Passive cooling house tips for tropical climates

Here\’s a very handy fact sheet made by the Australian government, that \”examines ways to design and modify homes to achieve summer comfort through passive cooling\”. It lists the following climate-specific design principles we should take note of in coming up with our Nuvali home designs:

(Image from YourHome.gov.au)

In high humid (tropical) climates:

• High humidity levels limit the body’s ability to lose heat by evaporation of perspiration.
• Sleeping comfort is a significant issue – especially during periods of high humidity.
• Design eaves and shading to permanently exclude solar access to rooms. [See: 4.4 Shading]
• Consider shading the whole building with a fly roof. [See: 4.4 Shading]
• Maximise shaded external wall areas and exposure to (and funneling of) cooling breezes through the building.
• Use single room depths where possible with maximum shaded openings to enhance cross ventilation and heat removal.
• Design unobstructed cross ventilation paths.
• Provide hot air ventilation at ceiling level for all rooms with spinnaways, shaded opening clerestorey windows or ridge vents.
• Shade outdoor areas around the house with planting and shade structures to lower ground temperatures.
• Use insulation solutions that minimise heat gain during the day and maximise heat loss at night. Advanced reflective insulation systems and reflective air spaces can be effective.
  [See: 4.8 Insulation Installation]
• Choose windows with maximum opening areas (louvres or casement) and avoid fixed glass panels.
• Include ceiling fans to create air movement during still periods.
• Consider using whole of house fans with smart switching to draw cooler outside air into the house at night when there is no breeze.
• Use low thermal mass construction generally. (Note: high mass construction can be beneficial in innovative, well considered design solutions).
• Use planting design to funnel cooling breezes and filter strong winds. (Appropriate in all cooling climates).

Read more on YourHome.gov.au.  Found on Sustainable Living Philippines (which is also a good page to bookmark).