Comfortable buildings -- hold the air conditioning (MIT)

[eppur_se_muova]

Nancy Stauffer, Laboratory for Energy and the Environment
June 2, 2006

Operating commercial buildings consumes a sixth of all the energy used in the Western world. Getting rid of air conditioning could cut that consumption by as much as a third -- but people don't like to work in sweltering heat.

So MIT researchers are making computer-based tools to help architects design commercial buildings that cool occupants with natural breezes.

Buildings can be designed to encourage airflow and maintain temperatures that minimize or eliminate the need for conventional air-conditioning systems. "That approach improves air quality, ensures good ventilation and saves both energy and money," said Professor Leon R. Glicksman, director of MIT's Building Technology Program. Indeed, studies have shown that people generally feel more comfortable in a naturally ventilated building than in an air-conditioned one.
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Based on these findings, the MIT team is formulating a simple, user-friendly computer tool that will help architects design for natural ventilation. They plan to incorporate the tool into their "Design Advisor," a web site (designadvisor.mit.edu) that lets architects and planners see how building orientation, window technology, and other design choices will affect energy use and occupant comfort.

Natural ventilation does, of course, have its limits. For example, during hot summers in Hong Kong or even Boston, conventional air conditioning would still be needed. But just using natural ventilation during spring and fall in Boston, for example, could save at least half the energy now used for year-round air conditioning, the researchers estimate.
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more: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2006/buildings.html

[AndyA]

1. I was glad to read that last paragraph.

There are times of year where I live when "natural ventilation" leads to death! During those times, give me manufactured air over natural ventilation, please. I do enjoy having the windows open at home and in the car when the weather is nice, which can be 4-5 months out of the year, allowing for a few days here and there when you have to create your own temperature.

[NMDemDist2]

8. the new Sandra Day OConner Federal Court house is Phoenix was an

absolute nightmare

in a town where it regularly reaches 110 degrees from May through September the idiots built a huge glass atrium WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING!!!


read more about it here http://www.waltlockley.com/oconnor/oconnor.htm but here's an excerpt

Your user experience will depend on the day's weather. Okay, a lot of big buildings have climate problems, but the weather inside this building is a large, perverse joke in itself, a rich vein of Comedy Gold, I can't even remember it all: the roof misters (aka 'World's Largest Swamp Cooler') create killing heat in the summertime and an unacceptable chill in the winter, dust storms blow through the building unimpeded, and in an expensive retrofit the engineers found (if I have this right) that the misters create particles perfectly sized to transmit Legionnaire's disease.

No need to dwell on these entertaining failures, except this is an excellent way for the architect to send the message to its users, "If you expected a livable environment, you can go screw yourself." Would you feel happy, or feel treated fairly, if you worked in a building that ordinarily got 100 degrees inside?

[eppur_se_muova]

9. Named after one of the Fab Five who appointed Bu**sh**? Appropriate. nt

[MADem]

2. What? We will be able to OPEN A WINDOW??????????

Instead of being sealed in a GODAWFUL tomb all day???? What a concept!

[eppur_se_muova]

3. GRRRRR...I hate moron architects who design those awful boxes!

I've worked in too many buildings like that.

[Redstone]

4. Do they recommend planting grass on the roof as well?

I've heard that can help a lot.

Redstone

[MADem]

5. I understand that's getting big in Germany... NT

[Redstone]

6. And when they FINALLY come through with the photovoltaic

window coating, that'll make the electricity on the days when they DO need to run the A/C.

Redstone

[eppur_se_muova]

12. See this earlier thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=51895&mesg_id=51895

(The CNN article has moved, unfortunately.)

[ladjf]

7. Vertically mounted roller type wind turbines could be placed on

all four corners of large downtown buildings for electrical generation. The streets between tall buildings have high wind velocities due to the venturi effect of the configuration of the groups
of buildings. Further, every square inch of the South, West and East walls of the buildings should be covered with PV cells. It could well be that with the combination of wind turbines and PV cells, each building could be energy self-sufficient.

[kestrel91316]

10. Yeah. But that would make way too much sense. And would ruin the look.

[ladjf]

11. The PV cells would be embedded in the buildings exterior

surfaces, giving them any appearance desired, either shiny like glass or subdued like stone. The vertical turbines would actually look pretty good. They would be eggbeater type columns on all four corners giving the corners a round look rather than squared off.

By the way, multiple horizontal turbines could be strung across the streets between buildings with walkways in the center. I point out again that the wind velocities going down city streets are generally stronger than the ambient wind velocities.

[kestrel91316]

13. I really should use the sarcasm button more often, lol. I don't give a FIG

about appearance of solar cells. If people think they're unattractive, tough luck.

[ladjf]

14. I knew that you were kidding. However, I took the opportunity

to say that there are new PV cells that don't appear to be PV's.