5/20/2021 Passive cooling | Smarter Homes

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SMART GUIDE
PASSIVE COOLING
Passive cooling

This is related to:

 Design

Keeping your cool

Overhea ng is a common summer problem in many New Zealand homes. Passive cooling
can help you keep your home comfortable throughout summer without using an air
condi oner or other mechanical assistance.

Passive cooling works by:

using shade and insula on to keep heat out of your home in summer
using heat-storing materials such as concrete to absorb heat
using breeze and air movement inside your home to keep you cool.

Passive cooling is free, unlike air condi oning which is expensive to install and run.

Passive cooling should be part of an overall approach to passive design. Depending on

your situa on (climate, house style, personal preferences, etc) it is most effec ve if you
incorporate the principles of both passive cooling and passive hea ng.

Passive hea ng (h ps://www.smarterhomes.org.nz/smart-guides/design/passive-hea ng/) has more informa on.

When should you think about passive cooling?

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Planning a home or renovation

If you are building or renova ng, passive cooling should be considered early in the design
process.

Good design should strike a balance between the need to keep your home warm in winter,
the need to keep it cool in summer and the need to provide ven la on to bring fresh,
healthy air into your home. So passive cooling should be considered alongside passive
hea ng and ven la on op ons.

In your existing home

Many passive cooling op ons can be easily added to exis ng homes. Simple but effec ve
op ons include using plants or awnings to shade windows from the outside.

Another way to improve passive cooling in an exis ng home is by installing extra insula on
– contrary to popular myth, a well-insulated home keeps cool in summer because the
insula on stops the heat from the sun on the roof and walls from seeping into the house,
just like a chilly bin. However, sunlight will s ll get through windows, regardless of
whether they are double glazed. Therefore windows are one of the most important
elements to protect, either through shading or by n ng.

Glazing treatments

Tinting

Window n ng comes in different colours and shading levels. Your designer and glazing
supplier will be able to give you an overview of the op ons available.

Keep in mind that although n ng will keep some of the sunlight out it will s ll warm up
the glass itself. Some of that warmth will s ll enter your home. Tin ng is therefore less
effec ve than external shading.

Also remember that during winter you may want to capture as much solar heat as
possible. A nted window will reduce sunlight not only in summer but also in winter.

However, window n ng can be a good op on if it is imprac cal to install external

shading. In par cular west-facing windows can some mes be difficult to shade because of
the low sun angle in the a ernoon. In those cases window n ng can be the best solu on.

Low-emissivity coating and films

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Low-emissivity coa ng and films are usually used to reduce heat loss through a window.
However, they can also be installed in a way to reduce solar gains entering through the
window. Ask your architect or designer to check out the op ons for you.

Shading
Shading should be designed to take into account the sun's path on your site in summer
and winter. The sun travels higher in the sky in summer, so shading can be designed to
keep summer sun out but let winter sun in. If you already live in your home the easiest
way to check the sun’s path is by observa on. If it is a new home you can get a
smartphone app that uses the phone’s camera to provide a map the sun takes across the
sky. From this, you can get a very good idea where it will be at different mes during the
day throughout the year.

NIWA SolarView (h ps://solarview.niwa.co.nz) is a useful tool that shows you the sun’s path at your
site.

BRANZ Level (h p://www.level.org.nz) website also provides useful informa on.

While your exact needs will vary according to your site and climate, most people will want
to:

shade high-angle summer sun from the north

shade low-angle summer sun from the east and west
let low-angle winter sun into your home from all direc ons.

In general, you'll need eaves or some other form of shading above glazing on the north
side of the house – but the size and type will depend on your circumstances.

Fixed shading options

Fixed shading op ons include:

eaves
pergolas
fixed louvres

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covered balconies (note: a balcony on the north side of your home could block winter
sun)
plants.

Eave design

Eaves should be designed to let as much sun as possible into your home in winter (when
the sun is low in the sky) but keep the sun out in summer (when it's higher in the sky). The
exact design of the eaves will depend on the amount of glazing in your home, which way it
faces and the amount of direct sunlight you want to come into your home.

If the situa on is quite involved you (or your designer) can model the travel of the sun
through the building in both summer and winter. If you want specific details on year-
round comfort of individual rooms, you’ll need to get a specialist using a computer
program.

Good eave design provides shade during summer and lets sunlight in during winter

Eaves can be designed to provide shade during summer and let sunlight in during
winter.

Planting for shade

Plan ng provides flexible shade op ons:

Deciduous vines and trees let winter sun through, and provide summer shade.
Ground-cover plants keep surface and ground temperatures lower in summer, as well
as reducing glare – use plants instead of hard paving in outdoor living areas exposed to
direct summer sun.
A shaded courtyard next to the main living area can act as a cool air well.

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Deciduous trees provide shade in summer but let filtered light in through winter

Deciduous trees provide shade in summer but let filtered light in through winter.

Adjustable shading options

Adjustable shading provides flexibility. It can be especially useful where you need to deal
with low-angle morning or evening sun.

External shading op ons that stop the sun ge ng to your windows at all will keep your
home cooler. Internally, light coloured or metallic Vene an blinds or light coloured
curtains can also help, especially with a window open to let the heat back out. Note that
external shading is much more effec ve than internal shading. Adjustable shading op ons
include:

manually adjustable louvres

shu ers
light coloured curtains
vene an blinds – these are more effec ve than Roman or Holland blinds because they
allow airflow to let hot air out
sliding screens
retractable awnings and sails
removable shades that can be taken down at the end of summer.

Adjustable shading may be combined with fixed eaves or pergolas to provide deep shade
in summer, but allow winter sun into these areas.

Insulation
A well-insulated home will retain heat in winter and keep heat out in summer. Ceiling
insula on is par cularly important to keep the hot sun from overhea ng your home – and
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pain ng your roof a light colour will reflect sunlight, meaning that less heat penetrates
through the roof.

Remember your windows when you think about insula on. Tinted glass will help keep the
heat out in summer, but will also reduce solar gain in the winter.

Insula (h ps://www.smarterhomes.org.nz/smart-guides/hea ng-cooling-and-insula on/insula ng-your-home/)ng your home

(h ps://www.smarterhomes.org.nz/smart-guides/hea ng-cooling-and-insula on/insula ng-your-home/) and Glazing
(h ps://www.smarterhomes.org.nz/smart-guides/construc on-and-materials/glazing/) have more informa on.

Ventilation
Air movement keeps you cool by increasing the rate at which moisture evaporates from
your skin. You'll need more air movement as humidity increases.

You can harness air movement by:

orien ng your home to catch the prevailing breeze

using passive ven la on to get air circula ng through your home
combining passive ven la on with ceiling fans to direct the incoming cooler air where
you need it.

Passive ven la on uses doors, windows, opening skylights and clerestory windows, vents,
louvres and other openings to let fresh air into and through your home. This helps to
provide cooling, as well as removing moisture and airborne pollutants.

For ven la on effec veness it is best to have a house design that lets air flow easily from
one side of the house to the other. If your house is built into a slope with different floor
levels you can open windows in the lower and the upper floor levels to u lise the stack
effect of warm air rising up.

Leave your windows open to let breezes through your house. It’s a good idea to use
security stays to prevent burglary (even if you’re home) and children falling or climbing
out.

Cooling air with water

When water evaporates, it absorbs heat from surrounding air, so the air cools.

Evapora on works best when humidity is lower so the air can take up more water vapour.

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Rates of evapora on are increased by air movement and the exposed surface area of
water. Fountains and mist sprays are effec ve for cooling.

Other op ons include pools, ponds and water features immediately outside windows or in
courtyards to cool air before it enters the house. Check the requirements for pools and
water features with your local council.

Windy site challenges

Slowing down, or excluding strong hot summer winds can be a challenge.

In some cases, the prevailing hot summer wind, sun and views are all orientated north.

It is important to know the regional climate and the site's microclimate when you are
planning a new home or renova on, so that wind direc on can be considered.

On windy sites, consider:

pu ng doorways and some windows into sheltered recesses so they can be opened
even when it's windy to let warm air out
using windows and doors on the south and east side of your home to provide for air
movement without gusts if the prevailing wind is from the north
using sliding windows – they won't slam shut in the wind
using small openings – one at ground level and one in the roof or on an upper level – to
provide for ven la on on windy days
using wind breaks and mounded plan ngs around your home to slow the wind down
and change the wind path.

Air conditioning and heat pumps

Air condi oning or cooling with heat pumps can use significant amounts of electricity and
require the home to be closed off from the outside environment to work best.

It dries the internal air and can harbour and spread bacteria if not maintained.

If passive design principles are followed and some supplementary cooling is s ll required,
other op ons such as fans are much more cost-effec ve than air-condi oning. Even if your
heat pump is very energy efficient, you will find your power bills going up if you use it for
summer cooling.

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Cooling and air condi oning (h ps://www.smarterhomes.org.nz/smart-guides/hea ng-cooling-and-insula on/cooling-

and-air-condi oning/) has more informa on.

HOMESTAR
Use the Homestar online tool to see how well your home performs and get
recommenda ons on how to improve it, or book a cer fied assessment.

You might also like…

SMART GUIDES

 Siting and location

 House orienta on
(h ps://www.smarterhomes.org.nz/smart-guides/si ng-and-loca on/house-orienta on/)

 Design
 Using thermal mass for hea ng and cooling
(h ps://www.smarterhomes.org.nz/smart-guides/design/thermal-mass-for-hea ng-and-cooling/)

 Air quality, moisture and ventilation

 Ven la on
(h ps://www.smarterhomes.org.nz/smart-guides/air-quality-moisture-and-ven la on/ven la on/)

 Heating, cooling and insulation

 Installing insula on
(h ps://www.smarterhomes.org.nz/smart-guides/hea ng-cooling-and-insula on/installing-insula on/)

STORIES & CASE STUDIES

 Making a rental property warmer and drier
(h ps://www.smarterhomes.org.nz/stories/making-rental-property-warmer-drier/)

 Parau container home – compact and low waste

(h ps://www.smarterhomes.org.nz/stories/parau-container-home-compact-and-low-waste/)

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 Wellington upgrade on a limited budget

(h ps://www.smarterhomes.org.nz/stories/wellington-upgrade-limited-budget/)

OTHER RESOURCES
Insula ng for an energy efficient building
(h ps://www.building.govt.nz/building-code-compliance/h-energy-efficiency/h1-energy-efficiency/insula ng-for-an-energy-
efficient-building)
Keep your home warm and save energy and money using this guide on the Building
Performance website.

BRANZ: Passive design

(h p://www.level.org.nz/passive-design)
Get guidance on passive design, including hea ng and cooling, on the BRANZ Level website.

Eco Design Advisor

(h p://www.ecodesignadvisor.org.nz)
Make the most of free advice on this website – and check whether there’s an Eco Design
Advisor in your area. You can book them for free personal advice on your home design.

Designing Comfortable Homes

(h p://www.ccanz.org.nz/page/Designing-Comfortable-Homes.aspx)
Download a comprehensive guide to designing more comfortable houses from the Cement and
Concrete Associa on of New Zealand's website.

Note that this document is published by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Chief Executive as Guidance
under Section 175 of the Building Act 2004. This is a guide only and, if used, does not relieve any person of the
obligation to consider any matter to which the information relates according to the circumstances of the particular
case.

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