architect by the Council of Architecture, India

Journals

  • Donthu E. V. S. K. K., Long, Y., Wan, M. P., Mandi, Z., & Ng, B. F., (2024). Dynamics of Cool Surface Performance on Urban Microclimate: A Full-Scale Experimental Study in Singapore. Sustainable Cities and Society https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2024.105218 (Q1, IF: 11.7, Cited 7).
  • Donthu E. V. S. K. K., Shashwat, S., Zingre, K. T., & Wan, M.P., (2024). Development of a Simplified Cool Coating Thermal Model for Predicting Street Canyon Air Temperature. Building and Environment, 111207 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111207 (Q1, IF: 7.4, Cited 5).
  • Donthu E. V. S. K. K., Kyriakodis, G-E., Long, Y., Wan, M. P., Bozonnet, E., & Zhang, Xi, (2024). Simulation Advances with EnviBatE- a Case Study on Urban Heat Island Mitigation in Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2024.111580 (Q1, IF: 7.4, Cited 4).
  • Donthu, E. V. S. K. K., Shashwat, S., Zingre, K.T.; Srinivasan, S. Wan, M.P (2024). An Investigation of Globe Temperature in Street Canyons: A Scaled Model Study Implementing Cool Materials. Buildings, 14, 3054. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14103054 (Q2, IF: 3.1). 
  • Shashwat, S., Zingre, K. T., Thurairajah, N., Donthu, E. V. S. K. K., Panicker, K., Anand, P. & Wan, M.P., (2023) A review on bioinspired strategies for an energy-efficient built environment, Energy and Buildings, 113382, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild. (Q1, IF: 6.7, Cited:24).
  • Azad, A. S., Donthu E. V. S. K. K., Wan, M. P., Kaushik, S., & Rakshit, D. (2022). "Energy savings of an optimised daylight-pipe system with single and dual reflectors in tropical climates of India." ASME Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. doi.org/10.1115/1.4054470 (Q3, IF: 2.3, Cited 1).
  • Zingre, K. T., Donthu E. V. S. K. K., Wan, M.P., & Chao, C. Y. H. (2021). Effective R-value approach to comprehend the essence of integrated opaque passive substrate properties, Journal of Building Engineering, 44,102865 doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2021.102865 (Q1, IF: 6.7, Cited: 6).
  • Zingre, K. T., Donthu E. V. S. K. K., & Wan, M.P. (2020). Analysing the Effect of Substrate Properties on Building Envelope Thermal Performance in Various Climates. Energies, 13,19: 5119 doi.org/10.3390/en13195119 (Q3, IF: 3.2, Cited: 7). 
  • Mandi, Z., Long Y. P., Xiaoqin, Z., Donthu E. V. S. K. K., Ng, B. F., & Wan, M. P. (2020). Sensitivity Study of WRF Physical Schemes and Evaluation of Cool Coating Effects in Singapore by WRF‐UCM simulations. Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres, 125, e2019JD031191 doi.org/10.1029/2019JD031191 (Q1, IF: 4.4, Cited: 5).
  • Babu, S., Zhou, J., Wan, M. P., Lamano, A. S., Sarvaiya, J. N., Zhang, Z., Donthu E. V. S. K. K., Gao, C. P., Valliappan, S., Goh, A., & Seoh, A., (2019). Investigation of an integrated automated blinds and dimmable lighting system for tropical climate in a rotatable testbed facility. Energy and Buildings, 183, 356-376doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2018.11.007 (Q1, IF: 6.7,Cited: 43).
  • Azad, A. S., Rakshit, D., Wan, M.P., Babu, S., Sarvaiya, J. N., Donthu E. V. S. K. K., Zhang, Z., Lamano, A. S., Krishnasayee, K., Gao, C. P., Valliappan, S., Goh, A., & Seoh, A. (2018). Evaluation of thermal comfort criteria of an active chilled beam system in tropical climate: A comparative study. Building and Environment, 145, 196-212 doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2018.09.025 (Q1, IF: 7.4, Cited:  37).
  • Donthu E. V. S. K. K., & Puranik, S. (2017) Thermal Performance Evaluation of a Mineral based Cement tile as Roofing Material. Indoor and Built Environment, 26(3):409-421 doi.org/10.1177/1420326X15622978 (Q2, IF: 3.6, Cited: 8).
  • Donthu E. V. S. K. K., Sastry, M., Majumdar, M. & Kumar, P., (2013). “Sustainable Urban Development: Minimising Urban Heat Island Effect and Imperviousness Factor”, SANEI Working Paper Series No. 13-03, South Asia Network of Economic Research Institutes. (Cited:4)

International Conference

  • Donthu E. V. S. K. K., Latha, J. T., Suresh, R., & Arunvel, T. (2019). Formaldehyde monitoring in office buildings located in tropical climates of India. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, doi:10.1088/1757-899X/609/4/042006 (IF: 0.5, Cited: 1).
  • Donthu E. V. S. K. K., Wan, M.P., Mandi, Z., Long Y. P., & Ng, B. F. (2019). Impact of solar reflectance of wall and road on outdoor thermal comfort - experimental study in a street canyon setup. MATEC Web of Conferences., 282, doi.org/10.1051/matecconf/201928202010 (IF: 0.3, Cited: 8).
  • A.S. Lamano, S. Yang, M.P. Wan, M. Zhou, J. Zhou, S. Babu, J.N. Sarvaiya, Z. Zhang, Donthu E. V. S. K. K., & K. Krishnasayee, (2018) Energy Performance of an Integrated Automated Blinds and Dimmable Lighting System with Model-Predictive Control (MPC). Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Building Energy, Environment COBEE, Feb 5-9, 2018, Melbourne, Australia (Cited: 7).
  • Donthu E. V. S. K. K., Vij A., & Singh, M. (2015). Online calculator for evaluating site planning Impacts – Experience of developing heat island calculator for GRIHA LD- Proceedings of 14th IBPSA International Buildings Simulation Conference, December 7-9, 2015, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, India (Cited: 1).
  • Donthu E. V. S. K. K., & Sastry, M. (2013). Predicting Improved Microclimate with Reflective Roofs and Its Impact on Cooling Loads Of A Typical Commercial Building In Bengaluru, India. Proceedings of International Conference CISBAT 2013 - September 4-6, 2013 – EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland.
  • Namburu, H. K. V., & Donthu E. V. S. K. K., (2013) Daylighting in Schools: Influencing the health and productivity of children, Investigating with current British standards. Proceedings of International Conference on Advances in Building Sciences; 11-16 February 2013, IIT Madras, Chennai, India (Cited: 1).
  • Donthu E. V. S. K. K., Alur, R., Elangovan, R., (2011). Energy Savings and Occupant comfort studies for a conditioned open- plan office building, Proceedings of 24th International Conference ECOS. July 4-7, 2011; Novi Sad, Serbia.
  • Recipient of SBSE Jeffrey Cook 2024 Retreat Scholarship, Travel grant to Arizona, USA, July 2024
  • Sub-committee member for developing Energy Conservation and Sustainability Building Code (ECSBC) 2023-2024.
  • Finalist: Pitch to Policy India, 2021- A building policy intervention competition held by Global Building Performance Network (GBPN)
  • Summer School Grant: The Future of Urban Society- Science, Technology- (Prototyping Policy Practice),” program by Singapore-ETH Center for Global Environmental Sustainability (SEC), June 2019
  • Minister's Award (Team), Ministry of National Development (MND), Singapore, 2017
  • Roll of Honour, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), 2014-15
  • Development team member: GRIHA rating system for Large Developments V.2015
  • Finalist: International competition on designing external and movable shading system (EMSYS) organized by the Indo-Swiss Building Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP), 2016

 

 

Associate Member

American Society of Heating and Refrigeration Engineers (ASHRAE)

Member

Society of Building Science Educators (SBSE)

Member

International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA)

Member

International Association for Urban Climate (IAUC)
  • Jury Panel: Ideas to Impact (i2I) nation-wide challenge by IIT Madras & Wipro for prototyping carbon-neutral concepts, Mar 2025. 
  • Reviewer for Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN), course proposal(s) 2025.
  • Faculty Lead, Solar Decathlon India 2024 Challenge-Residential Cooling, Team Celcius from National Institute of Design (NID), AP
  • Faculty Advisor, Solar Decathlon India 2024 Challenge-Multi family housing, Team Paargami from School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Vijayawada
  • Advisor, Smart home: Demonstration cum testing facility, Indorama Ventures Center for Clean Energy Plaksha University, Punjab 2024-25
  • Jury Panel: Sustainable Architecture, Design jury for Master’s students at School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Vijayawada May 2024
  • Jury Panel: Environmental Design jury for Master’s thesis students, at College of Engineering, Trivandrum, India May 2023 
  • International Scientific Committee: 1st ACM workshop on advancement in Building energy benchmarking systems, Nov’22, Boston, USA
  • Mentor and Jury member for Inter University Sustainability Challenge (IUSC) conducted by Green Add+ under University of Cambridge’s program on sustainability leadership during October 2011
  • International Scientific Committee: Conference on Advances in Building Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Feb’ 13,