Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1.0 Climate
1.1. Climatic factors
1.2. Climatic elements
1.3. Microclimatic conditions
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1.0 Climate
A diagram showing the earth’s climatic zones. <Philippines at the right side>
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Temperature
Philippines
• Mean annual temperature is 26.6o C.
• Coolest months - January (25.5oC)
• Warmest month – May (28.3oC)
• Latitude is an insignificant factor in the variation of temperature
• Altitude shows greater contrast in temperature.
o Baguio - altitude of 1,500 meters is 18.3oC.
o Comparable with those in the temperate climate\
o Known as the summer capital of the Philippines.
o There is essentially no difference in the mean annual
temperature of places in Luzon, Visayas or Mindanao measured
at or near sea level.
Humidity
Rainfall
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Seasons
Using temperature and rainfall as bases, the climate of the country can be
divided into two major seasons
(1) The rainy season (June to November)
(2) The dry season (December to May)
a. Cool dry season (December to February)
b. Hot dry season (March to May)
Sky Conditions – Overcast Sky most of the time; a lot of reflected heat/ solar
gain
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Climate Types
Based on the distribution of rainfall, four climate types are recognized, which are
described as follows:
Typhoons
• Have a great influence on the climate and weather conditions of the
Philippines
• A great portion of the rainfall, humidity and cloudiness are due to the
influence of typhoons
• Originate in the region of the Marianas and Caroline Islands of the Pacific
Ocean (same latitudinal location as Mindanao
• Northwesterly direction, sparing Mindanao from being directly hit by
majority of the typhoons that cross the country
o Southern Philippines - very desirable for agriculture and industrial
development.
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• Winds that blow from the sea often bring rain to the coast and dry weather
to inland areas
Relief
• Climate can be affected by mountains
• Mountains receive more rainfall than low lying areas because the
temperature on top of mountains is lower than the temperature at sea
level
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• The equator receives the more sunlight than anywhere else on earth
o Due to its position in relation to the sun
o Equator is hotter because the sun has less area to heat
o Cooler at the north and south poles as the sun has more area to
heat up. It is cooler as the heat is spread over a wider area.
El Nino
• A wind and rainfall patterns
• Blamed for droughts and floods in countries around the Pacific Rim
• Refers to the irregular warming of surface water in the Pacific. The
warmer water pumps energy and moisture into the atmosphere, altering
global wind and rainfall patterns.
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Human Influence
The Köppen climate classification system - one of the most widely used
systems for classifying climate
• Easy to understand
• Data requirements are minimal
• Empirical system
• Largely based on annual and monthly means of temperature and
precipitation.
The Köppen system uses a letter coding scheme to classify climate. There are
three levels of letter coding except for the A-type climates. The five main groups
of climates are designated by capital letters, all but the dry climates being
thermally defined.
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To further denote variations in climate, a third letter was added to the code.
• a - Hot summers where the warmest month is over 22°C (72°F). These
can be found in C and D climates.
• b - Warm summer with the warmest month below 22°C (72°F). These can
also be found in C and D climates.
• c - Cool, short summers with less than four months over 10°C (50°F) in
the C and D climates.
• d - Very cold winters with the coldest month below -38°C (-36°F) in the
D climate only.
• h - Dry-hot with a mean annual temperature over 18°C (64°F) in B
climates only.
• k - Dry-cold with a mean annual temperature less than 18°C (64°F) in B
climates only
For the B-type (dry) climates the first two letters are combined, BW for desert and
BS for steppe
• The third letter is used to subdivide these on the basis of temperature
Additional Informations.
• Sun = The Sun emits heat which causes the Philippine Climate to go high
in temperature or drop to 15 Degrees Celsius.
• Equator = Philippine Geographical Location is just few longitudes away
from the equator
o Suffer direct sunlight and heat, which cause two seasons: Wet and
Dry Season.
• Global Warming: Philippine Climate goes high or sometimes low
• El Nino - affected by the abnormal heating of the Pacific which produces
stormy climate.
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The sun's rays hit the equator at a direct angle between 23 ° N and 23 ° S
latitude. Radiation that reaches the atmosphere here is at its most intense.
In all other cases, the rays arrive at an angle to the surface and are less intense.
The closer a place is to the poles, the smaller the angle and therefore the less
intense the radiation.
Our climate system is based on the location of these hot and cold air-mass
regions and the atmospheric circulation created by trade winds and westerlies.
Trade winds north of the equator blow from the northeast. South of the equator,
they blow from the southeast.
• The trade winds of the two hemispheres meet near the equator, causing
the air to rise.
• As the rising air cools, clouds and rain develop.
• The resulting bands of cloudy and rainy weather near the equator create
tropical conditions.
Westerlies blow from the southwest on the Northern Hemisphere and from the
northwest in the Southern Hemisphere. Westerlies steer storms from west to east
across middle latitudes.
Both westerlies and trade winds blow away from the 30 ° latitude belt.
Seasons
The Earth rotates about its axis, which is tilted at 23.5 degrees.
• This tilt and the sun's radiation result in the Earth's seasons.
• The sun emits rays that hit the earth's surface at different angles.
• These rays transmit the highest level of energy when they strike the earth
at a right angle (90 °).
• Temperatures in these areas tend to be the hottest places on earth.
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• Other locations, where the sun's rays hit at lesser angles, tend to be
cooler.
As the Earth rotates on it's tilted axis around the sun, different parts of the Earth
receive higher and lower levels of radiant energy. This creates the seasons.
Solar radiation
• Probably the most important element of climate.
• Solar radiation heats the Earth's surface, which in turn determines the
temperature of the air above.
• The receipt of solar radiation drives evaporation, so long as there is water
available.
• Heating of the air determines its stability, which affects cloud development
and precipitation.
• Unequal heating of the Earth's surface creates pressure gradients that
result in wind.
Just about all the characteristics of climate can be traced back to the receipt of
solar radiation.
Air masses
• Subsumes the characteristics of temperature, humidity, and stability.
• Location relative to source regions of air masses in part determines the
variation of the day-to-day weather and long-term climate of a place.
o Stormy climate of the midlatitudes is a product of lying in the
boundary zone of greatly contrasting air masses called the polar
front.
Pressure systems
• Places dominated by low pressure tend to be moist
• Those dominated by high pressure are dry.
• The seasonality of precipitation is affected by the seasonal movement of
global and regional pressure systems
o Climates located at 10o to 15o of latitude
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Ocean Currents
• Ocean currents greatly affect the temperature and precipitation of a
climate.
• Climates bordering cold currents tend to be drier
o Cold ocean water helps stabilize the air
o Inhibit cloud formation and precipitation.
o Air traveling over cold ocean currents loses energy to the water
Moderate the temperature of nearby coastal locations.
• Air masses traveling over warm ocean currents promote instability and
precipitation
o Warm ocean water keeps air temperatures somewhat warmer than
locations just inland from the coast during the winter.
Topography
The orientation of mountains to the prevailing wind affects precipitation.
• Windward slopes, those facing into the wind
o Experience more precipitation due to orographic uplift of the air.
• Leeward sides of mountains are in the rain shadow
o Receive less precipitation.
• Air temperatures are affected by slope and orientation
o Slopes facing into the Sun will be warmer than those facing away
• Temperature also decreases as one moves toward higher elevations.
o Mountains have nearly the same affect as latitude does on climate.
o On tall mountains a zonation of climate occurs as you move
towards higher elevation.
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Topography - affects the vertical path of air in a locale and, therefore, the relative
humidity and air circulation.
• Air ascending a mountain
o Decreases in pressure
o Releases moisture in the form of rain or snow.
• As the air proceeds down the leeward side of the mountain
o Compressed
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o Heated
o Promotes drier, hotter conditions
• An undulating landscape can also produce microclimatic variety through
the air motions produced by differences in density.
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Climate – the characteristic condition of the atmosphere near the earth's surface
at a certain place on earth.
• Long-term weather of that area (at least 30 years).
• Includes the region's general pattern of weather conditions, seasons and
weather extremes like hurricanes, droughts, or rainy periods.
• Factors determining an area's climate
o Air temperature
o Precipitation.
World biomes are controlled by climate. The climate of a region will determine
what plants will grow there, and what animals will inhabit it.
Components of a BIODOME
• Climate
• Plants
• Animals
Thermal comfort - the sensation of physical well being in relation to body heat
loss to the surroundings
4 physical ways
The heat exchange between the body and its surroundings takes place in four
physical ways:
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• Long-wave radiation - heat transfer between the human body and the
surrounding internal surfaces like the walls, ceiling, and floors.
o Heat from the ceiling is reported to affect us more than heat from
walls.
o Ceiling height and thermal property of ceiling and wall materials are
therefore important considerations in designing homes and
buildings.
o Poorly insulated buildings have hot internal surfaces.
o Light-colored paint on external walls is recommended in hot climate
because it will reflect solar radiation.
o Green roofs, climbing plants, and koi ponds reduce temperature of
roofs and walls and internal surfaces.
o Sunshades and shutters reduce sunlight penetration.
2.2 Microcllimate
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Microclimate - local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the
surrounding area
• May refer to areas as small as a few square feet (for example a garden
bed) or as large as many square miles (for example a valley).
• Examples
o Near bodies of water which may cool the local atmosphere
o In heavily urban areas where brick, concrete, and asphalt
absorb the sun's energy, heat up, and reradiate that heat to the
ambient air: the resulting urban heat island is a kind of
microclimate.
o Slope or aspect of an area.
• South-facing slopes in the Northern Hemisphere and
north-facing slopes in the Southern Hemisphere are
exposed to more direct sunlight than opposite slopes and
are therefore warmer for longer.
o The area in a developed industrial park may vary greatly from a
wooded park nearby
• Natural flora in parks absorb light and heat in leaves
• Building roof or parking lot just radiates back into the air
• Widespread use of solar collection can mitigate
overheating of urban environments by absorbing sunlight
and putting it to work instead of heating the foreign
surface objects.
o Cities often raise the average temperature by zoning, and a
sheltered position can reduce the severity of winter.
• Roof gardening exposes plants to more extreme
temperatures in both summer and winter.
• Tall buildings create their own microclimate, both by
overshadowing large areas and by channeling strong
winds to ground level.
• Wind effects around tall buildings are assessed as part of
a microclimate study.
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2. Ceiling fans provide low energy cooling if you only use them whilst
5. Minimize east and west wall areas and avoid windows on east and
western walls to prevent low morning and afternoon sun heating up the
house
6. Correctly sized eaves can provide permanent shade to north and south
7. Plant tall trees on the east and west sides of the house to shade walls
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8. Tall trees on north and south shade roof (minimized mid-height foliage
Use the breeze for cross ventilation through openings in opposite walls and internal
partitions
Orientate house to catch the breeze (whilst still minimizing sun on east and west
walls)
Trees and shrubs act to cool the air passing through the house.
Don't use exposed concrete on ground immediately outside the house as it heats the
air.
shutters
3. Full shading of wall is much more important than wall R-value. Unshaded,
masonry walls store heat and release it well into the night.
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NOTE:
House designs depending on full air-conditioning for comfort are not very suitable
for our tropical climate nor environmentally sensitive.
levels will be low when air conditioning is switched off. Occupants can
2. The better your house seals and is insulated, and the less glass area, the
3. Keep the heat and moisture out and the cool in!
4. Shade walls and choose the highest wall R-value (lowest U-value)
possible.
Windows
1. Medium sized with the greatest possible operable area per window, and
placed for cross ventilation, so you don't have to air-condition all the time
2. Heavy snug fitting curtains and pelmets prevent cooling energy loss from
3. A square floor plan minimizes external wall area and therefore reduces
1. Many houses in tropical regions have some air conditioned spaces and
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2. Design of each area should follow principles for natural ventilation or air-
conditioning as relevant.
• Much of the equatorial belt within the tropical climate zone experiences
hot and humid weather.
• There is abundant rainfall due to the active vertical uplift or convection of
air that takes place there,
o Thunderstorms
o Considerable sunshine
o Provides ideal growing conditions for luxuriant vegetation.
o Principal regions
Amazon Basin in Brazil
Congo Basin in West Africa and Indonesia
• Substantial sun’s heat is used up in evaporation and rain formation
o temperatures in the tropics rarely exceed 35°C
o a daytime maximum of 32°C is more common
o At night the abundant cloud cover restricts heat loss
o Minimum temperatures - 22°C
o Temperature - little variation throughout the year
o The seasons are distinguished not as warm and cold periods but by
variation of rainfall and cloudiness
Greatest rainfall occurs when the Sun at midday is overhead
(March and September)
Two wet and two dry seasons.
o Further away from the equator, the two rainy seasons merge into
one, and the climate becomes more of a Monsoonal
One wet season
one dry season
Northern Hemisphere, the wet season occurs from May to
July
Southern Hemisphere from November to February.
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Examples
• Conakry, Guinea
• Chittagong, Bangladesh
• Miami, Florida, United States
• Cairns, Australia
Examples:
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Bionetwork
Coastal lands
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Hydrology
In Tropical Asia, the Himalayas are crucial to the provision of water of the
continental monsoon.
Supply of hydropower generation from snow-fed rivers can occur in the short
term, though not in the long term—run off snow-fed rivers might change as well.
Food ration
The sensitivity of major cereal and tree crops, changes in temperature, moisture
and CO2 concentration of the magnitudes estimated for the region has been done
in many studies.
One instance is the influences on rice fields, wheat yield and sorghum yield imply
that any increase in production associated with CO2 fertilization will most likely be
offset by reductions in yield from temperature or moisture changes.
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Even though climate impression may result huge changes in crop yields, storage,
and distribution., the continuing effect of the region-wide changes is tentative
because of varietal disparity; local disparity in emergent season, crop
management, etc.( the lack of inclusion of possible diseases, pests, and
microorganisms in crop model simulations); and the vulnerability of agricultural
(especially low-income rural population) areas to periodic environmental hazards,
such as floods, droughts and cyclones.
Human health
The occurrence and level of some vector-borne diseases are anticipated to rise
with global warming.
• Malaria
• Schistosomiasis and
• Dengue
These are significant causes of humanity and morbidity in Tropical Asia, are very
sensitive to climate and are likely to spread into new regions on the margins of
currently widespread areas as a result of climate change.
Waterborne and water related infectious diseases, already accounting for the
majority of epidemic emergencies in the area, are also expected to increase
when higher temperatures and higher humidity are placed over on existing
conditions and estimated upsurge in population, urbanization, deduction of water
quality and other trends.
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Heat Transfer
• Heat conduction
• Convection
• Thermal radiation
• Phase-change transfer
Convection
The transfer of energy between an object and its environment, due to fluid motion
Radiation
The transfer of energy to or from a body by means of the emission or absorption
of electromagnetic radiation
Mass transfer
The transfer of energy from one location to another as a side effect of physically
moving an object containing that energy
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3.1Conduction
On a microscopic scale
• Heat conduction occurs as hot, rapidly moving or vibrating atoms and
molecules interact with neighboring atoms and molecules, transferring
some of their energy (heat) to these neighboring particles
• Heat is transferred by conduction when adjacent atoms vibrate against
one another, or as electrons move from one atom to another
• Most significant means of heat transfer within a solid or between solid
objects in thermal contact
o Fluids—especially gases—are less conductive
3.2 Convection
Convective heat transfer, or convection - the transfer of heat from one place
to another by the movement of fluids
Bulk motion of the fluid enhances the heat transfer between the solid surface and
the fluid.
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Forced convection - fluid is forced to flow over the surface by external means
• Fans
• Stirrers
• Pumps
— creating an artificially induced convection current
3.3Radiation
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Not all liquids evaporate visibly at a given temperature in a given gas (e.g.,
cooking oil at room temperature)
• They have molecules that do not tend to transfer energy to each other in a
pattern sufficient to frequently give a molecule the heat energy necessary
to turn into vapor
• However, these liquids are evaporating. It is just that the process is much
slower and thus significantly less visible.
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Types of condensation
In mild climates with cool dry nights this can be done with ventilating.
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Shading
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o Deciduous planting
o Vertical shutters or blinds
• Should be minimized or eliminated in passive solar design
Solar heat also enters a building through its walls and roof
• In temperate climates, a poorly insulated building can
o Overheat in summer
o Will require more heating in winter
One sign of poor thermal design is an attic that gets hotter than the peak outside
summer air temperature.
• This can be significantly reduced or eliminated with a cool roof or a green
roof
o Can reduce the roof surface temperature by 70 degrees F (21
degrees C) in the summer
o Below the roof there should be a radiant barrier and an air gap
• Blocks 97% of downward radiation from the sun
Radiation is one of the most significant in most climates
• Least easy to model
o There is a linear relationship between temperature differential and
conductive / convective heat transfer rate
o But, radiation is an exponential relationship, which is much more
significant when the temperature differential is large (summer or
winter).
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Allergens such as pollen can be an issue when windows are used for fresh air
ventilation.
Anything that creates an air pressure difference (like an externally vented clothes
dryer, fireplace, kitchen and bathroom vents) will draw unfiltered outside air in
through every small air leak in a building
In hot humid climates with uncomfortable nights, fresh air ventilation can be
controlled, filtered, dehumidified, and cooled (possibly using an air exchanger).
In a climate that is cool at night and too warm in the day, thermal mass can be
strategically placed and insulated to slow the heating of the building when the
sun is hot.
2. BUILDING ORIENTATION
Example : In tropical countries such as the Philippines, it is best to place service
areas in the west and east facing sides of the building because these sides are
exposed to direct sunlight.
3. FACADE DESIGN
Use of Double-layered façade
Use Low-emissivity glass (Low-E glass)
Use of Insulation
4. CROSS VENTILATION
The circulation of fresh air through open windows, doors or other openings on
opposite sides of a room
5. SUNSHADING DEVICES
VERTICAL TYPES
Vertical Sun Shades are generally used on the East-Facing and West- Facing
Sides
of a building
EGGCRATE TYPES
Combination of Horizontal and Vertical Shades
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Passive Cooling:
• Passive Cooling Guides and Tools
• Shading
• Earth Tubes
• Reflectors
• Tips
Active Cooling:
• Efficient Active Cooling - Ventilation
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A home that illustrates how a number of simple cooling techniques that were
combined in this house to avoid the need for air conditioning
WIND ANALYSIS
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Wind direction: Desirable and undesirable winds in each of the climatic zones
depend largely on local conditions.
Any breeze in the lower latitude (tropical and arid climates) is beneficial for most
of the year.
Cross ventilation: Cross ventilation is far more important in the tropics than in
temperate zones.
The theoretical strategy for blocking or inducing wind flow into a building is based
on local prevailing wind conditions. Generally, for the tropical zones as much
ventilation as possible is desired.
1. Zoning for transitional spaces -the traditional spaces used for lobbies, stairs,
utility spaces, circulation, balconies and any other areas where movement take
place.
These areas do not require total climatic control and natural ventilation is
sufficient.
For the tropical and arid zones, the transitional spaces are located on the north
and south sides of the building where the sun's penetration is not as great.
2. Use of atrium
In the tropical zone the atrium should be located so as to provide ventilation
within the built form. In the arid zone the atrium should be located at the centre of
the building for cooling and shading purposes.
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4.1Building Configuration
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• May cause heat gain when cooling is required and heat loss when heat
gain is required.
• For any given enclosed building volume, there are numerous ways in
which actual dimensions of height, length and breadth can vary resulting
in different total surface areas.
o Two buildings, both having the same volume and built of the same
materials, may have quiet different surface areas and hence
different rate of heat loss and heat gain.
o The way the volume and surfaces of the building are oriented also
severely affect the heat gain or loss from a building.
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It is very important that you remember to orientate your house with respect to the
Sun and not to magnetic North (or South), see the diagram below.
Apparent magnetic North can be very different to where Solar North is (up to 20
degrees), this can make all the difference between a passive solar design being
viable or not
UNITS / TERMS:
Aperture Collector – (typically glass) the aperture collector is the area through
which sunlight enters the home or building.
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Thermal Mass - the material(s) that retain the heat absorbed by the absorber
• Thermal mass can be composed of water, concrete, stones, bricks, tile or
other materials with high specific heat capacity.
Distribution - the means by which the solar heat is transferred from the storage
material(s) to areas of the home or building.
Control - elements that control the under- and overheating of a space, such as
overhangs, differential thermostats, and operable vents
BACKGROUND FACTS:
The basic considerations for optimizing the solar heating potential of a sunspace
include the directional orientation and the angle of the glazing (glass or
windows).
• In general, a south-facing orientation within 30o east or west of true south
will provide around 90% of the maximum static solar collection potential.
• The optimum directional orientation depends on site specific factors and
on local landscape features such as trees, hills, or other buildings that
may shade the sunspace during certain times of the day.
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Rectangular buildings should be oriented with the long axis running east-west, so
the east and west walls receive less direct sun in the summer.
In the winter, passive solar heat gain occurs on the south side of the building.
• Using southern exposure for solar heat gain to reduce heating loads in
the heating season
• Shielding windows and openings from the direction of harsh winter winds
and storms to reduce heating loads
• Orienting the most populated building spaces toward north and south
exposures to maximize daylighting and natural ventilation benefit
The designer must consider and prioritize all factors and site conditions affecting
building orientation.
• Orientation factors depending on functional requirements:
o Designing for cooling load or heating load.
o To take advantage of north–south day lighting; the building may be
oriented along an east–west axis.
o But this may be counter to street lines and other site
considerations.
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• East and west window orientations and horizontal orientation (skylights) all
result in more undesired heat gain in the summer than winter
o East and west sun glare is also more difficult to control for occupant
comfort because of low sun angles in early morning and late
afternoon
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There are many different reasons to want to control the amount of sunlight that is
admitted into a building.
• In warm, sunny climates excess solar gain may result in high cooling
energy consumption
• In cold and temperate climates winter sun entering south-facing windows
can positively contribute to passive solar heating
• In nearly all climates controlling and diffusing natural illumination will
improve day lighting.
• Well-designed sun control and shading devices can dramatically reduce
building peak heat gain and cooling requirements
• Improve the natural lighting quality of building interiors.
• Depending on the amount and location of fenestration, reductions in
annual cooling energy consumption of 5% to 15% have been reported.
• Sun control and shading devices can also improve user visual comfort by
controlling glare and reducing contrast ratios.
• Increased satisfaction and productivity.
• Opportunity of differentiating one building facade from another.
• Can provide interest and human scale to an otherwise undistinguished
design.
• An important aspect of many energy-efficient building design strategies
o Buildings that employ passive solar heating or daylighting often
depend on well-designed sun control and shading devices.
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o Natural landscaping
o Building elements such as
Awnings
Overhangs
Trellises.
• Some shading devices can also function as reflectors, called light
shelves, which bounce natural light for day lighting deep into building
interiors.
• The design of effective shading devices will depend on the solar
orientation of a particular building façade
o Simple fixed overhangs are very effective at shading south-facing
windows in the summer when sun angles are high
o The same horizontal device is ineffective at blocking low afternoon
sun from entering west-facing windows during peak heat gain
periods in the summer.
• Exterior shading devices are particularly effective in conjunction with clear
glass facades.
o High-performance glazing are now available that have very low
shading coefficients (SC).
o When specified, these new glass products reduce the need for
exterior shading devices.
Thus, solar control and shading can be provided by a wide range of building
components including:
• Landscape features such as mature trees or hedge rows
• Exterior elements such as overhangs or vertical fins
• Horizontal reflecting surfaces called light shelves
• Low shading coefficient (SC) glass
• Interior glare control devices such as Venetian blinds or adjustable louvers
• The optimal length of an overhang depends on the size of the window and
the relative importance of heating and cooling in the building
• In the summer, peak sun angles occur at the solstice on June 21, but peak
temperature and humidity are more likely to occur in August.
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• The altitude angle is the angle of the sun above the horizon, achieving its
maximum on a given day at solar noon.
• The azimuth angle, also known as the bearing angle, is the angle of the
sun's projection onto the ground plane relative to south
Given the wide variety of buildings and the range of climates in which they can
be found, it is difficult to make sweeping generalizations about the design of
shading devices.
2. To the greatest extent possible, limit the amount of east and west glass since
it is harder to shade than south glass. Consider the use of landscaping to
shade east and west exposures.
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there are no skylights since the roof is a major source of transmitted solar
gain into the building.
8. When relying on landscape elements for shading, be sure to consider the cost
of landscape maintenance and upkeep on life-cycle cost.
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the variety of shading
devices and glazing available for use in buildings.
• A wide range of adjustable shading products is commercially available
o Canvas awnings
o Solar screens
o Roll-down blinds
o Shutters
o Vertical louvers.
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• While they often perform well, their practicality is limited by the need for
manual or mechanical manipulation.
o Durability and maintenance issues are also a concern.
Shading coefficient (SC) of a glazing indicates the amount of solar heat gain
that is admitted into a building relative to a single-glazed reference glass.
o A lower shading coefficient means less solar heat gain.
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The static pressure of air is the pressure in a free-flowing air stream and is
depicted by isobars in weather maps.
• Differences in static pressure arise from global and microclimate thermal
phenomena and create the air flow we call wind.
• Dynamic pressure is the pressure exerted when the wind comes into
contact with an object such as a hill or a building and it is related to the air
density and the square of the wind speed.
• The impact of wind on a building affects the ventilation and infiltration
rates through it and the associated heat losses or heat gains.
• Wind speed increases with height and is lower towards the ground due to
frictional drag.
• Thus building shape is crucial in creating the wind pressures that will drive
air flow through its apertures.
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Design
Typical building design relies on rules of thumb for harnessing the power of wind
for the purpose of natural ventilation.
Design guidelines are offered in building regulations and other related literature
and include a variety of recommendations on many specific areas such as:
• Building location and orientation
• Building form and dimensions
• Window typologies and operation
• Other aperture types (doors, chimneys)
• Construction methods and detailing (infiltration)
• External elements (walls, screens)
• Urban planning conditions
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Air exchange depends linearly on the wind speed in the urban place where the
architectural project will be built.
CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) tools and zonal modelings are usually used
to calculate pressure.
• One of these CFD tools, (UrbaWind) makes the link between this
pressure and the real urban climatology
o It computes with a macroscopic method the mass flow rate
incoming the building for each wind characteristic (incidence and
velocity magnitude),
o Give cross ventilation statistics according to the wind statistics of
the considered urban location.
o It helps quantifying the natural cross ventilation induced by the wind
flow crossing the buildings.
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In order for a building to be ventilated adequately via stack effect the inside and
outside temperatures must be different so that warmer indoor air rises and
escapes the building at higher apertures, while colder, denser air from the
exterior enters the building through lower level openings.
Stack effect increases with greater temperature difference and increased height
between the higher and lower apertures.
The neutral plane in a building occurs at the location between the high and low
openings at which the internal pressure will be the same as the external pressure
(in the absence of wind).
• Above the neutral plane, the air pressure will be positive and air will rise.
• Below the neutral plane the air pressure will be negative and external air
will be drawn into the space.
Stack ventilation can be implemented in ways that air inflow in the building does
not rely solely on wind direction.
In this respect it may provide improved air quality in some types of polluted
environments such as cities.
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Stack / Chimney effect is the movement of air into and out of buildings,
chimneys, flue gas stacks, or other containers, and is driven by buoyancy.
o The rising warm air reduces the pressure in the base of the
building, drawing cold air in through either open doors, windows, or
other openings and leakage.
In a modern high-rise building with a well-sealed envelope, the stack effect can
create significant pressure differences that must be given design consideration
and may need to be addressed with mechanical ventilation.
o Stairwells
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o Shafts
o Elevators
• Whereas interior partitions, floors, and fire separations can mitigate it.
Furthermore, an industrial flue gas stack typically provides little obstruction for
the flue gas along its length and is, in fact, normally optimized to enhance the
stack effect to reduce fan energy requirements.
Large temperature differences between the outside air and the flue gases can
create a strong stack effect in chimneys for buildings using a fireplace for
heating.
Fireplace chimneys can sometimes draw in more cold outside air than can be
heated by the fireplace, resulting in a net heat loss.
Cross ventilation relies on wind to force cool exterior air into the building
through an inlet (window, door, etc.) and to force warm interior air out of the
building through an outlet (window, door, etc.)
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Rule-of-thumb
• An inlet is useful for cross ventilation if the direction of wind flow is in the
range of -45 degrees to 45 degrees to the surface normal of the window.
• Energy Scheming operates under this assumption.
• Of course, one can manipulate exterior geometries to redirect air
movement through a window:
Also of importance to cross ventilation is inlet and outlet area. The amount of
heat removed from a building is directly proportional to the inlet and outlet areas.
Theoretically, the global air circulation can be occurred as a result of a heat air
movement in a tropical area go to atmosphere and move up to North Pole and
South Pole.
After reaching at North Pole and South Pole, with the existence of Coriolis
Forces, hence the cool air go down to surface of earth.
Caused by difference of radiation heat and weather change of the mountains and
sea level, hence movement of cool air goes to the tropical area and returning
again.
The air movement occurs because the atmosphere heating is not distributed
evenly.
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The quality of not-even heating on the land and sea occurs because the
difference of solar position.
The air moves from the relative chilled and high-pressured area to the relative
warm and low-pressure area.
This air movement makes a system, is a cycle of air circulation movement
applied to the earth surface.
Gradient wind is the wind at certain high where form of surface coarse can be
neglected.
Air velocity is an amount of vectors following its level or speed and direction. Air
velocity varies from time to time, either its direction or its speed
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