Passive cooling through building envelope Lovely Professional University

How can passive cooling technique help maintain thermal

comfort of a space through building envelope

Mounika Pudu
Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, India (144411)
e-mail – pudumounika@gmail.com

Abstract

Any advances or design features adopted to reduce the temperature of any kind of building
without any requirement for energy use is termed as passive cooling. The paper focuses on
passive cooling techniques that can help maintain thermal comfort of a space through
building envelope, through literature study that can be incorporated into residential buildings
to make them comfortable. To analyze how building envelops can support passive cooling
improving the thermal performance of a building. The building envelope can be viewed as
the particular pathway for a structure to work with the climate reacting to warming, cooling,
ventilating, and natural lighting needs. Also the materials that can be used in these building
envelopes which will help reduce the mechanical loads on the building and control the
temperature inside the building.

Keywords

Building envelope, Natural Light, Fenestration, Vitality, Thermal comfort

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Passive cooling through building envelope Lovely Professional University

Introduction

A building envelope is basically a barrier which is

between the external and internal of any structure or
building. It is the part of the building which is mainly
responsible for maintaining the climate inside it and also
to maintain the thermal comfort without using
mechanical means. These building envelopes are
responsible for keeping interior free from moisture,
sound, and light. Building envelope includes-wall
system, fenestration systems, roof system, below grade
system. Building envelope requires proper materials to
be used to do the job.
Here it uses free, inexhaustible wellsprings of vitality,
for example, the sun and wind to give cooling,
ventilation and lighting requirements for a family. This
additionally removes the need to use mechanical
cooling. Applying passive cooling implies decreasing
contrasts among open air and indoor temperatures,
improving indoor air quality and making the structure
both a superior and progressively agreeable condition to
live or working.
Passive cooling is considered an alternative to
mechanical cooling which if implied properly can be
more effective then the mechanical cooling and can
reduce the energy loads. Various aspects of a building
like shape, size, orientation, form, site, layout etc can be
said as the passive cooling designs. The impact of which
can be easily seen in the building's vitality use. The
massing and layout of the buildings can generate
self‐shading effects and enhance the ventilation and
natural lighting, also with hardly any additional cost in
adapting design strategies like building orientation, we
can achieve an effect on the building's thermal
performance.
The building envelope is a basic part of any office since
it both secures the structure inhabitants and assumes a
noteworthy job in directing the indoor condition. The
structure envelope controls the progression of vitality
between the inside and outside of the structure. The
most adaptable method for cooling, heating and
ventilation for saving energy from the residential part is
solar power.

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Passive cooling through building envelope Lovely Professional University

Design strategies that minimize the need for mechanical cooling frameworks incorporate
appropriate window position and sunshine plan, the choice of reasonable coating for windows
or sky facing windows, measured shading of glass when heat gains are being stayed away
from, the utilization of light or intelligent hued materials for the building envelope and roof.

Methodology

Research on different types of building envelopes through number of research papers and
summaries for the study of how they actually work to make a building mechanical free and
increasing the thermal comfort along with reducing the bills on electricity.

Components of Building Envelope and Passive Cooling

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Passive cooling through building envelope Lovely Professional University

Double glazing
Ongoing examinations show that so as to lessen vitality and accomplish warm solace in a
structure, there are parameters that ought to be viewed as, for example, dampness,
commotion, lighting and temperature. In structures the greater part of the heat addition or loss
originates from openings, for example, windows. It is clear, thusly, that windows are the
fundamental component in the exchange of tremendous measures of warmth between a
structure and the outside condition. The space between the glass panels helps in insulation of
the window. The hole made between the two boards of glasses can either be filled by gas or
vacuum. Some of the glasses utilize solar based control film to diminish energy by half a cent
contrasted with DGV with no solar based control. If the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient is about
18%, it is considered to be effective and allows CO2 committer.
Louvered shading devices
To block sun in summer and allow cooling through wind in the south façade we can arrange
some louvered shading devices, which will block the sun in summer and will allow it in
winters. While designing these louvers we should take the help of sun path to calculate the
angles which will be effective in the job
Windows, Doors, and Openings
Size and position of entryways, windows, and vents in the structure envelope dependent on
cautious thought of day lighting, warming, and ventilating techniques. The structure, size,
and area of openings may change contingent upon how they influence the structure envelope.
A window that gives a view need not open, yet a window proposed for ventilation must do as
such. High windows for day lighting are ideal in light of the fact that, if appropriately
planned, they bring light further into the inside and kill glare. Vestibules at structure passages
ought to be intended to maintain a strategic distance from the loss of cooled or warmed air to
the outside.
The negative effect of entryway openings after cooling burdens can be diminished with
airtight chambers. Individuals from the plan group should facilitate their endeavors to
coordinate ideal structure highlights. For uninvolved sun based structure, this incorporates the
experts in charge of the intuitive orders of structure envelope, day lighting, introduction,
building configuration, massing, HVAC, and electrical frameworks. Shaded openings in the
envelope amid sweltering climate will lessen the entrance of direct daylight to the inside of
the structure. Shades or deciduous plant materials on southern introductions can shade
outside dividers to lessen heat gain amid hotter seasons. Coating frameworks affect the
vitality utilization.
Fitting coating decisions differ significantly, contingent upon the area of the office, the
employments of the structure, and even the coating's position on the structure. In hot
atmospheres, the essential technique is to control heat gain by shielding sun based vitality
from entering the inside space while permitting sensible unmistakable light transmittance for
perspectives and day lighting. Sun oriented screens that block sun powered radiation, or
movies that counteract infrared and bright transmission while permitting great permeability,
are valuable retrofits for hot atmospheres. In colder atmospheres, the centre movements from
keeping sunlight based vitality out of the space to decreasing warmth misfortune to the
outside and enabling alluring sun based radiation to enter. Cooling vitality can likewise be

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Passive cooling through building envelope Lovely Professional University

lost through openings' edge. Entryways and windows with air - tight casings can help wipe
out wellsprings of convection misfortunes.

Natural ventilation: wind catcher and cross ventilation

These can be said as vernacular way which was found years back, to allow cool air inside the
building for natural ventilation. This is the most effective way in which we can reduce the
vitality consumed and improving the health impacts due to a healthy air circulation and
environment. It consists of towers which can allow carbon ventilation system to give fresh air
to the living beings without any means of mechanical system. This tower reduces the
pollution in its air flow so we can consider the air to be clean as well as fresh. The air is
directed to the building through the change or difference in the air pressure. The main
elements of the natural ventilation is said to be velocity, direction of air and the difference in
pressure. So the position and orientation of wind catcher is an important factor. They can also
create buoyancy effect as they help to move out hot air, through exterior openings.
Green roofing
As per present reviews on green roofs, it is defined as a roof covered with grass or plants with
the help of few membranes which are water proof and water absorbent as well. We know that
roof is a main building member which allows most of the heat gains in building, so we can
reduce the heat conduction into the building through high quality or high level insulation. It
can be made of some recycled materials which is also a plus factor.
It has many sustainable points which could be considered, such as, oxygen generation for the
environment; it can reduce the heat island effect on the urban environment and also decrease
the temperature to suitable thermal comfort. If we talk about green roofs they are basically
divided into two types: intensive and extensive. For the intensive green roof we might have to
provide more maintenance comparatively from extensive green roof. It demands more variety
of plants and is thicker then he extensive one. Extensive green roof does not require heavy
maintenance. As the green roof is above a structural element it requires some barriers to
protect from spoiling it. We use waterproof membranes and barriers to channel the roots of
the plants and also water, without damaging the structure. The underneath spaces are
provided to enable the air to move and make heat in their foundations, in this manner giving
better ventilation beneath the layer boards bolted together to make a stage and remain stable.
It will likewise incorporate some waste for water overflow.

Walls and Roofs

For structures ruled by cooling loads, it bodes well to furnish outside completions with light
hues and high reflectivity or divider shading gadgets that diminish sun oriented addition
thinking about the effect of choices after neighbouring structures. A very intelligent envelope
may result in a littler cooling load, yet glare from the surface can altogether expand stacks on
and objections from nearby structure tenants. Intelligent material items help decrease cooling
loads in light of the fact that the rooftop is presented to the sun for the whole working day.
Divider shading can diminish sun based warmth gain essentially utilizing rooftop overhangs,
window shades, canopies, a shelter of develop trees, or other vegetative plantings, for

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Passive cooling through building envelope Lovely Professional University

example, trellises with deciduous vines. In new development, giving building highlights that
shade dividers and coating ought to be considered. In existing structures, vegetative shading
choices are commonly progressively practical. Building dividers, rooftops, and floors of
sufficient warm obstruction is basic to give human solace and vitality productivity. Inactive
evaporative cooling configuration can likewise be utilized on rooftops through rooftop splash
or rooftop lakes, and Insulating materials in dividers and rooftops are exceptionally
advantageous for vitality sparing and effectiveness. Consolidating sun oriented controls on
the structure outside can likewise have a critical effect to diminish heat gain.
Ground surfaces
The utilization of earth berm and grass rooftops can diminish heat transmission and brilliant
loads on the structure envelope. Covering some portion of a structure will limit sun oriented
increase and wind-driven air invasion. It will likewise decrease warm exchange brought
about by amazingly high or low temperatures.

Conclusion:

These are some of the few building envelopes which can be used as passive cooling
techniques to be incorporated in our residential buildings which can naturally cool or heat the
environment as per the requirement of our thermal comforts. They basically use the concept
of natural air ventilation, orientation and placement of these envelopes as well as the
materials.

Acknowledgement:

I am particularly grateful for the assistance given by Ar. Mustafizur Rahman sir and Ar.
Loknath Saha sir for the valuable and constructive suggestions during this research work. I
would also like to extend my thanks to Lovely Professional University for collection of my
data.