Passive Cooling Strategies in the hot climate: a review study

Abstract

Recently, passive cooling strategies have gained more attention as an alternate method of cooling and ventilating indoor areas as part of a push toward more sustainable architecture. Passive cooling relies on free and sustainable energy sources such as the sun and wind to provide the necessary cooling, ventilation, and lighting for buildings to provide a comfortable indoor environment, therefore, the electrical energy that required for mechanical cooling can be reduced. The studies showed that these solutions have the potential to save good amount of building's cooling energy annually -about 23.6%-, depending on building type, construction materials, windows’ area and other specifications. In spite of that, the specifications need to be implemented and well-designed in an integrated system. This paper aims to review and discuss the possible passive cooling strategies that can be implemented in the hot-humid climate as a step towards decreasing energy consumption. A review of the literature has been done by searching for the appropriate keywords. It was found that many studies have highlighted the significance of using several types of passive cooling strategies for enhancing thermal comfort inside the buildings in the hot-humid climate, while some other strategies are not recommended. Protecting the buildings from direct solar radiation and applying natural ventilation to the buildings are the most effective passive cooling strategies that can be used in the hot-humid climate. The study recommended to review the appropriateness of several types of passive cooling strategies in different types of climates to highlight the most appropriate passive cooling strategies for each type of climate. Keywords: Passive cooling, Natural ventilation, Green building, Thermal comfort, Building sustainability.