Passive cooling techniques

theory and practice

Thoughtful Cooling
TOT Workshop on Cooling Interiors Efficiently and Sustainably

Rachana Sansad, Mumbai | 9th January, 2015

Deepa Parekh

Environmental Design Solutions Pvt. Ltd

Delhi Mumbai Pune Bangalore Chennai New York

Environmental Design Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

 Energy efficient buildings are
designed in response to
sun and climate

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 Buildings are designed to keep
occupant comfortable

Definition of thermal comfort

parameters has an impact on
energy efficiency

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India has a predominantly warm climate

Hot dry cooling

Hot humid cooling
Composite cooling
+ heating
Temperate cooling
Cold heating

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Energy end-use in buildings in India
BAU split up of Commercial end use BAU split up of Residential building energy use

Others, 7%
Others, 10% TV, 4%

Lighting, 30%
Refrigerator, 13%

Air
Conditioning, 31%
Evap. Cooling, 4%
Lighting , 59%

Air Conditioning, 7%

Fans, 35%

Commercial buildings Residential buildings

There is an estimated 30-50% energy savings

potential in these buildings

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 Patna Chennai

12% comfortable hours 2% comfortable hours

Nagpur Jaipur

14% comfortable hours 15% comfortable hours

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 Passive design might not help solve
100% of the problem, but it certainly
will reduce the demand for energy
consumption

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Key objectives in passive cooling

Reduce demand for cooling

Avoid overheating
Reduce the energy required for cooling
Integrate passive cooling techniques

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Room A vs Room B
All Brick walls All Glass
You need a 1 ton AC to You need a 3 ton AC to
cool the room cool the room
COOLING LOAD = x COOLING LOAD = 3x

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Room A vs Room B
Mr. A is using the AC for Mr. B never shows up
5 hours a day for work
Energy consumption = y Energy consumption = 0

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 LOADS vs
Static
As a result of DESIGN
Loads for identical
buildings in the same
location will be the
same
Thus, it all depends on
the DESIGN !
Units: kW/sqm or sqft
ENERGY
Dynamic
As a result of USE
Energy consumption for
identical buildings in
the same location can
be different.
Thus, it all depends on
the USER !
Units: kWh/sqm or sqft
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Key objectives in passive cooling

Reduce demand for cooling

Avoid overheating
Reduce the energy required for cooling
Integrate passive cooling techniques

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Techniques to avoid overheating

Objectives:
Resist heat gain
Promote heat loss

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Building bioclimatic chart
Integrates architectural strategies with human comfort needs

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Building bioclimatic chart

15.7% comfortable hours

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Building bioclimatic chart

15.7% comfortable hours

Add passive strategies

shading
High thermal mass
Direct evaporative cooling
Natural ventilation
Internal heat gain

54.3% comfortable hours

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Techniques to avoid overheating

Reduce heat gain

Using thermal mass
construction
Reduce exposed
surface
Adding insulation

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Techniques to avoid overheating
Reduce heat gain
Form and orientation
Reduce WWR
Use shading devices
Reduce heat gain
through glazed areas
Minimize heat gain
around the building

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 All these strategies do not cool,
they reduce overheating..
they reduce cooling demand..

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 Passive cooling systems
These transfer heat from the building to natural
energy sinks, such as the air, water, earth or outer
space. Implementation of these systems in buildings
reduces energy needed for cooling.

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Bihar Museum, Patna

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Bihar Museum, Patna

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Bihar Museum, Patna

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 Bihar Museum, Patna

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Bihar Museum, Patna

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Bihar Museum, Patna

ASHRAE Std 55 Comfort Model Adaptive Comfort Model

For conditioned areas For naturally ventilated areas

Thus various design strategies will have to be combined within the premise of both
comfort models to achieve thermal comfort with reduced systems loads in the building
throughout the year.

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 Passive cooling systems
These transfer heat from the building to natural
energy sinks, such as the air, water, earth or outer
space. Implementation of these systems in buildings
reduces energy needed for cooling.

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Nocturnal ventilative cooling
Concept
Night time cooling of
the thermal mass that
gets heated up in the
day time
Heat absorption of
the thermal is more
efficient during the
day

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 Stack ventilation

-Natural ventilation
strategy

CONCEPT
-Works on the
principle of thermal
buoyancy
-Hot air rises
through the stack
drawing the cool air
inducing the air
movement

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 Solar chimney

CONCEPT
Glazed or black
colored surface on
the stack increases
solar heat gain and
accelerates rise in
temperature in the
stack

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Earth tubes
CONCEPT:

-Ground temperatures at about 3

to 4m do not vary through the
year
-Earth is a very large heat sink and
can be used to exchange heat
Conditioned
air supplied
Air intake to buildings

Heat exchange with earth

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Earth tubes

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French School, Damascus, Syria
Climate responsive design
- daylight
- night cooling of thermal mass
-natural ventilation
-wind and solar supported chimney
- ground heat exchanger

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French School, Damascus, Syria

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French School, Damascus, Syria
Climate concept summer night

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French School, Damascus, Syria
Climate concept winter day

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French School, Damascus, Syria

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French School, Damascus, Syria

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French School, Damascus, Syria

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Miramar college police station, san diego,
California
Thermal chimney performance goals
Integrate with a whole building natural
ventilation system (exterior windows, interior
openings doors, grills, interior windows)
Meet minimum OA requirements during
operation
Maintain comfort when outdoor air
conditions permit
Dont exceed 160 fpm through openings
Provide mixed mode HVAC operation

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 Temperatures, Heat Gains and Energy Consumption - Miramar Police Station, Building 1
EnergyPlus Output 20 May - 27 May, Hourly Student

System Fans Heat Generation (Gas)

4
3
Fuel (kBTU/h)

2
1
0
Air Temperature Radiant Temperature Operative Temperature Outside Dry-Bulb Temperature
Temperature (F)

70

60

50

Glazing Walls Ceilings (int) Floors (int) Ground Floors Partitions (int) Roofs Doors and vents Internal Natural vent.
External Air Occupancy Solar Gains Exterior Windows Zone/Sys Sensible Heating Zone/Sys Sensible Cooling
Heat Balance (kBTU/h)

20

-20

Zone Heating
System Energy (kBTU/h)

3
2
1

0
Mech Vent + Nat Vent + Infiltration
6
Total fresh air (ac/h)

0
21 Tue 22 Wed 23 Thu 24 Fri 25 Sat 26 Sun 27 Mon
May 2002 Time/Date

Shoulder period - Whole Building Results NV maintains 1 to 6 ACH during

occupied periods.

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 Temperatures, Heat Gains and Energy Consumption - Miramar Police Station, Building 1
EnergyPlus Output 26 Aug - 2 Sep, Hourly Student

System Fans Chiller (Electricity)

Fuel (kBTU/h)
40

20

0
Air Temperature Radiant Temperature Operative Temperature Outside Dry-Bulb Temperature

90
Temperature (F)

80
70
60

Glazing Walls Ceilings (int) Floors (int) Ground Floors Partitions (int) Roofs Doors and vents Internal Natural vent.
20 External Air Occupancy Solar Gains Exterior Windows Zone/Sys Sensible Heating Zone/Sys Sensible Cooling
Heat Balance (kBTU/h)

0
-20
-40

0 Sensible Cooling Total Cooling

System Energy (kBTU/h)

-20
-40
-60
-80

Mech Vent + Nat Vent + Infiltration

3
Total fresh air (ac/h)

0
27 Tue 28 Wed 29 Thu 30 Fri 31 Sat Sep 2 Mon
Aug 2002 Time/Date

Summer period - Whole Building Results NV system maintains ACH above min OA
requirements and typically provides 2 ACH.

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Airflow Results (7am to 6pm, Mon-Sat)
Zone Summer Period Winter Period Shoulder Period
(Aug 26 Sep 2) (Jan 7 - 14) (May 20 26)

Max ACH Max Airspeed Max ACH Max Airspeed Max ACH Max Airspeed
(fpm) (fpm) (fpm)

1.1 5.4 77 7.7 110 14.5 207

Kitchen 9.2 36 12.7 50 21.9 87
2.3 6 37 7.8 48 18.5 113
2.4 33.4 60 25 45 46.5 83
2.5 20.1 68 16.1 54 31.7 107
2.8 2.8 43 5.7 87 6.1 93

Maximum airspeeds are all acceptable (<160 fpm) for nearly all spaces so breeze is
mostly imperceptible. Zone 1.1 rises slightly above this limit but should not negatively
impact comfort (still < 300 fpm)

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Sizing the thermal chimney

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Wind tower/ wind catcher
CONCEPT:
-Aids comfort ventilation
-Capture the natural
breeze and direct it inside
the buildings
-the tower inlet is
oriented towards the
prevailing breezes
-The air isnt necessary
cooled but the circulation
creates a fan-like
condition

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Passive downdraught cooling
CONCEPT:
-Similar to wind catcher, but
this is a cooling strategy
-Water is sprinkled at the
top of the tower
-When air moves through
the tower, the water
droplets evaporate picking
up the heat the air
-Cool air falls down and
enters the building

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Passive downdraught cooling

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Passive downdraught cooling

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Summary
Focusing on reducing building loads is
key to achieving energy efficiency
This is very much a design issue !
This should become a business as usual
way of working
Low energy cooling techniques
combined with conscious usage is the
key to reduce GHG emissions.

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 Thank You

Environmental Design Solutions Pvt. Ltd

Delhi Mumbai Pune Bangalore Chennai New York

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