CLIMATE SPECIFIC DESIGN

PRINCIPLES
High humid (tropical) climates

High humidity reduces perspiration.

•Sleeping comfort is a significant
issue – especially during periods of
high humidity.
•Wider Eaves exclude solar access
to rooms.
Shade building with a fly roof.
• Insulation Installation Maximise shaded ventilation paths.
•Choose windows with maximum external wall areas •Provide hot air
opening areas (louvers or casement) and exposure to (and ventilation at ceiling
and avoid fixed glass panels. funneling of) cooling level for all rooms
•Include ceiling fans to create air breezes through the with spinnaways,
movement during still periods. building. shaded opening
•Consider using whole of house fans •Use single room clerestorey windows
with smart switching to draw cooler depths where or ridge vents.
outside air into the house at night possible with •Shade outdoor
when there is no breeze. maximum shaded areas around the
•Use low thermal mass construction openings to enhance house with planting
generally. (Note: high mass cross ventilation and and shade structures
construction can be beneficial in heat removal. to lower ground
innovative, well considered design •Design temperatures.
solutions). unobstructed cross
 •Use planting design to funnel cooling breezes and filter
strong winds.
Hot dry climates with warm and cool winters
•Hot dry climates occur in a wide range of latitudes and
geographic locations. This creates a variety of diurnal
ranges and winter heating requirements with hot to very hot,
dry summers.
•Evaporative cooling from ponds, water features and ‘active’
or mechanical cooling systems is ideal for arid climates
where low humidity promotes high evaporation rates.
•Evaporative cooling should be used if required.
•Use high mass solutions with passive solar winter heating
where winters are cool or cold and diurnal ranges are
significant.
•Use low mass elevated solutions where winters are mild and
diurnal ranges are lower.

•Consider high mass construction for rooms

with passive winter heating and low mass
for other rooms.
•Shade all windows in summer and east and
west windows year round.
•Well sealed windows and doors with
maximum opening area allow maximum
exposure to cooling breezes and exclude
hot, dry and dusty winds.
Warm humid climates
Warm, mild and cool
temperate climates
Temperate climates require less
cooling. Good orientation, passive
shading, insulation and design for
cross ventilation generally provide
adequate cooling
•Passive solar heating is required
during winter months.
•Adjust eave overhangs to suit the
particular micro-climate.
•Use high mass construction in
areas with significant diurnal range
(usually inland).
•Use low mass construction where
diurnal ranges are low (usually
coastal).
•Orient to maximise exposure to
cooling breezes and use ceiling
fans and convective ventilation to
supplement them.
•Elevated structures can increase
exposure to breezes.
•Include evaporative cooling and
water features.
•Use insulation to prevent heat loss
and heat gain.
AIR MOVEMENT
Air movement is the most important element of
passive cooling. It increases cooling by
increasing evaporation rates.
Generally, cross ventilation is most effective for
air exchange (building cooling) and fans for air
movement (people cooling).
Air movement provides useful cooling in all
climates but may be less effective in tropical
climates during periods of high humidity.

An air speed of 0.5m per second

equates to a 3 degree drop in
temperature at relative humidity of 50
per cent.

In higher humidity, greater airspeeds are

required to achieve the same cooling benefits.
 evening but can yield
Cooling worthwhile cooling
benefits with good
breezes design.

Coastal / Hilly
breezes are usually Understand
from an onshore your regional
direction
In mountainous or hilly climate and
areas, cool breezes
often flow down
how various Maximise multiple flow paths
and minimise potential
valleys in late evening features barriers.
and early morning as
night cooling creates
(topographic Expose windows to common
cool air currents. and man cooling breezes.
Thermal currents are
common in flatter,
made) Deflect breezes from varying
inland areas, created influence the angles. Cross flow of air
by diurnal heating and through the building.
cooling. They are often microclimate Activity proposed in the room
of short duration in of your site. deserves acccentuated airflow
early morning and at apt Height.
Convective air movement used to draw cooler outside
It relies on hot air rising, air into the building through
drawing in cool air from multiple rooms when
shaded external areas over conditions are suitable. They
ponds or cool earth. exhaust the air through eave
Convection air movement or gable vents via the roof
cools building but air space. This cools the roof
speeds reduce when space.
occupants fill the space. Control systems for whole of
Solar chimneys can also be roof fans should prevent
used to ensure effective operation when external air
convective air movement. temperatures are higher
Clerestory windows, turbo than internal.Condensation
ventilators, and vented can be increased by drawing
ridges, eaves and ceilings. large volumes of humid air
Maximise exposure to through the roof space. A
cooling breezes. dew point occurs when this
Mechanical fans humid air comes in contact
supplement breezes. with roof elements (eg.
Air speed for comfort is reflective insulation) which
approximately 7.5m per has been cooled by
second. Higher air speeds radiation to night skies.
can be unsettling.
Air intakes are usually
 The surface area of water exposed to
EVAPORATI during hottest moving air is also important. Fountains,
periods) and the
VE air has a greater mist sprays and waterfalls can increase
evaporation rates.
COOLING capacity to take
Evaporation is up water vapor. Passive evaporative cooling design
an effective Rates of solutions include the use of pools, ponds
passive cooling evaporation are and water features immediately outside
method. It works increased by air windows or in courtyards to pre-cool air
best when movement. entering the house. Carefully located
relative humidity water features can create convective
breezes.
is lower (70 per
cent or less
Active evaporative cooling systems like the
above wind scoop, originating in ancient
Persia, can be useful to catch cooling breezes
and direct them into the house via an
evaporative cooling system.

Mechanical evaporative coolers are common in low

humidity climates. They use less energy than
refrigerated a/c and work better with doors and
windows left open. Water consumption can be
considerable.

Earth covered/earth bermed construction
utilises stable ground temperatures at
lower depths to absorb household heat
gains.
EARTH COUPLING
Earth coupling of thermal
mass (floor slabs) protected
from external temperature
extremes can substantially
lower temperatures by
absorbing heat as it enters
the building or is generated
by household activities.
Passively shaded areas
around earth coupled slabs
keep surface ground
temperatures lower during
the day and allow night time
cooling.
Poorly shaded surrounds
can lead to earth
temperatures exceeding
internal comfort levels in
many areas. In this event, an
earth coupled slab can
become an energy liability.
HYBRID Hybrid cooling
systems are whole
COOLING house cooling
solutions employing
SYSTEMS a variety of cooling Refrigerated air-conditioning
These are options (including can provide thermal comfort
appropriate for air-conditioning) in during periods of high
temperature and humidity by
tropical climates with the most efficient
lowering air temperature and
high summer and effective way. humidity.
humidity or where They take maximum
mechanical cooling advantage of passive Air-conditioning is often
(especially cooling when used to achieve comfortable
refrigerated air- available and make sleeping conditions by
conditioning) is used efficient use of lowering temperatures and
to overcome mechanical cooling humidity. The number of
problems of extreme systems during operating hours required for
air-conditioning to achieve
climate, existing extreme periods.
thermal comfort can be
house/ site substantially reduced (or
constraints or poor eliminated) by careful design
design. of new homes, alterations
and additions.
 Urban Heat Islands
• Urban Heat pollution that A single office in a building has an occupancy
Islands are retains heat ratio per square meter of 0.1. In the summer the
caused by released by suggested temperature is
urban areas surfaces, great between 23.5°C (74.3 °F) and 25.5 °C (77.9 °F),
with few trees amounts of and airflow velocity of 0.18 m/s. In the winter,
and vegetation heat generated the recommended temperature is between 21.0
and 23.0 degrees Celsius with an airflow velocity
to block solar by air
of 0.15 m/s.
radiation or conditioning In tropical areas of Brazil, urbanization is causing
carry out systems of a phenomenon called
evapo densely (UHI). These are urban areas, which have risen
transpiration, packed over the thermal comfort limits due to a large
many buildings and influx of people and only drop within the
structures with large amount comfortable range during the rainy season.
a large of automobile
proportion of traffic
roofs and generating
sidewalks with heat from
low reflectivity engines and
37
• Thermal Mass The use of thermal mass in shelter dates back to the
dawn of humans, and until recently has been the prevailing strategy for
building climate control in hot regions.
•Thermal mass refers to materials that have the capacity to store thermal
energy for extended periods.Thermal mass can be used effectively to
absorb daytime heat gains (reducing cooling load) and release the heat
during the night (reducing heat load). Egyptian mud-brick storage rooms
(3200 years old). and technique of thermal mass spine
Slow rate of indoor
heating in summer
(minimize solar gain).
Fast rate of indoor cooling
and ventilation in summer
evenings.
Higher indoor
temperatures during the
day in winter.
Slow release of stored
heat during winter night.
Thermal masonry materials, DECREMENT FACTOR
Properties of regardless of its
type (concrete, DF is the product of the heat capacity (Q) and
Materials brick, stone, and the resistance (R) to heat
earth). Heat capacity per unit area (QA) is multiplied
The basic Material by the resistance to heat flow of that area (
properties that Density(kg where QA=thickness*density*specific heat,
indicate the /m3) R=thickness/conductivity).
thermal behavior Concrete
DFA (DF per area) of a composite wall is the
of materials are: 600-2200 sum of QAR value of each layer transmission.
density (p), specific Stone
heat (cm), and The DF is representative of the effective
1900- thermal capacity of a building., including the
conductivity (k). 2500
outside and inside air layers, is calculated in
The specific heat Bricks
sequence. The QAR for each layer is calculated
for most masonry 1500- from the external wall to the center of the
materials is similar 1900 section in question, thus:
(about 0.2- Earth QAiRi= (cm*l*p)i*(R0+R1+…+0.5Ri)
0.25Wh/kgC). 1000-
Thus, the total 1500
For a composite surface of n layers,
heat storage DFA=QA1R1+QA2R2+…QAnRn .
(uncompressed)
capacity is a Earth A high DF indicates a high thermal inertia of
function of the 1700- the building and results in a strong
total mass of suppression of the interior temp swing.
 Example DF Calculations

Wall 1: exterior
insulation

outside Thermal inside

mass

DF = 43.8
Wall 2: interior
insulation

outside Thermal inside

mass

DF = 7.8
The DHC is a measure of the
building’s capacity to absorb

(Diurnal Heat Capacity)

solar energy coming into the
interior of the space, and to
release the heat to the
interior during the night
hours.
DHC of a material is a function
of building material’s density,
specific heat, conductivity, and
thickness. DHC of a building is
calculated by summing the
DHC values of each surface
exposed to the interior air.
DHCper area=F1s

DHC for a material increases initially with thickness, then falls

off at around 5”. This behavior reflects the fact that after a
certain thickness, some of the heat transferred to the surface
will be contained in the mass rather than returned to the room
during a 24 hour period.
 Building with core insulation inside two
DF and DHC Examples layers of mass.Here the DF is a function of
mostly the interior mass and the amount of
Building which is dampen the
insulation, and the DHC is a function on the
externally insulated with temperature swing, but
interior mass. The external mass influences
internal exposed if the building is
heat loss and gain by affecting the delta T
mass.Here, both DF and ventilated, the effect of
across the insulation.
DHC are high. When the the mass will be
Relative values of DF indicate the thermal
building is ventilated at negated.With solar gain,
capacity of the building when a building is
night and closed during the inside temperature
affected mostly by heat flow across the
the day, it can absorb will rise quickly, as the
opaque parts of the envelope (i.e., when it
the heat in the mass insulation prevents
is unventilated, and when solar gain is small
with relatively small absorption of the
relative to the total heat transfer through
indoor temperature rise.energy by the mass.
the building envelope).
Best for hot-dry regions.
Building with mass Relative values of DHC, on the other hand,
Building with high mass insulated indicate the thermal capacity for buildings
insulated externally and internally.Here, both the where solar gain is considerable. The DHC
internally. Here, the DF is and DHC are low. also is a measure of how much “coolth” the
building has a high DF, The mass will store building can store during the night in a night
but a negligible DHC, as energy and release ventilated building.
the interior insulation energy mostly to the Both measures indicate the amount of
separates the mass from exterior, and the interior temperature swing that can be
the interior. When the thermal response is expected based on outdoor temperatures
building is closed and similar to a low mass (higher values indicate less swing).
the solar gain is building.
 Absorption and Emission
•Absorptivity (a) and emissivity (e) are
properties of a material which determine
radiant exchange of a surface with its
a=0.2 a=0.6
environment. Exact values depend on
wavelength.
•Absorptivity is the main factor in
determining the temperature response to
short-wave (solar) radiation, and is
dependent largely by color.
Tsol-air= To + (a*I/fo) - LWR where I is the incident solar
radiation, fo is the external surface conductance, and
LWR is a function of the long-wave radiation to the
sky (~6o for clear sky, 0o for cloudy sky).

•Emissivity is the main factor which

determines the response to long wave
(thermal) radiation. Generally e = 0.9 for
non-metallic surfaces.
•UV: <400nm Visible: 400-760nm Infared: 760-3000nm
•Thermal: 3000-20,000nm Metals e=0.05 Radiation =f(e,A,T4)
THERMAL there are use of cavities, SOLAR GAIN solar radiation THERMAL
CONDUCTIVIT exceptions. this can be FACTOR. expressed as a BALANCE
Y (or K value). The enhanced by RADIATION fraction of the Qi+Qs ±Qc±Qv
It is the temperature use of GAIN= Ts-To= I x incident solar ±Qm-Qe=0
measurement difference aluminum foil a/fo radiation. Its Internal HG,
of the rate of between the freely inside Ts= sol-air temp value should Solar HG,
the heat flow two surfaces is the cavity. To=outside air not exceed 0,04 ConductiveHG,
through unit 1 deg C, The temp in warm humid HG by
area of unit unit of U VALUE I=Radiation climates or ventilation, HG
thickness of measurement (Transmittanc intensity in 0.03 in hot dry by mechanical
the material , is W/m2degC e) and K W/m2 seasons of systems,
when there is VALUE a= absorbance of composite Evaporative
a unit RESISTANCE (Conductivity)the surface climates, when heat loss.
temperature OF MULTI differ in the fo=surface ventilation is
difference LAYERED fact that conductance reduced.
between the BODY Transmittance (outside ) CONDUCTION
two sides. R=Σb/k is measured ,W/m2degC Qs = AXUx∆T
Light weight b=thickness of on the closest Extra heat flow
Qs = conduction
materials tend material, K= surface next toq= U x (I x a/fo)
heat flow rate
to be more Thermal the material SOLAR GAIN
in W ;A=
porous and Conductivity concerned. FACTOR q/I It is surface area U=
have less The resistance U=1/R the heat flow transmittance
conductivity. can be rate due to (W/m2 Deg C)
However improved by