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ENERGY EFFICIENT ARCHITECTURAL

PRACTICES IN INDIA

M.ARCH. SEMINAR REPORT


AR-800

By

SHASHI KANT SINGH


(Roll Number: 13M801)

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
HAMIRPUR (HP) - 177005, INDIA
November, 2014
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Index

Aim
Objectives
Research Methodology
Literature Review
Case studies
Conclusion

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1.1 Aim:
To find out suitable heating/cooling passive systems which can optimize indoor
temperatures for a certain climate in India w.r.t. Thermal Comfort.
1.2. Objectives:

Analysis of available passive building systems in India.

Understanding principles and properties of different passive systems available.

Finding Relationship of passive design systems with different climates in India

1.3. Research Methodology:

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2. Literature review:
2.1 Energy
Energy is a property of objects, transferable among them via fundamental interactions,
which can be converted in form but not created or destroyed. The joule is the SI unit
of energy, based on the amount transferred to an object by the mechanical work of
moving it 1 meter against a force of 1 newton.
Work and heat are two categories of processes or mechanisms that can transfer a given
amount of energy. The second law of thermodynamics limits the amount of work that
can be performed by energy that is obtained via a heating processsome energy is
always lost as waste heat. The maximum amount that can go into work is called the
available energy. Systems such as machines and living things often require available
energy, not just any energy. Mechanical and other forms of energy can be transformed
in the other direction into thermal energy without such limitations.
2.2 Sectorial Energy demand in India (As per International Energy Agency)
Sectorial energy demand reflects the economic structure of a country. In 1990, the
building sector was Indias largest energy consumer, representing 42% of Indias total
primary energy demand (TPED).The share of buildings dropped to 29% in 2009 and
will decrease to about 18% in 2035. (Figure 1)

Figure 1.Sectorial Energy Demand, India


2.3 Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is a way of managing and restraining the growth in energy
consumption. Something is more energy efficient if it delivers more services for the
same energy input, or the same services for less energy input. For example, when a
compact florescent light (CFL) bulb uses less energy (one-third to one-fifth) than an
incandescent bulb to produce the same amount of light, the CFL is considered to be
more energy efficient.
2.4 Renewable Energy Resources:
Renewable energy is any energy resource that is naturally regenerated over a short
time scale and derived directly from the sun (such as thermal, photochemical, and
photoelectric), indirectly from the sun (such as wind, hydropower, and photosynthetic
energy stored in biomass), or from other natural movements and mechanisms of the
environment (such as geothermal and tidal energy). Renewable energy does not
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include energy resources derived from fossil fuels, waste products from fossil sources,
or waste products from inorganic sources. Renewable energy resources may be used
directly, or used to create other more convenient forms of energy. Most renewable
forms of energy, other than geothermal and tidal power, ultimately derive from solar
energy. Energy from biomass derives from plant material produced by photosynthesis
using the power of the sun. Wind energy derives from winds, which are generated by
the sun's uneven heating of the atmosphere. Hydropower depends on rain which again
depends on sunlight's power to evaporate water.

Waves

Figure 2.Renewable Energy Resources

2.5 Energy Efficiency in Buildings


Energy usage in a building can be categorized in the following subheads:
1. Construction Process Energy
2. Embodied Energy in Building Materials
3. Operational Energy
4. Maintenance Energy
Energy Resource efficiency in new construction can be affected by adopting an
integrated approach to building design.
1. Incorporate solar passive techniques in a building design to minimize load on
conventional systems (Heating ,cooling ,Ventilation ,and lighting)
2. Design Energy Efficient lighting and HVAC (Heating , Ventilation and air
conditioning ) Systems
3. Use renewable energy systems (solar photovoltaic systems / solar water heater
systems) to meet a part of building load.
4. Use low energy materials and methods of construction and reduce
transportation energy.
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Architects can achieve energy efficiency in the buildings they design by studying the
macro and microclimate of the site , applying bioclimatic architecture principles to
combat the adverse conditions .A few common design elements that directly or
indirectly affect thermal comfort conditions and thereby the energy consumption in
the buildings are listed below:

Orientation
Landscaping
Location of water bodies
Ratio of built-form to open spaces
Plan form
Building envelope and fenestration

1. Orientation: The placement of the building in north-south direction, reduces the


heat energy input in the building, increases overall ventilation and provide thermal
comfort to the building.
2. Landscaping: Landscaping alters the microclimate of the site. It reduces direct sun
from striking the building & heating up the building surfaces.
3. Location of water bodies: Water is a very good modifier of microclimate. It takes
up large amount of heat in evaporation and causes significant cooling in hot and dry
climate. On the other hand, in humid climates, water should be avoided as it adds to
humidity.
4. Ratio of built form to open spaces: The volume of space inside a building that
needs to be heated or cooled and its relationship with the area of the envelope
enclosing the volume affects the thermal performance of the building. For any given
building volume, the more compact the shape, the less wasteful it is in gaining/ losing
heat. Also, the building form determines the airflow pattern around the building,
directly affecting its ventilation.
5. Plan form: The ideal building form is greatly influenced by the local climate. The
building form can minimize heat loss or gain, affect maximum day lighting, and
maximize natural ventilation.

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Source:Norbert Lechner , Heating , Cooling, Lighting 4th Edition ,

Figure 3. Trends in Plan form according to climatic conditions


6. Building Envelope and fenestration:

External wall
Thermal insulation
Building material
Roof
Windows
Size
Orientation
Shading device
Natural ventilation
Daylight

a. External Walls: Mathur and Chand (2003) believe that thermal resistance of a
wall can be increased by introducing an air cavity. Similarly, Mallick (1996)
asserts that variation in wall thickness can make a considerable difference in
the comfort level of houses in tropical climates. The field measurements and
computational energy simulations to examine the effectiveness of passive
climate control methods such as facade construction in a typical 14 storey
residential building of Singapore by Wong and Li (2007) depict similar views
as of Mallick (1996). Wong and Li (2007) from their study concluded that the
use of thicker construction on east and west external walls can reduce the solar
radiation heat gain and hence, the cooling load can be reduced by 7%-10 %
when the thickness of external wall is doubled (229 mm concrete hollow block
instead of 114 mm concrete hollow block).
b. Thermal Insulation: Tham (1993) in his study of various energy conservation
strategies obtained results that do not encourage wall insulation. His study
concludes that by adding 50 mm of polystyrene as wall insulation, only 1.7 %
reduction in total energy use is achieved. He also suggests that if savings in
operation cost were compared to the cost of installation, wall insulation would
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not be economically feasible. This finding, yet again conflicts with the results
of Bolatturk (2008) and Cheung (2005).
c. Building Materials: Gut and Ackerknecht (1993) recommend using the
following building materials in tropical climates:
1. Burnt clay bricks can be used in tropical climates because they have good
thermal resistance and good regulating property against humidity.
2. Timber has good thermal resistance and is a good regulator of humidity.
3. Matting of bamboo, grass and leaves are good because they are not airtight
and allow proper ventilation.
Embodied Energy is the sum of all the energy required to produce any goods
or services, considered as if that energy was incorporated or 'embodied' in the
product itself. Low embodied energy construction is preferred which can be
done by using:
Local/regional Materials (within 500km range as per GRIHA)
Recycled Materials/ construction waste
Low energy materials
Rapidly renewable materials
d. Roof: The roof is an important element of design when it comes to conserving
energy because this part of the building receives most of the solar radiation and
its shading is not easy. Vijay Kumar et al. (2007) claim that Indian concrete
roofs in single or two storey buildings with 150 mm thickness of reinforced
cement concrete (RCC) and a weathering course (WC) having 75100 mm
thick lime brick mortar, account for about 50%- 70% of total heat transmitted
into the occupant zone and are responsible for the major portion of electricity
bill in air-conditioned buildings. Naharand Sharma in Tang and Etzion (2004),
Vijay Kumar et al. (2007) and Alvarado and Martinez (2008) conclude that the
heat entering into the building structure through roof is the major cause for
discomfort in case of non-air-conditioned building or the major load for the
air-conditioned building.
Alvarado and Martinez (2008) studied the impact of a simple and passive
cooling system in reducing thermal loads of one- storied roofs. Their results
demonstrate that the aluminum polyurethane insulation system with an
optimal orientation reduces the midpoint temperature of a cement-based roof
significantly. The results also exhibit that the roof insulation system can reduce
the typical thermal load by over 70% while effectively controlling thermal
fluctuations.
e. Windows:
e.1. Size: Openings are important design elements for admitting daylight, air
flow, providing cross ventilation and views. Gut and Ackerknecht (1993)
recommend that windows should be large and fully openable, with inlets of a
similar size on opposite walls for proper cross-ventilation in tropical climates.
Liping et al. (2007) claim that ventilation and indoor air quality can be
improved by increasing the window to wall ratios (WWR), but it would also
increase solar heat gain. There has always been a conflict with daylight
provision and exclusion of solar penetration in designing windows.
e.2. Orientation: Gut and Ackerknecht (1993) note that openings in hot and
humid regions should be placed according to the prevailing breeze so that air
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can flow through the internal space. However, this is difficult to achieve in
multi-unit housing.
e.3. Shading Device: Cheung et al. (2005) studied the effects of shading
devices (overhangs and wing walls) along with five other passive design
strategies on the cooling load for an apartment. The length of the overhang and
wing wall were 1.5 meters each. Their results suggest that the longer the
shading, the greater the reductions in both annual required cooling energy and
peak cooling load. They concluded that the use of such shadings, achieved
savings of approximately 5% in annual required cooling energy. However,
according to Mowla (1985), the length of shading devices depends on the
orientations, width of the opening, height of the openings, horizontal shadow
angle (characterizes a vertical shading device) and vertical shadow angle
(characterizes a horizontal shading device). Hence, it is not reasonable to
conclude that shading devices should have arbitrary lengths in general for all
orientations.
Wong and Li (2007) used horizontal shading devices of lengths 0.3m, 0.6m
and 0.9 m on both east and west facades of 14-storied building to study the
effect on cooling load. Their results show that 3%, 7% and 10% energy can be
saved by using 0.3 m, 0.6 m and 0.9 m respectively on east facades of the
studied building. Similarly, 3%, 6% and 9% energy can be saved by using 0.3
m, 0.6 m and 0.9 m respectively on west facades of the studied building. This
study by Wong and Li (2007) considers east and west orientations but does not
consider other parameters such as width of the opening, height of the openings,
horizontal shadow angle and vertical shadow angle.
e.4. Natural ventilation: Ventilation is the movement of air. According to
Watson & Labs (1983), ventilation has three useful functions in the building
sector. It is used to:
1. Satisfy the fresh air needs of the occupants
2. Increase the rate of evaporative and sensible heat loss from the body
3. Cool the building interior by an exchange of warm indoor air by cooler
outdoor air.
Watson & Labs, 1983 explain that natural ventilation can be generated by the
following two forces:
1. Temperature difference between the outdoors and the indoors (thermal
force). When a mass of air inside the room is heated, it expands and becomes
less dense and rises. If openings are provided at different heights on the
buildings envelope, the indoor pressure is higher at the upper opening and
lower at the lower opening. These pressure differences generate an inward
flow at the lower opening and an outward flow at the upper one. When thermal
forces discharge air from a building, the action is termed as stack effect.
2. Wind flow against the building (wind pressure force). As wind blows against
a building, the air in front of the building is compressed and creates a pressure
zone. The air next to the leeward wall and above the roof expands and the
pressure is reduced, creating a suction zone. These pressure differences
between any two points on the buildings envelope determine the possibility
for ventilation when openings are provided at these points (driving force) and
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if air can flow inside the building through openings with the higher pressure to
openings exposed to a zone with lower pressure. Cross- ventilation is defined
as the situation in which outdoor air can flow in through inlet openings,
located in the pressure zone, and flow out via outlet openings located in the
suction sections of the building
Guidelines for inducement of air motion for providing cross-ventilation as
recommended by various authors are compiled as follows:
There should be windows on opposite walls: one window should be on
windward wall and the other on leeward wall (Mathur & Chand, 2003).
However, as residential buildings in India are compact and not outward
oriented, all rooms do not have windows in opposite walls. In such cases, two
windows may be designed instead of a single window. Another possibility
might include a door on the opposite facade of a wall with the window to
promote cross-ventilation. However, it would not be as effective as having
two windows on opposite walls.
Windows located diagonally opposite to each other, with the windward
window near the upstream corner, perform better than other window
arrangements (Mathur & Chand, 2003). In typical residential buildings of
India, not all rooms are provided with windows on opposite. Even if they are,
as rooms are not very large (about 10 square metres) windows are placed in
the center of the facade because placement of furniture depends on window
location.

Figure 4 Orientation of openings, Source: Watson, D. & Labs, K. 1983.

Horizontal louvers like sunshades, over a window deflect the incident wind
upward and cause a reduction in air motion in the zone of occupancy .A
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horizontal slot between the wall and horizontal louver prevents upward
deflection of air and ensures a downward flow (Mathur & Chand, 2003).

Figure 5.Deflection by projecting slabs, Source: Gut, P. & Ackerknecht, D. 1993.

Jalousie or louvered windows facilitate nearly unrestricted air movement.


Louvered walls of wooden boards for example can also help facilitate airflow
when used as interior partitions. A louvered door is ideal for porches, exterior
rooms and spaces where openness is desirable without sacrificing security.
Jalousie windows offer two advantages. One, it offers almost unrestricted
openness in unbolted position and second, they restrict rain penetration
(Watson & Labs, 1983). Louvered windows were used in traditional buildings
of India. They are no longer used today because of the costs involved.
Louvers can be made of opaque glass or aluminium to reduce costs. Louvers
of aluminium frame or screen walls can be used on the part on the window
that stretches to the beam in case of big windows that extend either from
skirting to beam or sill to beam. The louvered openings below the beam can
allow discharge of heated air by thermal force known as stack effect.

Figure 6. Louvered door, Source: Watson, D. & Labs, K. 1983.

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Figure 7.Benefit of jalousie window: unrestricted openness in open position,


Source: Watson, D. & Labs, K. 1983.

Figure 8. Benefit of jalousie window: restrict rain penetration,


Source: Watson, D. & Labs, K. 1983.

Roof overhangs help air motion in the working zone inside buildings (Watson
& Labs, 1983). However, this is only possible on the top most storey.

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Figure 9. Benefit of roof overhang, Source: Watson, D. & Labs, K. 1983.

Wall projections such as fin, wing wall can be used to direct wind flow into
particular areas. (Watson & Labs, 1983). Compared to roof overhangs, fins
seem to be more effective because they direct air flow in all floors. However,
they might not always be easy to plan.

Figure 10. Wing wall outside window, Source: Watson, D. & Labs, K. 1983.

Parapets create greater ventilating-driving pressure by increasing air-damming


action .They may also be used to divert airflow in the living zone (Watson &
Labs, 1983). This feature is effective only on the topmost floor, below the
roof. Remaining floors in the building shall not be benefitted from this design
feature.

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Figure 11. Air-damming action of parapet , Source: Watson, D. & Labs, K. 1983.

Balconies open on three sides is preferable as it can create an increase in air


movement for most of the orientations of building with respect to the incident
wind (Mathur & Chand, 2003).
e.5. Daylight: Krarti et al. (2005) conducted a simplified analysis method to
evaluate the potential of day lighting to save energy associated with electric
lighting use in commercial buildings. Performance of day lighting were
investigated for several combinations of building geometry, window opening
size, and glazing type for four geographical locations in the United States.
Their simulation results indicate that day lighting saves 31% of the total
annual energy use from the artificial lighting system.

http://web.utk.edu/~archinfo/Zero_Energy/images/SmartLab/dayl
ighting.jpg

Figure 12. Natural Daylighting Concepts

2.6 Bioclimatic architecture

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Bioclimatic architecture refers to the design of buildings and spaces (interior


/exterior / outdoor) based on local climate, aimed at providing thermal and visual
comfort, making use of solar energy and other environmental sources.
System, A set of things working together as parts of a mechanism or an
interconnecting network
Active system
(Source: Engineering Dictionary, NCRS Construction Dictionary)
A solar heating and/or cooling system that requires external mechanical power to
move the collected heat.
Passive system
(Source: Engineering Dictionary, NCRS Construction Dictionary)
An assembly of natural and architectural components which converts solar energy into
usable or storable heat without mechanical power; generally the building's structure
itself forms the solar system. Passive systems typically use large south-facing
windows to gather heat.
2.7 Passive Heating Concepts:
1. Direct solar gain system

In this system sunlight enters in the rooms through windows, warming the
interior space.

The glazing system generally located on the southern side to receive maximum
sunlight
During winter.

The glazing system is usually double glazed with insulating curtains to reduce
heat loss during night.

South facing glass admits solar energy into the building , wee it strikes
thermal storage
Materials such as floors or walls made of adobe, brick, concrete, stone, or
water.

The direct gain system uses 60%-70% of solar energy striking the windows.

2. Indirect solar gain system

In this system thermal mass is located between the sun and the living space

The thermal mass absorbs the sunlight that strikes it and transfers it to be
living space.

The indirect gain system uses 30-40% of the suns energy striking the glass
adjoining the thermal mass.

2.7.1 Indirect Solar Gain Systems


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1. Trombe Wall

A trombe wall is thermally massive wall with vents provided at the top and
bottom

It may be made of concrete, masonry, adobe and it is usually located on the


southern side.

The outer surface of the wall is usually painted black for maximizing
absorption and the wall is placed behind glazing with the air gap in between.

Indoor temperatures can be maintained at about 15 c when the outside


temperature is as low as -11 c(Source : Mazria 1979) .

The total area of the each row of vent is about 1% of the storage wall
area(Source: Levy , Evans, and Gardstein 1983)

Figure 13. Trombe Wall


2. Water Wall

Water Wall are based on the same principle as that for Trombe wall, except
that they employ water as the thermal storage material.

Heat Transfer through water walls is much faster than that for trombe walls.

3. Roof based air heating Systems

In this technique, incident solar radiation is trapped by the roof and is used for
heating Interior spaces.

The system usually consists of an inclined south facing glazing and a north
sloping insulated surface on the roof.

Between the roof and the insulation, an air pocket is formed which is heated by
the solar radiation

In Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative building south glazing is in the form of


solar collectors warming the air and a blower fan circulating the air to the
interior spaces.

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Figure 14. Roof based solar collector


4. Sunspaces

A sunspace o solarium is the combination of direct and indirect gain systems.

The basic requirement of buildings heated by the sunspace are:


a. glazed south faced collector space attached yet separated from the building
b. Living space separated from the sunspace by a thermal storage wall.

The Himurja building in Shimla has a well-designed solarium on the south


wall to maximize solar gains.

Figure 15. Sunspace/Solarium

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2.7.2 Passive Cooling Concepts

Passive cooling systems are least expensive means of cooling a home which
maximizes the efficiency of the building envelope without any use of
mechanical devices.

It rely on natural heat-sinks to remove heat from the building. They derive
cooling directly from evaporation, convection, and radiation without using any
intermediate electrical devices.

All passive cooling strategies rely on daily changes in temperature and relative
humidity.

The applicability of each system depends on the climatic conditions.

These design strategies reduce heat gains to internal spaces.

Earth Air Tunnels


Evaporative Cooling
Passive Down Draught Cooling
Roof Sprays

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Source:Passive Cooling , Research and Design, AIA , fall 1979, volume 2 ,


number 3

Figure 16.Various Design strategies of passive cooling for different comfort variables

a. Passive Ventilation

Outdoor breezes create air movement through the house interior by the 'pushpull' effect of positive air pressure on the windward side and negative pressure
(suction) on the leeward side.

In order to have a good natural ventilation, openings must be placed at


opposite pressure zones.

Also, designers often choose to enhance natural ventilation using tall spaces
called stacks in buildings

With openings near the top of stacks, warm air can escape whereas cooler air
enters the building from openings near the ground.

The windows, play a dominant role in inducing indoor ventilation due to wind
forces.

In most homes, exhausting the warm air quickly can be a problem.

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With the design of high ceilings throughout the breeze zone combined with
clerestory windows at the 14 ceiling height on three walls, the rising hot air is
allowed to escape which in turn does two things.

Firstly the rising air creates a low pressure zone on the cool mass floor, pulling
air along the floor from other areas of the house as well as any open doors.

Secondly the rising and escaping air creates an interior low pressure that
should pull in large volumes or exterior air from the patio doors.

Depending on the primary wind direction and which doors are opened relative
to time of day and shade, we can create a breeze of cooler incoming air.

Figure 17.Passive Ventilation system

b. Shading:

Solar control is a critical requirement for both cooling-load dominated and


passively solar-heated buildings.

The most effective method of cooling a building is to shade windows, walls


and roof of building from direct solar radiation.

Heavily insulated walls and roofs need less shading.

Can use overhangs on outside facade of the building.


Each project should be evaluated depending on its relative cooling needs:

Extend the overhang beyond the sides of the window to prevent solar gain
from the side.
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Use slatted or louvered shades to allow more daylight to enter, while shading
windows from direct sunlight.

Reduce solar heat gain by recessing windows into the wall.

Figure 18. Window Shading


c. Wind Towers:

Wind tower in
Jodhpur Hostel to
catch favorable cool
wind from southwest for passive
cooling

In a wind tower, the hot air enters the tower


through the openings in the tower, gets cooled,
and thus becomes heavier and sinks down.

The inlet and outlet of rooms induce cool air movement.

After a whole day of air exchanges, the tower becomes warm in the evenings.

During the night, cooler ambient air comes in contact with the bottom of the
tower through the rooms.

The tower walls absorb heat during daytime


Figure 19.Wind Tower
and release it at night, warming the cool night
air in the tower.

Warm air moves up, creating an upward draft, and draws cool night air
through the doors and windows into the building.

The system works effectively in hot and dry climates where fluctuations are
high.

A wind tower works well for individual units not for multistoried apartments.

In dense urban areas, the wind tower has to be long enough to be able to catch
enough air.

Also protection from driving rain is difficult.

d. Courtyard Effect:

Due to incident solar radiation in a courtyard, the air gets warmer and rises.

Cool air from the ground level flows through the louvered openings of rooms
surrounding a courtyard, thus producing air flow.

At night, the warm roof surfaces get cooled by convection and radiation.

If this heat exchange reduces roof surface temperature to wet bulb temperature
of air, condensation of atmospheric moisture occurs on the roof and the gain
due to condensation limits further cooling.
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Courtyard as a moderator of internal climate

Figure 20. Courtyard Effect

If the roof surfaces are sloped towards the internal courtyard, the
cooled air sinks into the court and enters the living space through
low-level openings, gets warmed up, and leaves the room through
higher-level openings.

Figure 21. Principles of Courtyard Design


e. Earth Air Tunnels:

Daily and annual temperature fluctuations decrease with the increase in depth
below the ground surface.

At a depth of about 4 m below ground, the temperature inside the earth


remains nearly constant round the year and is nearly equal to the annual
average temperature of the place.

A tunnel in the form of a pipe or otherwise embedded at a depth of about 4 m


below the ground will acquire the same temperature as the surrounding earth at
its surface.

Therefore, the ambient air ventilated through this tunnel will get cooled in
summer and warmed in winter and this air can be used for cooling in summer
and heating in winter.

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Figure 22. Earth air tunnel system

This technique has been used in the composite climate of Gurgaon in


RETREAT building.

The living quarters (the south block of RETREAT) are maintained at


comfortable temperatures (approx. 20-30 degree
PASSIVE SPACE
Celsius) round the year by the earth air tunnel
CONDITIONING USING
system, supplemented, whenever required, with a EARTH AIR TUNNEL
system of absorption chillers powered by liquefied SYSTEM
natural gas during monsoons and with an air
washer during dry summer.

Each room in the south block has a 'solar chimney; warm air rises and escapes
through the chimney, which creates an air current for the cooler air from the
underground tunnels to replace the warm air.

Two blowers installed in the tunnels speed up the process.

The same mechanism supplies warm air from the tunnel during winter.

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Figure 23. Earth air tunnel


systems with supplemented air
flow

f. Evaporative cooling:

Evaporative cooling lowers indoor air temperature by evaporating water.

It is effective in hot and dry climate where the atmospheric humidity is low.

In evaporative cooling, the sensible heat of air is used to evaporate water,


thereby cooling the air, which, in turn, cools the living space of the building.

Increase in contact between water and air increases the rate of evaporation.

The presence of a water body such as a pond, lake, and sea near the building or
a fountain in a courtyard can provide a cooling effect.

The most commonly used system is a desert cooler, which comprises water,
evaporative pads, a fan, and pump.
A TYPICAL SECTION SHOWING PASSIVE SOLAR FEATURES OF
WALMI BUILDING,BHOPAL

Figure 24.Evaporative Cooling

g. Passive Down Draught Cooling:

In this system, wind catchers guide outside air over water-filled pots, inducing
evaporation and causing a significant drop in temperature before the air enters
the interior.

Such wind catchers become primary elements of the architectural form also.

Passive downdraught evaporative cooling is particularly effective in hot and


dry climates. It has been used to effectively cool the Torrent Research Centre
in Ahmedabad.

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DETAILS OF THE PASSIVE DOWN DRAUGHT COOLING INLETS

Figure 25. Passive down draught cooling


h. Earth Sheltered Buildings

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Figure 26. .Earth sheltered building

i. Roof sprays

Figure 27. Roof spray concept


2.8.

Cumulative Representation of Building systems for Energy


Efficiency

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Use of renewable energy sources

Figure 28. Building Systems and energy efficiency

2.9.

Climatic Zones in India

ECBC 2007

Building Form

2.10.

Implications on Building Shape:

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2.12

. Preferred passive solar design features as per the climate

Cold
and
Cloudy

Cold
and
Sunny

Composit
e

Hot
and
dry

Moderat
e

Warm
and
Humid

Building
Orientation

Form and
Shape

Roof Spray
Earth
Sheltering

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Passive
down
draught
cooling

Evaporativ
e Cooling

Earth Air
Tunnels

Courtyard
Effect

Wind
Tower

Shading

Natural
Ventilation

Trombe
Wall/Water
wall

Roof
Collectors

Sunspaces

3. CASE STUDIES
3.1. INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE (IGP) COMPLEX, GULBARGA
Location: Gulbarga, Karnataka

Climate: Hot and dry

Brief description of the building:


This building is a ground and two-storeyed structure designed by Kembhavi
Architecture Foundation to house the offices of the Inspector General of Police,
Gulbarga. The building is constructed using innovative materials. For example, the
external walls are composite walls (i.e. granite blocks on the outer side and rat-trap
bond brick walls on the inner side) and the roof is made of filler slab. The U-values of
the walls and roof are 1.53 W/m2-K and 2.15 W/m2-K respectively. The building is
roughly rectangular with the longer axis along the north-south direction. Most
windows face east or west. A layout plan of the building is given in Fig. 29. As the
building is located in a hot and dry climate, evaporative cooling has been used for
providing comfort. Most of the offices are cooled by passive downdraft evaporative
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cooling (PDEC) tower system. Figure 30 shows a photograph of the building as well
as a sketch section of a typical PDEC tower to explain its principle.
Energy conscious features:
- Passive downdraft evaporative cooling (PDEC) towers for providing comfort
- Tinted glasses to reduce glare
- Alternative building materials such as composite walls to reduce heat gain and filler
slabs to reduce the quantity of concrete in the structure
- A central atrium to enhance cross ventilation and provide day lighting
- Solar PV lighting and pumps, rainfall harvesting and water conservation facilities
Incorporated

Figure 29. Layout plan of I.G.P. Complex, Gulbarga

Performance of the PDEC system:


The building is in the final stage of construction. The PDEC systems design is based
on the shower tower (discussed in Chapter 3) concept developed by Givoni [2].
Preliminary measurements taken in May and September, 2005 showed that the
temperature of the air exiting from the tower is lower by about 10C and 4C
respectively, compared to that of ambient air. Figure 31 presents the hourly values of
the temperature of air exiting from the tower on a typical day in September. The
corresponding measured values of ambient temperature are also plotted for
comparison. Additionally, the figure shows the theoretically calculated values based
on Givonis model of the shower tower. It is seen that the measurements agree
reasonably well with the predictions. Figure 32 shows the estimated performance of a
tower in various months during daytime. It presents the results of exit temperature of
air leaving the tower and the corresponding ambient dry bulb temperature. It is seen
from the figure that the performance of the cooling tower is quite satisfactory in the
summer months. The drop in temperature is about 12 - 13 C in March, April and
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May. Considering that the PDEC system is used in these months, the predictions of the
energy savings of the building per annum, as compared to an air-conditioned building
maintained at 27.5 C, are as follows:
Estimated Cost of PDEC system = Rs. 17,50,000
Estimated savings per annum = Rs. 3,52,000
Simple payback period = 5 years (approximately)

Figure 18. Photographs of IGP Complex, Gulbarga and sketch showing the principle
of a PDEC tower

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Figure 31.Comparison of measured and predicted temperature of air exiting PDEC


Tower

Figure 19. Monthly prediction of the temperature of air exiting the PDEC tower

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3. 2 .AUROVILLE ECOHOUSE, AUROVILLE


Location: Auroville, Pondicherry

Climate: Warm and humid

Brief description of the building:


The Ecohouse was built in 1976 by a team co-ordinated by Dr. C. L. Gupta at
Auroville. This house can be considered as one of the first prototypes of an
ecologically sustainable building to be constructed in India in modern times. It is a
two storeyed structure with longer axis along the east-west direction, designed for
catching wind. A courtyard is provided in the building which is cooled by Venturi
effect. The overhangs above the windows and doors are designed for optimal shading
from the sun. A sketch plan and section of the Ecohouse are given in Fig. 33.
Energy conscious features:
- Optimum orientation of built form for cooling by ventilation
- Shading of windows to reduce heat gain
- Alternative building materials such as (i) structurally insulated roof units
(size 1.0m X 0.5m), developed by Central Building Research Institute,
Roorkee,
(ii) jack arches of hollow ceramic Gunna tiles
- A courtyard to enhance cross ventilation and provide daylighting
- Other features such as solar cooker integrated in south facing kitchen, rainfall
harvesting system, biogas plant for waste management and production of
methane gas for cooking, an aero- generator for domestic electric load and a
thermosyphon solar water heater are also incorporated into the building design
Performance of the house:
The house has no fans and is reported to be one of the coolest houses in Auroville as
observed by the occupants.

Figure 20. Section and sketch plan of Ecohouse, Auroville

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3.3. CENTRE FOR APPLICATION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR


RURAL AREAS (ASTRA), BANGALORE
Location: Bangalore, Karnataka

Climate: Moderate

Brief description of the building:


The building is a ground and one-storeyed structure and is used as an office building.
The salient feature of the building is the use of various alternative building
materials that are affordable, environment friendly and energy
efficient. It was built in 1999 in the campus of the Indian Institute of
Science, Bangalore. Figure 34 shows the typical floor plan of the
building. A photograph of the building is given in Fig. 35
Energy conscious features:
- Sized stone masonry with composite mortars in foundations,
steam-cured stabilized blocks for ground floor load-bearing
walls, and soil-cement blocks for the first floor walls. The
external exposed walls are coated with transparent silicone
paint for protection from erosion
- Precast chajjas and brackets are made of ferrocement
- Reinforced blockwork lintels are used above openings such
as doors
and windows
- Soil-cement block filler slabs are used for floors and roof. An
additional weatherproof course using tiles is provided on the
roof
Performance of the building:
The cost of construction of this building was Rs. 4247 per square
metre of plinth area in 1999. The component-wise cost of the
building and the corresponding percentage of total cost are
presented in Fig. 36.

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Figure 21. Ground floor plan of ASTRA building, Bangalore

Figure 22. Photograph of ASTRA building, Bangalore

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Figure 23.Component-wise distribution of costs of ASTRA building at I.I.Sc.,


Bangalore
3.4. SOLAR ENERGY CENTRE, GURGAON
Location: Gurgaon, Haryana.
Climate: Composite
(predominantly hot)
Brief description of building:
It is a single storeyed research centre. The buildings include a guest
house, a workshop, offices and laboratories. Being situated on a
large open plot of land, the buildings are spread out and possess
courtyards around which the various activities are clustered. A plan
and section of the administrative block of the same is given in Fig.
38.
Energy conscious features:
- Roof surface evaporative cooling system
- Appropriate planning in which laboratories requiring air
conditioning are put together in a well-insulated building
- Hollow concrete block walls to resist heat gain by conduction
- Reflective finish on roof surface
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- Windows designed for cross ventilation and daylighting. The east


and west facing windows incorporate openable louvered shutters
Performance of the building:
The Solar Energy Centre conducted a post-occupancy evaluation of
this building. It was observed that the roof surface evaporative
cooling (RSEC) system caused a lowering of temperature by 2-3C in
comparison with rooms without RSEC system. Figure 37 shows the
comparison of measured temperatures of the reception room (with
RSEC system) with those of A.O. room and verandah, both being
without RSEC system. One advantage of the RSEC system is that it
cools in a healthy manner as it does not humidify the ambient air of
the room. On the other hand if a desert cooler were to be used, it
would pump moist air inside the room and increase the humidity,
which would cause discomfort and affect the health of occupants.

Figure 24.Comparison of indoor temperatures Solar Energy Centre, Gurgaon

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Figure 25.Administration block of Solar Energy Centre, Gurgaon

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3.5. H.P. STATE CO-OPERATIVE BANK BUILDING, SHIMLA


Location: Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Cloudy

Climate: Cold and

Brief description of building:


This building is a ground and three-storeyed structure with its longer
axis facing the east-west direction. The smaller northern wall faces
the prevailing winter winds from the north-eastern direction. The
building shares a common east wall with an adjoining structure. Its
west faade overlooks a small street from which the building draws
its main requirements of ventilation and daylighting. A plan and
section of the building showing the various passive techniques

Figure 26. Section and plan of H. P. state co-operative bank, Shimla


incorporated is given in Fig. 39.
Page | 38

Energy conscious features:


- South-facing Trombe wall and sunspace heats up the interior
- South-facing solar collectors on the roof provide warm air,
which is circulated by means of ducts
- North face is protected by a cavity wall that insulates the building from
prevailing winter winds
- Western wall is provided with insulation as well as double glazing
- Daylighting is enhanced by providing light shelves. Skylight on the terrace
also provides daylighting
- Air lock lobbies are provided to reduce air exchange
Performance of the building:
The predictions of the energy savings of the building (component-wise) per annum, as
compared to a conventional building are as follows:
West wall (double glazing and insulation) = 43248 kWh
Roof insulation = 23796 kWh
Roof top solar collector = 10278 kWh
Trombe wall = 7398 kWh
Total = 84720 kWh

3.6. S.O.S. TIBETAN CHILDREN'S VILLAGE, CHOGLAMSAR [8]


Location: Choglamsar, Leh

Climate: Cold and dry

Brief description of the building:


Twenty existing ground storey structures acting as dormitories have been retrofitted
with an attached green house and vented Trombe walls, in the extremely cold region
of Leh. The original construction consists of solid adobe for walls (U-value 1.64
W/m2-K) and wooden roof with mud topping (U-value 2.44 W/m2-K). The floor is of
wooden deck over a crawl space. A sketch plan and section of a typical building are
given in Fig. 40
Techniques:
- The common room in the centre is provided with an attached greenhouse
facing south for trapping heat. The extended floor of the greenhouse consists
of solid masonry to provide good thermal storage mass of 1.44 MJ/m2-K. The
green house is fitted with a movable internal shade for the ceiling. The
common room receives heated air by opening the vents of the adjacent glass
wall of the green house.
Page | 39

- Two end rooms on the south side are provided with double glazed, vented
trombe walls for heating.
Performance of the building:
Figure 41 gives the measured temperature data, namely, the maxima and minima for
the Trombe wall room, green house, a room without solar heating (control room) and
ambient temperature. It is seen that in winter months, the maximum and minimum
temperature can be appreciably higher than both the ambient temperature as well as
the room without solar heating (control room).

Figure 27.Sketch plan and elevation of S.O.S building, Choglamsar

Page | 40

Figure 28.Monthly mean measured temperature (S.O.S. Tibetan childrens

4. Conclusion:
After analyzing the available passive design strategies and case studies it has been
found that temperature difference of 10-25 c can be optimized in the indoor
environment by applying the passive design features. Beside the thermal mass of the
building, orientation and building shape also have serious impact on the indoor
environment. The solar passive design options should be used to create energy
efficient thermal comfort in the building interiors .Although analytical analysis and
practical implementation both have already been done by various professionals but
more research is needed for the perfect solar passive building design features in the
composite climate as it comprises of various seasonal varieties and related challenges.
References:
1. Dr Anupama Sharma, KK Dhote,R Tiwari , Climatic Responsive Energy Efficient
Passive Techniques in Buildings
2. Norbert Lechner Heating, Cooling, Lighting 4th Edition
3.Passive Cooling , Research and Design, AIA , fall 1979, volume 2 , number 3
4. Energy Efficient Buildings in India , TERI
5. Enegy Conservation Building Code 2007
6. Census of India 2011
7. Koenigsberger, et al. .Manual of Tropical Housing and Building (Part I) : Climatic
Design.. Part I, Longman Press, India, 1975.
8. V Gupta. .Energy Conservation Indian Myths and Realities.. Architecture Design,
vol 9, no 3, May-June, 1992.
9. A Krishan and M R Agnihotri. .Bio-Climatic Architecture: a Fundamental Approach
to Design.. Architecture Design, vol 9, no 3, May-June, 1992.
10. S Prakash. .Energy Conscious Architecture: an Endless Quest.. Architecture
Design, vol 9, no 3, May-June, 1992.
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11. http://mnre.gov.in/ Ministry Of New And Renewable Energy


12. Prajapati J., Draft Report - design of passive downdraft
evaporative cooling towers for proposed I.G.P. Complex at Gulbarga,
Monarch - Architects and Designers, Mumbai, 2005.
13. Givoni B., Peformance of the shower cooling tower in different
climates, Renewable Energy, 10, 173, 1997.
14. Gupta C.L., Personal communication, 2005.
15. Report on alternative building technologies, Centre for
Sustainable Technologies and Department of Civil Engineering,
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 2003.
16. Kumar A., Negi B.S. and Agarwal P.K., Preliminary - monitoring
and performance evaluation of roof surface evaporative cooling
system a technical report, Solar Energy Centre, MNES, Gurgaon,
1998.
17. Nayak J.K., Hazra R., Prajapati J., Manual on solar passive
architecture, Solar Energy Centre, MNES, Govt. of India, New Delhi,
1999.
18. Lall A. B., Re-development of H. P. state co-operative bank
building at mall road - Shimla, MNES Project Report, New Delhi,
1996.
19. Gupta C.L., Solar passive buildings for developing countries,
Proceedings of Indian Academy of Sciences (Engg. Sciences),
Sadhana, 18, pp 77-104, Part 1, 1993
20. Tahmina Ahsan, Passive Design Features for Energy-Efficient
Residential Buildings in Tropical Climates: the context of Dhaka,
Bangladesh, Stockholm 2009

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