Rising temperatures spell bright future for passive cooling
Efficient building design is critical to creating cooler spaces, writes Muhammad Obaid
According to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), 2016 was officially the warmest year on record, and 2017 isn’t expected to be much better. The Middle East and the UAE have also been experiencing hot summers year after year. The highest maximum temperature ever recorded in the region was in June 2010, which was 52 degrees Celsius.
Such high temperatures affect energy conservation as well. But the good news is that by creating cooler living and working spaces, the impact of rising temperatures could be lessened. All you need is an efficient building design.
When designing buildings, it’s important to deliver something appealing and functional that complements the surrounding spaces. In a place like the UAE, the primary consideration must be to make the space comfortable.
Passive cooling in building design must be implemented on heat gain control to improve indoor thermal comfort with little or no additional energy consumption.
One approach is to use panels made of phenolic materials or to invest in nanotechnology paints, which reduce internal heat and therefore energy consumption. An added benefit of this solution is that it also purifies the air naturally.
Apart from interior cooling approaches, it’s also essential to focus on the larger outdoor environment. Research by engineers at Stanford University led to the invention of a revolutionary coating material that can help cool buildings even on very sunny days. Known as photonic radiative cooling, the ultra-thin, multi-layered material acts as a highly efficient mirror that reflects virtually all the incoming sunlight that strikes it, and ultimately helps radiate heat away from buildings.
Implementing innovative solutions such as photonic radiative cooling in the Middle East is one of the best ways to create a cooler environment passively, and it’s something the industry should start implementing as soon as possible.
Muhammad Obaid is the founder of EMKAAN.
Source: ME Construction News
