DR. D. Y.

PATIL PRATISHTHAN
DR. D. Y. PATIL COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, AKURDI.
SECTOR NO 29 NIGDI - PRADHIKARAN, AKURDI – 44.

Passive cooling through Natural ventilation techniques

Tejas Pise
D. Y. Patil College of Architecture, Akurdi
tejas.piise0122@gmail.com
Abstract
Incorporating passive cooling devices within building design requires analysis of device
variables and actions to improve cooling performance, maximize efficiency, and integrate
with building elements. Improving devices' performance requires understanding the
relation of devices to design stages, building elements, and working mechanisms, and
actions performed by devices to enhance the cooling process and effectiveness. Passive
cooling or heating approaches play a major role in bringing architecture closer to the
original green, environmental, and vernacular architecture by using surrounding
environmental elements such as solar radiation and natural ventilation. Passive cooling
is an approach that focuses on providing thermal comfort by controlling heat gains and
heat dissipation without involving mechanical or electrical devices. The performance
quality of this approach depends totally on the interaction of the building’s design and
devices with the surrounding environmental factors, such as sun rays, ambient air
temperature, wind, and humidity, to achieve energy balance for occupants.

Keywords - Natural ventilation, passive cooling, shading, thermal comfort.

1. Introduction.

1.1 Statement of the problem

Green building concept, in broader terms, involves a building, which is designed, built,
operated, maintained or reused with objectives to protect occupant health, improve employee
productivity, use wisely natural resources and reduce the environmental impact. It contributes
towards lower development costs, lower operating costs, increased comforts, healthier indoor
environment quality, and enhanced durability and fewer maintenance costs. Buildings consume
approximately 40% to 50% of the total produced primary energy globally. Increasing the use
of technology & the need for thermal comfort with luxury has led to increasing demand for
Cooling in the composite. Cooling thus accounts for a significant proportion of the total energy
consumption in buildings, and its impact on greenhouse gas emissions is enhanced by the fact
that these cooling systems are usually electrically driven and measure part of electrical energy
produced in India is by conventional resources & fossil fuels. We have to accept the fact that
before the invention of mechanical means to provide comfort conditions, people used to make
their dwellings in a way, which were comfortable to live in, and were dependent on passive
means. but in the present scenario people depend more on active means to achieve comfort
conditions in their dwellings, and natural means to provide comfort conditions have thus been
neglected which were used in the past extensively. In modern buildings, mechanical and
electrical instruments-based air conditioning systems to control the temperature, moisture
content, circulation and purity of the air within a space, to achieve the desired effects of comfort
for the occupants are used majorly. The shortage of conventional energy sources and escalating
energy costs have caused the re-examination of the general design practices and applications
of air conditioning systems and the development of new technologies and processes for
achieving comfort conditions in buildings by passive means. The techniques used for cooling,
heating, and ventilation of the buildings in the past were more harmonious with nature for eg.

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 DR. D. Y. PATIL PRATISHTHAN
DR. D. Y. PATIL COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, AKURDI.
SECTOR NO 29 NIGDI - PRADHIKARAN, AKURDI – 44.

the jharokas, jalis, wind-towers etc. The use of locally available resources for the design of
buildings in ancient times were energy efficient & environmentally favourable. Passive system
performances depend mostly on natural and environmental elements like the sun, wind, earth,
and water. It is, therefore, significant to study and analyse how passive systems interact with
natural elements and their relationship to a building site. Passive cooling systems, thereafter,
need to be integrated within the design process, as their performance requirements are affected
by orientation, height, materials, form, and characteristics of many architectural elements.

1.2 Definition of terms

1.Thermal comfort
Humans generally feel comfortable between temperatures of 22 °C to 27 °C and relative
humidity of 40% to 60%. This is referred to as thermal comfort.

2.Passive means

System or structure that directly uses natural energy such as sunlight, wind, temperature
differences or gravity to achieve a result without electricity or fuel.
3. Conventional resources

Conventional sources of energy are the natural energy resources that are present in a limited
quantity and are being used for a long time. Some common examples of conventional sources
of energy include coal, petroleum, natural gas, and electricity.

4.Dwelling
A dwelling is a self-contained unit of accommodation used by one or more households as a
home.

5.Performance.
Building performance is an attribute of a building that expresses how well that building carries
out its functions. Prominent building performance aspects are energy efficiency, thermal
comfort, indoor air quality and daylighting.

1.3 Aim and Objectives

Aim: To study passive cooling techniques through natural ventilation which can be used in
an Ecotel design.

Objectives:
• To understand different passive cooling strategies that can be used in the Indian climate.
• Efficient use of natural resources to cater to the needs related to light and ventilation.
• Reduce energy consumption.

1.4 Methodology:

The methods of gathering information about this topic will be by:

A. Literature and journal review and newspaper articles highlighting on the proposed topic.

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 DR. D. Y. PATIL PRATISHTHAN
DR. D. Y. PATIL COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, AKURDI.
SECTOR NO 29 NIGDI - PRADHIKARAN, AKURDI – 44.

B. Case studies of existing buildings.

C. Personal observations.
D. Analysis of the environmental climatic data of the site carried out to ascertain the differences
in temperature.

1.5 Research questions

In the case of this research the following questions are raised to assist in the research process:
A. What are the other means available for naturally cooling a building?
B. How can these other means be applied in design?

1.6 Scope
The scope of this research will be concerned with passive design methods that aid in the cooling
of the interior spaces making them comfortable to live in.

2. Background data.

Heating and cooling of buildings account today for high energy consumption. Higher living
standards lead to active methods of adjusting the indoor climate of buildings such as offices,
hotels, schools and other public buildings as well as residences. Airconditioning plants are
installed without any adaptation of the buildings to these new appliances, which leads to
excessive energy consumption and high cost, and may also damage the building.
In general, passive design balances all aspects of energy use in a building: lighting, cooling,
heating, and ventilation. It achieves this by combining, in a single concept, the use of natural
sources of energy and conventional, energy-efficient strategies. Passive design means that
nature (and the architect) does the work. Passive strategies adjust to environmental conditions
primarily through architecture and should be considered before active. This means that the
architect must be strategic in terms of planning the necessary techniques. It means using the
resources on-site rather than importing energy from a remote source. Passive cooling is
achieved by using ventilation, coupled with the configuration and thermal properties of the
building.

In addition to cooling, ventilation is necessary to provide for the respiration of the occupants,
and also to control the level of pollutants inside a building. Natural ventilation is a valuable
tool for sustainable development as it relies only on natural air movement, and can save
significant amounts of fossil fuel-based energy by reducing the need for mechanical ventilation
and air conditioning. Reducing electrical energy used for cooling contributes to the reduction
of greenhouse gas emissions from the electrical generating plant providing energy. The need
to reduce our consumption of energy and to give users more control over their immediate
environments, are good reasons for designers now to re-evaluate the role of natural ventilation
in buildings and to become familiar with the basic principles involved.

Natural ventilation relies on moving air through a building under the natural forces caused by
outside wind pressure and the buoyancy effects of temperature differences. Air paths need to
be simple and generous as wind and buoyancy pressures are low. Energy efficiency in simple
terms means using less energy to perform the same tasks and functions. For a building, this
could mean reducing the amount of energy needed for heating by improving the insulation of
the building, by introducing lighting control or also regulate space heating and cooling.

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 DR. D. Y. PATIL PRATISHTHAN
DR. D. Y. PATIL COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, AKURDI.
SECTOR NO 29 NIGDI - PRADHIKARAN, AKURDI – 44.

3. Presentation and analysis of the collected data.

3.1 Case Studies
3.1.1 Orchid hotel, Mumbai.

A Mumbai based hotel called the orchid, Launched in 1997, The Orchid, Asia's First Ecotel
Hotel, a prestigious hotel or leading landmark in the city canter of Mumbai, has gained
international importance due to its pioneering efforts in the eco-friendly sphere. The Mission
Statement of The Orchid clearly states its core values in accepting responsibility for living in
close harmony with the society & environment. In addition to this Orchid ecotel hotel received
ISO-14001 Environment Management Systems certification for the implementation of eco-
friendly practices.
The Orchid is a recipient of numerous international and national awards. Let us take an insight
on the various practices undertaken by India’s first Ecotel.
Energy efficient designs and systems have been integrated into the hotel from its very
foundation. The lighting and ventilation strategies adopted in the ecotel which are based on
natural resources such as wind and sunlight are as follows:
• The Skylight: Double layered domes admit maximum natural light in the atrium of the
hotel thereby reducing the extent of artificial lighting required in the lobby, corridors,
rooms and restaurants.
• The Façade: Depressions and protrusions in the façade play an important role in
reducing energy consumption since majority of the walls remain under shade thereby
preventing surface radiation from entering the structure.
• Triple Glazed windows incorporated in the rooms consist of three panes separated by
two hermetically sealed spaces. These windows have the best thermal insulating
properties and also assist in curtailing noise from India’s busiest domestic airport.
• Energy efficient lighting: The hotel uses energy efficient lighting such as CFL
(Compact Fluorescent Lighting) and LEDs.
• Solar energy: The hotel has solar panels on its roof and the electricity generated through
these panels is used for the rooftop lighting, reducing the extent of conventional coal
based electricity used by the hotel.
• Intelligent control systems: Each room in the hotel has a master control panel to control
the lighting and temperature of the room. This master control panel has an eco-button,

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 DR. D. Y. PATIL PRATISHTHAN
DR. D. Y. PATIL COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, AKURDI.
SECTOR NO 29 NIGDI - PRADHIKARAN, AKURDI – 44.

which when pressed increases the temperature of the room by two degrees without
affecting guest comfort.
• Air conditioning and refrigeration systems use CFC free refrigerants with low ozone
depleting potential.
By saving an average 99,344 units of electricity per month The Orchid Hotel prevents 212,596
pounds of CO2 equivalent emissions going into the atmosphere each month.

3.1.2 Pear Academy, Jaipur.

One of the buildings recognized globally for the passive design is Pearl Academy Jaipur, India,
built in the arid suburbs of Jaipur, Rajasthan by Architect Manmit Rastogi.
The Pearl Academy of fashion combines modern exterior styling with influence of Rajasthani
architecture – designed to keep temperatures down without artificial cooling systems. Passive
features used are:

Double skin by lattice screen.

• Double skin derived from the traditional “jaali” screen runs throughout the length of
the building to provide a cooler outer skin.

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 DR. D. Y. PATIL PRATISHTHAN
DR. D. Y. PATIL COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, AKURDI.
SECTOR NO 29 NIGDI - PRADHIKARAN, AKURDI – 44.

Stepped well form lower ground Water body for evaporative cooling.
floor.

• Traditional stepwells often go many stories below the ground level, here it is just four
meters down where it has a water body for the purpose of evaporative cooling.

Reversed earthen pot for roof insulation.

• Reversed earthen pots kept on roof to provide thermal insulation from radiant heat
emitted by the sun. This is a very ancient technique used in the ancient buildings of
Rajasthan.

The central water body act as step-well and keeps the surrounding area cool. As a result, the
building remains 20 degrees cooler inside than the outside. This modern building is inspired
by the traditional passive techniques.

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 DR. D. Y. PATIL PRATISHTHAN
DR. D. Y. PATIL COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, AKURDI.
SECTOR NO 29 NIGDI - PRADHIKARAN, AKURDI – 44.

4. Discussions
The case studies examined various passive cooling strategies involving natural ventilation. The
study of these buildings helps to understand their development, and on the other, provides
examples of a sustainable building tradition, from which many lessons can be learned like, their
respond to climatic conditions using low energy design principles to provide human comfort.
Incorporation of these sustainable building principles would certainly reduce our dependency
on artificial means for thermal comfort and minimize the environmental problems due to
excessive consumption of energy and other natural resources. The recent concept of energy
efficient Green buildings attracted all the scientists and building architects to switch over from
the present practice of mechanical cooling to ancient methods of passive cooling methods in
an efficient modern way. It should be noted that a concept suitable for one place may not be
suitable for another, if the climatic conditions are different. Hence, being highly site specific,
based on the climatic zones the selection of various ventilation & cooling techniques have to
be chosen.

Adopting passive cooling strategies in design of buildings gives the following advantages:
a) Economic: The installation of mechanical equipment means a capital cost and also the
recurrent cost of energy consumed and system maintenance.
b) Ecological/environmental: Passive buildings impose the least load on the ecosystem,
consume less energy and produce less amount of waste such as carbon emission.
c) Aesthetic: Passive buildings are more likely to be in sympathy with their environment, and
more likely to increase diversity and interest.

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