Optimizing Wind Power for Energy Efficient Building Design in Tropical Hot-humid Climate of Malaysia

Abstract

Being a member of the Kyoto Protocol, Malaysia is obligated to initiate programs to reduce global warming according to its own availability of indigenous resources. It is to explore and optimize whatever possibilities that can be contributed from its domestic region. Several initiatives have been taken to capitalize on what Malaysia is abundant with and one of its renewable resources is solar energy. It has been reported that to rely on wind energy would be futile because of the characteristics of wind in tropical climates are unpredictable, erratic and multi-directions. Several design strategies have been attempted to encourage air movement into Malaysian buildings but because of the nature of its climate where the average diurnal range is low, indoor air movement has to be induced by electric fan or air-conditioning. However, thus consumes a lot of electricity every month. This is clearly not good to reduce global warming. This paper explores of what extent can wind or air movement be contribute and be better utilized as an alternative energy to achieve Malaysia’s initiative to meet the Kyoto Protocol requirements