SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE (ELECTIVE IV)

TOPIC – PASSIVE COOLING TECHNIQUE IN MODERATE CLIMATE

Guided by : Ar. Chintan Shah

 INTRODUCTION :

 SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
• SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE IS ARCHITECTURE THAT SEEKS TO MINIMIZE THE NEGATIVE
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF BUILDINGS BY EFFICIENCY AND MODERATION IN THE USE OF
MATERIALS, ENERGY, DEVELOPMENT SPACE AND THE ECOSYSTEM AT LARGE. SUSTAINABLE
ARCHITECTURE USES A CONSCIOUS APPROACH TO ENERGY AND ECOLOGICAL CONSERVATION IN
THE DESIGN OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.

 PASSIVE COOLING
• PASSIVE COOLING IS A BUILDING DESIGN APPROACH THAT FOCUSES ON HEAT GAIN CONTROL
AND HEAT DISSIPATION IN A BUILDING IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE INDOOR THERMAL COMFORT
WITH LOW OR NO ENERGY CONSUMPTION.
• THIS APPROACH WORKS EITHER BY PREVENTING HEAT FROM ENTERING THE INTERIOR (HEAT
GAIN PREVENTION) OR BY REMOVING HEAT FROM THE BUILDING. NATURAL COOLING UTILIZES
ON-SITE ENERGY, AVAILABLE FROM THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, COMBINED WITH THE
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN OF BUILDING COMPONENTS, RATHER THAN MECHANICAL SYSTEMS TO
DISSIPATE HEAT.
 MODERATE CLIMATE
• THE MODERATE CLIMATE HAS MILD TO WARM SUMMERS AND COOL WINTERS.
• THE NEED FOR WINTER HOME HEATING IS GREATER THAN THE NEED FOR SUMMER COOLING.
• IT IS A RELATIVELY COMFORTABLE CLIMATE, ESPECIALLY NEAR THE COAST, WHERE SUMMERS ARE
COOLER AND WINTERS WARMER THAN FURTHER INLAND.
• AREAS HAVING A MODERATE CLIMATE ARE GENERALLY LOCATED ON HILLY OR HIGH-PLATEAU
REGIONS WITH FAIRLY ABUNDANT VEGETATION. THE SOLAR RADIATION IN THIS REGION IS MORE OR
LESS THE SAME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. BEING LOCATED AT RELATIVELY HIGHER ELEVATIONS,
THESE PLACES EXPERIENCE LOWER TEMPERATURES THAN HOT AND DRY REGIONS.
• THE SOLAR RADIATION IN THIS REGION IS MORE OR LESS THE SAME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
• BEING LOCATED AT RELATIVELY HIGHER ELEVATION, THESE PLACES EXPERIENCE LOWER
TEMPERATURES THAN HOT AND DRY 30-340C DURING THE DAY AND 17-240C AT NIGHT.
• THE RELATIVE HUMIDITY IS LOW IN WINTERS AND SUMMERS, VARYING FROM 20-55% AND GOING UP
TO 55-90% DURING MONSOONS.
• THE TOTAL RAINFALL USUALLY EXCEEDS 1000MM PER YEAR.
• WINTER ARE DRY IN THIS ZONE.
• WINDS ARE GENERALLY HIGH DURING SUMMER.
• THEIR SPEED AND DIRECTION DEPEND MAINLY UPON THE TOPOGRAPHY. THE SKY IS MOSTLY CLEAR
WITH OCCASIONAL PRESENCE OF LOW, DENSE CLOUDS DURING SUMMERS.
• MAJOR PLACES IN INDIA WITH MODERATE
CLIMATE
1. BANGALORE
2. PUNE

 BANGALORE
• LATITUDE: 120 58° N
• LONGITUDE: 770 35° E
• ALTITUDE: 921M ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL
• RELATIVE HUMIDITY: 65.2% (AVERAGE
ANNUAL RELATIVE HUMIDITY)
 PUNE
• LATITUDE: 18.5204° N
• LONGITUDE: 73.8567° E
• ALTITUDE: 560M ABOVE MEAN SEA LEVEL
• RELATIVE HUMIDITY: 59.3% (AVERAGE
ANNUAL RELATIVE HUMIDITY)
PASSIVE TECHNIQUES OF MODERATE CLIMATE
1. Earth air contact
I. DIRECT EARTH CONTACT COOLING
II. BURIED PIPES COLLING
2. Evaporative cooling- roof pond cooling system
3. Radiant cooling – structural slab cooling
4. Passive downdraft evaporative cooling (pdec) with night sky cooling

1. EARTH AIR CONTACT

SOIL TEMPER AT A DEPTH OF ABOUT 12 FEET OR MORE STAYS FAIRLY CONSTANT THROUGHOUT
THE YEAR AND IS APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO THE AVERAGE ANNUAL AMBIENT AIR
TEMPERATURE THE GROUND CAN THEREFORE BE USED AS A HEAT SINK FOR COOLING IN THE
SUMMER AND AS A HEAT SOURCE FOR HEATING IN THE WINTER
THERE ARE TWO STRATEGIES FOR USING THIS PRINCIPLE ARE
(a) DIRECT EARTH CONTACT COOLING TECHNIQUES, AND
(b) BURIED PIPES COOLING
I. DIRECT EARTH CONTACT
THE BUILDING MAY BE COUPLED WITH EARTH EITHER BY
CONDUCTION, I.E.,
WHERE THE BUILDING ENVELOPE IS IN CONTACT WITH THE DEEP
EARTH BY BURYING OR BEAMING.

ADVANTAGE
• LIMITED INFILTRATION AND HEAT LOSSES
• OLAR AND HEAT PROTECTION,
• REDUCTION OF NOISE AND VIBRATION
• FIRE AND STORM PROTECTION
• IMPROVED SECURITY.

II. BURIED PIPES COOLING

CONCEPT – TO PASS AIR THOUGH AN UNDERGROUND AIR TUNNEL THE AIR
THUS COOLED OR HEATED CAN BE USED DIRECTLY FOR THE CONDITIONED
SPACE OR INDIRECTLY WITH AIR CONDITIONERS OF HEAT PUMPS THE
CONCEPT OF BURIED PIPES INVOLVES THE USE OF METALLIC OR PVC PIPES
BURIED AT 1 TO 4M IN DEPTH (SINHA AND GOSWAMI, 1987).

ADVANTAGE
• LOW ENERGY : 1/3RD OF THE CONVENTIONAL AC SYSTEM POWER
REQUIREMENT
• BETTER INDOOR AIR QUALITY
• 100% FRESH AIR CIRCULATION IN THE PREMISES
• MIN OF 28 DEG . C CAN BE MAINTAINED DURING PEAK SUMMER
 2. EVAPORATIVE COOLING- ROOF POND COOLING SYSTEM
• EVAPORATIVE COOLING: LOWERS THE INDOOR AIR TEMPERATURE
EVAPORATIVE WATER
• IN DRY CLIMATES THIS IS COMMONLY DONE DIRECTLY IN THE SPACE
• BUT INDIRECT METHODS SUCH AS ROOF PONDS ALLOW EVAPORATIVE
COOLING TO BE USED IN MORE MODERATE CLIMATES TOO.
ADVANTAGE
• CREAT ES A COMFORTABLE AND PRODUCTIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT 
• ENERGY-EFFICIENT VENTILATION AND COOLING SOLUTION
• ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
• GOOD INDOOR AIR QUALITY 
3. RADIANT COOLING – STRUCTURAL SLAB COOLING
• RADIANT COOLING - EXCHANGING THERMAL ENERGY SPACE THOUGH
CONVECTION AND RADIATION
• STRUCTURAL SLAB RADIANT COOLING SYSTEM
• THIS IS A SURFACE COOLING SYSTEM WHERE WATER TUBES ARE PLACED IN
THE ROOF SLAB THAT ABSORBS THE HEAT FROM HEAT SOURCE IN THE HEAT
AND EXCHANGES IT WITH THE CIRCULATING WATER
• THE WARM WATER IS THEN PUMPED TO A CHILLER OR A GEOTHERMAL HEAT
EXCHANGER, RE-COOLED HEAT RETURNED TO THE SLAB.
ADVANTAGES
• MAXIMUM COMFORT
• DRAFT SENSED TEMPERATURE
• LOWER ENERGY COSTS
• ARCHITECTURAL FREEDOM
• MINIMUM MAINTENANCE
• SAME PIPES FOR HEATING AND COOLING
4. PASSIVE DOWNDRAFT EVAPORATIVE COOLING (PDEC) WITH NIGHT SKY COOLING
• THE SYSTEM COMPRISES A DOWN DRAFT EVAPORATIVE COOLING
TOWER THE FINE DROPS OF WATER IS SPRAYED VERTICALLY
DOWNWARDS WITH THE HELP OF MIRCONISERS.
• IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE 26 DEG.C IN PEAK SUMMER
• IT IS POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE OF 16 DEG,C IN
HYDERABAD USING THIS SYSTEM
• (PDEC) TOWER FOR PROVIDING COMFORT
• TINTED GLASSES TO REDUCE GLARE
• COMPLEX WALLS (GRANITE BLOCKS – OUTER SIDE
• RAT-TRAP BOND BRICK WALLS ON THE INSIDE) TO REDUCE HEAT
• FILLER SLABS
• A CENTER ATRIUM TO ENHANCE CROSS VENTILATION AND
DAYLIGHTING
• SOLAR PV LIGHTING AND PUMPS
• RAINFALL HARVESTING AND WATER CONSERVATION FACILITIES
EXAMPLE :- BANGALORE
SOME OF THE DESIGN FEATURES FOR BUILDINGS IN THIS CLIMATE ARE
• IN BANGALORE THE IDEA COMFORTABLE HOUSE IS BUILT OF HEAVY WALLS WITH HIGH CEILING ROOMS,
WITH WINDOWS THAT YOU CAN SHUT AND OPEN SURROUNDED BY A SHADE GIVING VERANDAH.
• HIGH CEILING REDUCE THE EFFECT OF HEAT THAT WOULD RADIATE DOWN FROM THE ROOF WHICH WOULD
GET HOT UNDER THE SUN.
• THIS WILL ALSO ALLOW THE WARM AIR TO RISE AND ESCAPE THROUGH VENTILATORS HIGH UP IN THE
WALLS.
• APPROPRIATE ORIENTATION AND SHAPE OF BUILDING.
• ROOF OF INSULATION AND EAST AND WEST WALL INSULATION WALLS FACING EAST AND WEST GLASS
SURFACE PROTECTED BY OVERHANGS,FINS,AND TRESS.
• WINDOWS AND EXHAUSTS COURTYARDS AND ARRANGEMENT OF OPENINGS.
THE DESIGN CRITERIA
• IN THE MODERATE ZONE ARE TO REDUCE HEAT GAIN BY PROVIDING SHADING AND TO PROMOTE HEAT LOSS BY
VENTILATION.

PASSIVE FEATURES
• REDUCTION OF SOLAR HEAT GAIN
• BY ORIENTATION OF THE BEDROOM TOWARDS NORTH
• BY SHADING OF EAST AND WEST WALLS BY NEIGHBORING BUILDING
• BY SHARING THE WINDOWS AND WALLS WITH PROJECTING STONE SLABS
• REDUCTION OF INTERNAL HEAT GAIN
• THIS IS A CLIMATE WHICH IS GENERALLY
COMFORTABLE; NEITHER TOO HOT, NOR
TOO COLD, AND WHERE ALL OF US
SHOULD BE STAYING! ALL YOU NEED TO
DO IS BE SHADED AND INSULATED FROM
DIRECT SUN, LET IN A LITTLE BREEZE
WHEN YOU FEEL STUFFY OR WARM: AND
SHUT THE WINDOW IF IT IS CHILLY OR
WEAR SOME LIGHT WOOLENS.
• IN BANGALORE, THE IDEAL
COMFORTABLE HOUSE IS BUILT OF HEAVY
WALLS WITH HIGH CEILING ROOMS, WITH
WINDOWS THAT YOU CAN SHUT AND
OPEN, SURROUNDED BY A SHADE GIVING
VERANDAH.
• HIGH CEILINGS REDUCE THE EFFECT OF
HEAT THAT WOULD RADIATE DOWN FROM
THE ROOF WHICH WOULD GET HOT
UNDER THE SUN. THIS WILL ALSO ALLOW
THE WARM AIR TO RISE AND ESCAPE
THROUGH VENTILATORS, HIGH UP IN THE
WALLS.