Advances In Passive Cooling

This book offers the latest knowledge and techniques on passive cooling, enabling building professionals to understand the state of the art and employ relevant new strategies in order to create comfortable environments. Passive cooling is increasingly being thought of as the best alternative to air conditioning, and this book offers a comprehensive look at the various ways in which it can be used to achieve this goal. Chapters cover topics such as comfort, urban microclimate, solar control, ventilation, ground cooling, and evaporative and radiative cooling, making it an essential resource for architects, engineers, and students working on building physics and low-energy design.

Following a rapid increase in the use of air conditioning in buildings of all types, the energy demand for powering such devices has become a significant cause for concern. Passive cooling is increasingly being thought of as the best alternative to air conditioning. This book offers the latest knowledge and techniques on passive cooling, enabling building professionals to understand the state of the art and employ relevant new strategies. With separate chapters on comfort, urban microclimate, solar control, ventilation, ground cooling and evaporative and radiative cooling, this authoritative text will also be invaluable for architects, engineers and students working on building physics and low-energy design. Advances in Passive Cooling is part of the BEST series, edited by Mat Santamouris. The aim of the series is to present the most current, high quality theoretical and application oriented material in the field of solar energy and energy efficient buildings. Leading international experts cover the strategies and technologies that form the basis of high-performance, sustainable buildings, crucial to enhancing our built and urban environment. Review: 'For all those who have been unlucky enough to have roasted in ill-designed buildings, for all those who work for this not to happen, and for many more this is important and useful reading.' Alexandros N. Tombazis, Architect, Greece 'The air-conditioning industry has sold comfort as a commodity. This book not only challenges their concept of comfort but examines the ways and means that we can produce comfortable environments at minimal energy cost and hence fight global warming.' Professor Michael Wilson, Director of the Low Energy Architecture Research Unit, London Metropolitan University, UK 'This book goes back to the basic physics of human comfort and explains why many answers can be found in today's best building technologies, before relying on energy dependent devices and gadgets.' Eduardo De Oliveira Fernandes, Professor at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Portugal 'The book is essential reading for building design professionals.' Architectural Science Review