Selection of suitable passive cooling strategy for a subtropical climate

Abstract

Background: Passive cooling system has become an attractive option to design and modify homes to achieve thermal comfort. The system provides cooling through the use of passive processes, which often use heat flow paths that do not exist in conventional or bioclimatic buildings. Methods: Six different cities namely Rockhampton, Brisbane, Mackay, Townsville, Charleville and Mount Isa in the hot and humid subtropical climatic zone in Queensland, Australia have been considered for this study. Two main climatic factors such as the temperature and the relative humidity of those cities over a period of around 50 years have been taken into account in order to select the appropriate passive cooling strategy for a specific location. Results: Results show that the passive cooling strategy of natural ventilation would be suitable for Rockhampton, Brisbane, Mackay and Townsville whereas high thermal mass would be appropriate for Mackay and Townsville. Conclusion: The procedure of selecting an appropriate passive cooling strategy has been developed for the residences and buildings in a hot and humid subtropical climate. It would be applicable for all buildings with internal heat gains of a hot and humid subtropical climate and will encourage the inhabitants to design the building considering their local climatic conditions.