Passive Design Strategies

ENERGY CONSERVATION:
1. Energy conservation has been the important environmental issue.

2. Buildings are the major consumers of energy.
3. They consume energy from the initial design stage to demolition.
USE OF PASSIVE DESIGN STRATEGIES
Passive design takes advantage of the climate to maintain a comfortable

temperature range in buildings. Passive design can reduce or eliminate the
need for auxiliary heating or cooling.
The main aspects that contribute to passive design are,
1. Design for climate.

2. Orientation
3. Shading
4. Passive cooling
5. Skylighting
DESIGN FOR CLIMATE:
 The impact of climate change in terms of higher temperature is twofold.

 The warmer temperature outdoor affects the indoor temperature and the
thermal comfort conditions.
 Hence in such climatic conditions, heating energy requirements are
lowered and cooling energy requirements are increased.
 Human thermal comfort is an important part of design in passive design.
Local Climatic Research should study,
 Temperature range, both seasonal and diurnal.

 Humidity ranges
 Direction of cooling breeze, hot winds, cold winds, wet winds.
 Seasonal characteristics
 Impact of local geographical features on climatic conditions
 Impact of existing buildings and existing landscapes.
ORIENTATION:
 The ideal positioning of the building is along the sun’s path and the
prevailing wind direction.
 The climate is warming day by day, hence hotter summers will be the
norm during the life span.
 Though heating is necessary in cold climatic conditions, priority will shift
from heating to cooling. Hence, natural cooling is required in all climatic
zones in the future.
 In hot humid climatic zones, with no heating requirements,
 Exclude direct sun by trees.
 Use adjoining buildings to shade every facade.
 Capture and funnel cool breeze.
SHADING:
 By shading a building and outdoor spaces, we can reduce summer

temperature, improve comfort and save energy.
 Different elements for shading can be sunshades, louvers, pergolas, trees,
vegetation etc.
 Evergreen plants should be used on hot humind climatic zones.
PASSIVE COOLING:
 Passive cooling has to be concentrated on the two different elements.

 Cooling people
 Cooling buildings
 Cooling people may be done through psychological and physiological
ways.
 Coolings buildings:
To minimize heat gain,
 Shade window, walls, roofs.
 Use light coloured roofs to reflect heat.
 Use insulation/buffer zones.
 Make selective and limited use of thermal mass.
To maximise heat loss,
 Air movement
 Cooling breeze
 Evaporation
 Earth coupling
 Reflection of radiation.
SKYLIGHTING:
 Roof windows
 Sky-dome
 Tubular skylights
Design strategies for Hot Humid Climatic Zones
Site Selection:
(a) Landform:
- The consideration of landform is immaterial for a flat site.

- Sloped and depressed sites - the building should be located on the
windward side or crest to take advantage of cool breezes.
(b) Water Bodies: Since humidity is high in these regions, water bodies are not
essential.
(c) Open spaces and built form:
- Buildings should be spread out with large open spaces for unrestricted air
movement.
- In cities, buildings on stilts can promote ventilation and cause cooling at the
ground level.
(d) Path width and orientation:
- Major Paths should be oriented parallel to or within 30º of the prevailing wind
direction during summer months to encourage ventilation in warm and humid
regions.
- A north-south direction is ideal from the point of view of blocking solar
radiation.
- The width of the streets should be such that the intense solar radiation during
late morning and early afternoon is avoided in summer.
Plan form:
- Free plans can be evolved as long as the house is under protective shade.
- An unobstructed air path through the interiors is important.

- The buildings could be long and narrow to allow cross-ventilation. For
example, a singly loaded corridor plan (i.e. rooms on one side only) can be
adopted instead of a doubly loaded one.
- Heat and moisture producing areas must be ventilated and separated from
the rest of the structure.
- Semi open spaces such as balconies, verandahs and porches can be used
advantageously for Day-time activities.
- In multi-storeyed buildings a central courtyard can be provided with vents at
higher levels to draw away the rising hot air.
Site landscape – landscape deviates the air movement , hence buildings to

be raised on stilts.
- Plant species to filter breeze to be selected.
- Doors & windows as large as possible. Positioned to encourage air
movement & Covered by shading devices.
ROOFS:
- In addition to providing shelter from rain and heat, the form of the roof should
be planned to promote air flow.
- Vents at the roof top effectively induce ventilation and draw hot air out.
- As diurnal temperature variation is low, insulation not required.

- However, very thin roofs having low thermal mass, such as asbestos cement
(AC) sheet roofing, do require insulation as they tend to rapidly radiate heat
into the interiors during daytime.
- A double roof with a ventilated space in between can also be used to
promote air flow.
- A Sloped roof is predominantly used – due to high rainfall.
- Walls must also be designed to promote air flow.

- Baffle walls, both inside and outside the building can help to divert the flow of
wind inside.
-They should be protected from the heavy rainfall prevalent in such areas.
- If adequately sheltered, exposed brick walls and mud plastered walls work
very well by absorbing the humidity and helping the building to breathe.
- Insulation – not required.
FENESTRATIONS - VENTILATION :
- Cross-ventilation is important in the warm and humid regions.

- All doors and windows are preferably kept open for maximum ventilation for
most of the year.
- These must be provided with Venetian blinds or louvres to shelter the rooms
from the sun and rain, as well as for the control of air movement.
- Openings of a comparatively smaller size can be placed on the windward

side, while the corresponding openings on the leeward side may be bigger for
facilitating a plume effect for natural ventilation.
- A few examples illustrating how the air movement within a room can be
better distributed.
- Outlets at higher levels serve to vent hot air .

- The openings should be shaded by external overhangs.
- Desiccant cooling can be used.
COLOUR & TEXTURE :
- The walls should be painted with light pastel shades or whitewashed.

- roof can be of broken glazed tile (china mosaic flooring).
- Both techniques help to reflect the sunlight back to the ambient, and hence
reduce heat gain of the building.
- The use of appropriate colours and surface finishes is a cheap and very
effective technique to
- The use of appropriate colours and surface finishes is
a cheap and very effective technique to lower indoor temperatures.
- Surface finish should be protected from/ resistant to the effects of moisture,
as this can otherwise lead to growth of mould and result in the decay of
building elements.

Passive Design Strategies

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Passive Design Strategies

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Passive Design Strategies

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ENERGY CONSERVATION:

1. Energy conservation has been the important environmental issue.

USE OF PASSIVE DESIGN STRATEGIES

Passive design takes advantage of the climate to maintain a comfortable

The main aspects that contribute to passive design are,

1. Design for climate.

DESIGN FOR CLIMATE:

 The impact of climate change in terms of higher temperature is twofold.

Local Climatic Research should study,

 Temperature range, both seasonal and diurnal.

 By shading a building and outdoor spaces, we can reduce summer

 Passive cooling has to be concentrated on the two different elements.

Design strategies for Hot Humid Climatic Zones

- The consideration of landform is immaterial for a flat site.

(d) Path width and orientation:

- An unobstructed air path through the interiors is important.

Site landscape – landscape deviates the air movement , hence buildings to

- As diurnal temperature variation is low, insulation not required.

- A Sloped roof is predominantly used – due to high rainfall.

- Walls must also be designed to promote air flow.

- Cross-ventilation is important in the warm and humid regions.

- Openings of a comparatively smaller size can be placed on the windward

- Outlets at higher levels serve to vent hot air .

COLOUR & TEXTURE :

- The walls should be painted with light pastel shades or whitewashed.

You might also like