Passive Cooling

Techniques in
Commercial Building
DISSERTATION [RAR- 808]

PRESENTED BY
RIYA VERMA
2000510810054
GUIDE:- AR. ANUPAM ANAND
CO-GUIDE:- AR. SAWAN KUMAR SHARMA

Faculty of Architecture & Planning Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Technical University, Lucknow
 Passive cooling uses free, renewable sources of energy such as the sun
and wind to provide cooling, ventilation and lighting needs for a
Background household. This additionally removes the need to use mechanical
cooling. Applying passive cooling means reducing differenecs between
outdoor and indoor temperatures, improving indoor air quality and
making the building both a better and more comfortable environment to
live or work in. It can also reduce levels of energy use and
environmental impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions.
Design strategies that minimise the need for mechanical cooling
systems include proper window placement and daylight design, the
selection of suitable glazing for windows or skylights, proper sized
shading of glass when heat gains are being avoided, the use of light or
reflective-coloured materials for the building envelope and roof, careful
siting and wise orientation decisions alongside appropriate landscaping
design.
 AIM OBJECTIVES
• To evaluate the effectiveness of various passive cooling techniques.
• To investigate the impact of passive cooling strategies on indoor
thermal comfort for occupants in commercial buildings.
To find the strategies underlying the designing of • To explore how passive cooling strategies can be integrated into the
a commercial building within the composite design and construction of commercial buildings.
climate region of India to create comfortable, • To analyze the passive cooling techniques and implement the
energy efficient and sustainable environment. strategies like stack effect , courtyard , cross- ventilation , wall-
window ratio , materials of building envelope, solar Chimney , night
purge ventilation, thermal mass, earth air tunnel, wind tower .
Intent

To test the usefulness of applying selected passive cooling

strategies to improve thermal performance and to reduce energy
consumption of commercial buildings in composite climate
settings.
Hypothesis
“Implementing passive cooling techniques in commercial
buildings leads to reduced energy consumption and improved
occupant comfort compared to conventional cooling methods.”
An empirical research and analysis to evaluate the impact of
passive cooling techniques on energy consumption, occupant
comfort and overall building performance in commercial building
settings.
Scope • To deal with the different types of Passive Cooling Techniques that
helps in optimizing energy efficiency in commercial building .

& • The scope of passive cooling techniques in commercial buildings in

India includes various strategies such as solar shading, wind towers,

Limitations
earth air tunnels, evaporative cooling, and passive downdraft
systems. These techniques can significantly reduce cooling loads in
buildings and improve occupant comfort.

• The extent of the study is limited to commercial buildings, in

composite climate.
• The limitations take into consideration the availability of space, the
need for mechanical assistance in some cases, and the potential
impact on indoor air quality. Additionally, the effectiveness of
passive cooling techniques varies depending on the building's
design, location, and orientation.
 Methodology

1 2 3 4

Selection of research Literature Review Data Collection &

Case Study
topic Analysis

8 7 6 5

Evaluate Performance Recomendations & Intervention Comparitive Analysis

Strategies
PARAMETERS Different types of heat
IDENTIFIED sinks
• Orientation
• Building Form
• Shading Devices
• Natural Ventilation
• Courtyard
• Solar Chimney
• Night Purge Ventilation
• Wind Tower
• Thermal Mass
• Earth Air Tunnel
• Stack Effect
• Cross- Ventilation
• Wall- Window Ratio
• Materials of building envelope
PASSIVE COOLING PRINCIPLES
 Classification of
different passive
cooling method.

Several types of shades with a different application in winter and

summer
 Literature Review
Sl no. Title of paper Author Review Parameters Inferences

To test the usefulness of applying Passive cooling, IES software; • Shading devices block solar heat ,
Using passive cooling Hanan M. Taleb selected passive cooling strategies to UAE houses; Evaporative provide lighting.
strategies to improve improve thermal performance and to
cooling; Shading devices, • The provision of proper openings in the
thermal performance reduce energy consumption of
01. Evaporative cooling via fountain, building means that fresh air can be
and reduce energy buildings in hot arid climate distributed equally all over.
Green roofing
consumption settings, namely, Dubai, United
Arab Emirates.

A review on conventional
.Yan-ling Song , Using passive techniques can lead to peak • Roof color is effective in reducing heat
passive cooling methods load reduction as well as peak load offset, Passive cooling, Renewable
Kamyar Sheykhi transfer rates.
applicable to arid and warm diminishing the interior temperature energies, Building Managing,
Darani , Adnan I. • Utilizing insulation leads to an energy
climates considering fluctuation, maintaining indoor air energy consumption, Cooling
Khdair , Ghaida consumption reduction up to 33%.
02. economic cost and temperature in a comfortable range which
Abu-Rumman , load.
efficiency analysis in consequently reduces fossil fuel usage as
Rasool Kalbasi
resource-based cities. well as decrease in the greenhouse gas
emission.

Application of Passive • Energy demand tremendously reduce by the

Muktar Inusa, To achieve thermal comfort by the
Cooling Techniques in Thermal comfort, Energy, adoption of strategies like- analyzing the
Asst. Prof. Dr. application of some passive cooling
Residential Buildings: A Passive cooling, Sustainable, climatic, good building orientation, insulation
Halil Zafer techniques to create energy efficient
03. Case Study of Northern Northern Nigeria, Natural of the building envelope, use of glazing that
Alibaba spaces and to determine the
ventilation, cooling load improve indoor thermal quality, the use of
Nigeria practicability of these techniques,
shading devices, vegetation for evaporative
whether or not they can be adopted. cooling and the use of radiative cooling
elements.
 Literature Review
Sl no. Title of paper Author Review Parameters Inferences

The emerging idea of power-efficient

structures has focused many researchers to
• Passive cooling methods are
Vaddin Chetan , Dr Kori Passive cooling,
work towards the reduction of cooling load derived based on the internal gain
Review of Passive Nagaraj , Dr Prakash S Internal heat gains,
on the buildings by using passive cooling of heat, transfer of heat in an
04. Cooling Methods for Kulkarni , Dr Shiva Kumar Thermal comfort,
techniques. In this particular paper, different envelope form along with transfer
Buildings Modi , Dr U N Kempaiah passive cooling techniques that may be put Glare free daylighting.
of heat occurring in outdoor and
on to building have been examined.
indoor air mixed of them.

An Overview of Passive Mohammad Arif Kamal Better understanding micro- Natural Cooling, Passive • Improving quality aspects, developing
Cooling Techniques in climates around buildings, and to cooling, Techniques, climatic advanced passive and hybrid cooling systems
understand and describe comfort design, energy conservation. and developing advanced materials for the
Buildings: Design
requirements under transient building envelope.
05. Concepts and
conditions during the summer
Architectural
period.
Interventions

Innovations in building takes into

• Integration of passive cooling solutions,
consideration the four passive
Advances in Passive Ahmed A.Y. Freewan Passive cooling, storing, actions and devices in the designing process
cooling actions, store, avoid, remove
Cooling Design: An avoidance, removal, slowing, from early stages of the design while taking
and slow of heat, the different
06. Integrated Design into consideration the different variables and
devices used for implementing each design matrix, shading,
Approach ventilation requirements concerning the passive devices
of the four actions and variables
and their implementation in all design stages
affecting their cooling performance.
 PEDA OFFICE COMPLEX,
CHANDIGARH
The PEDA office complex is located in Chandigarh on a practically square site
with no major topographical variations. The structure is designed to achieve a
climate-responsive building with a series of overlapping floors at different levels
with interpenetrating large vertical cut-outs.
Concept: The PEDA complex is designed to respond to Chandigarh's composite
climate and urban context. The building's design is in such a way that creates a
larger volume, i.e., the atrium at the center and to integrate the overlapping upper
floors into this main volume. The roof of this main volume is established in
response to solar geometry, and this feature of the roof is prominently visible
from the entrance to this building.

Project statistics of PEDA Office Complex

Type of building - Commercial (Office)
Total Covered area -7000 m2
Site Area- 1.49 Acre
Completed- 2004
Site -The site is located on a major road intersection and lies on the Location -Chandigarh
edge of a residential area with other proposed office buildings on the Climate -Composite
Architects- Arvind Krishan and Kunal Jain
other edge.
Client /owner- Punjab Energy Development Agency
Contractor -Amarnath Agarwal and Sons, Chandigarh
 GROUND FLOOR PLAN

Design response - Within the context of the radical experiment that is chandigarh, the PEDA building has
been designed with an ethos: design with nature. The physical context is although unique in itself, i.e. the
urbanity of Chandigarh, offers yet another challenge for design.
Scale form -While the three-dimensional form of the building has been developed in response to solar
geometry) i.e. minimizing solar heat gain in the hot-dry period and maximizing solar heat gain in the cold
period, the scale and form of the building responds to its urban context as well.
• Orientation-Punjab Energy
Development Agency has been
developed in response to solar
geometry i.e. minimizing solar
heat gain in hot- dry period and
maximizing solar heat gain in cold
period.
• Wind Tower-The wind tower
centrally placed coupled with
solar chimneys on the domical
structures for scientific direct &
indirect cooling.
• Water Bodies-The water bodies
with waterfalls and fountains have
been placed in the central atrium
of the complex for cooling whole
the complex in the hot and dry
period.
 SOUTH ELEVATION

The panels are placed on the roof South elevation showing domical The atrium is covered by a lightweight shell
of the atrium, in between two roofs and vertical roof glazing roofing of 10 cm sandwiched between FRP
sheets of toughened glass. This systems for Natural light integration (fibre- reinforced plastic) sheets and
helps filter natural light. and ventilation reinforced with steel; angled to allow sun in
winters and block in summers.
• Light Wells: The vertical cutouts in the
floating slabs are integrated with light
wells and solar activated naturally
ventilating, domical structures in the south
to admit light without glare and heat.
• Auditorium: A unique auditorium
scientifically designed to control heat
penetration, light & sound distribution is
placed in the north under the shade of
main building.
• Solar Chimney : A solar chimney is a
renewable energy system used to enhance
the natural ventilation in a building based
on solar and wind energy.
• Cavity Walls: The complex is a single
envelope made up of its outer walls as
double skin walls having 50 mm cavity in
between. The cavity walls facing south
and west are filled with further insulation
material for efficient thermal effect.
 CLIMATE RESPONSIBVE DESIGN
• Light wells, solar chimneys and wind towers- . In place ofthe 'central loaded corridor'plan stacked
on top of each other to make various floors, which has become virtually the generic form for an
office, the PEDA building is a series of overlapping floors at different levels in space floating in a
large volume of air, with interpenetrating large vertical cut-outs. These vertical cut-outs are
integrated with light wells and solar-activated naturally ventilating, domical structures.This system
of floating slabs and the interpenetrating vertical cut?outs is then enclosed within the envelope of
the building. The envelope attenuates the outside ambient conditions and the large volume of air is
naturally conditioned by controlling solar access in response to the climatic swings.
• Optimum Orientation- The site is minimal in size, and the building is the result of the shape of the
site. It was, therefore, not possible to orient the building in a specific direction. The entire façade Domical
of the complex has used different strategies to reduce heat gain during the summer. The design of Structure on
the building envelope attenuates external atmospheric conditions. south side.
• Fenestration and Shading, Natural Daylighting and ventilation-There is a domical structure on the south
side to reduce the heat gain from the direct solar radiation; projections on each rib are designed as self-
shading in summers. Glazing on these ribs allows for natural light within the office complex. The
complex's central atrium has a main entrance, a reception, a water body, a cafeteria, and a sitting room.
This natural daylight at this atrium is made possible through the roof. A lightweight space frame
supports the roof. This roof is built with a hyperbolic shell roof so that daylight can admit without
glare. Glass solar panels are mounted on this roof to produce electricity for various building purposes. Atrium and
The floating and overlapping slab with interpenetrating vertical cutting allow free and fast air Roof
movement, reducing the suffocating effect. system
 CLIMATE RESPONSIBVE DESIGN
• Sustainable Building Materials- The entire complex consists of a single envelope, and the outer
water bodies'
wall of this envelope is made of a double wall with a 2 "(two-inch) space between for insulation
construction
purposes. All roofs, except the atrium roof, are insulated with a double insulation system to prevent with waterfalls
the roof's heat. Energy Conservation through 25 Kwp building-integrated solar photovoltaic and fountains
power plant has been set up to meet the complex's necessary electricity requirements. As is in the atrium
mentioned earlier, installing these solar panels is on the atrium roof. The wind tower was built in of the complex
the Centre to allow cold air to enter the atrium and hot air to escape from the atrium. This system to cool the
is not in working condition; otherwise, it would significantly affect air conditioning. whole
DESIGN FEATURES complex in the
1. Floors interconnected volumetrically to enable passive space conditioning of the entire volume of summers.
the building
2. Large cut-outsfor light and ventilation wells
3. Building-integrated solar photovoltaics and solar water heating
4. Winter heating by direct solar gain through roofglazing
5. Summer cooling through windtower
6. Thermal mass of floor slabs moderates diurnal swing

Inferences:
• The building does not have a particular orientation due to space constraints on the site.
• The innovative concept of the south-facing dome structure works very well, not allowing direct sunlight to minimize the summer heat gain. Natural daylight from
the atrium roof is also operating quite efficiently as this is a unique concept for dealing with roofs.
• The construction of the water bodies and the wind towers is so well designed that the microclimate of this building will be excellent if it operates efficiently.
• The solar plant of 25 Kwp is working very efficiently.
• The cavity wall concept and double insulation on the roof will reduce the heat gain in summer and reduce winter heat losses.
 AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF
INDIAN STUDIES
• This building was designed to incorporate a meaningful use of
passive strategies such as orientation, courtyard, verandah,
windows and shading devices, earth contact, roof garden, and
sustainable building materials.
• The building facade is staggered at 45 degrees to the site
boundary which allows north-south orientation for the windows
thus reducing heat gain through windows.

Architect -Vinod Gupta

Location-Gurgaon
Category: Institutional
Area: 1970 sq. m.
The American Institute of Indian Studies provides scholars with facilities for Client/Owner: The American Institute of Indian Studies
Project Status: Completed
research in Indian art, architecture and music. The building houses the Team Members: L.P.Singh, Amrita Sharma, Koheli Banerjee
Consultants: Y.N.Diwan, Engineering Consulting Services, R.K.Gupta,
administrative offices, research facilities, archives and libraries. Since AIIS was set Gupta Consultant, Parshotamsons Construction
up to conserve Indian art, architecture and music and the building.
 Comparitive Analysis
(CASE STUDY - 1)PEDA (CASE STUDY - 2)AMERICAN
Sl no. Parameters INSTITUTE OF INDIAN Inferences Recomendation
OFFICE COMPLEX
STUDIES

It has been oriented in response Orientation of the building with the longer
to solar geometry i.e. minimizing edge along the north-south direction
01. solar heat gain in hot- dry period preferrable, if not possible then can give
ORIENTATION
and maximizing solar heat gain according to the usage of habitable spaces and
in cold period. their using schedule.

Staggered wall and over hang Building should have small S/V ratio .
roof reduce the effect of And small side facing huge glare , if site
natural light and provide shape allows then cylindrical form is
02. preferable , otherwise it can be cater by
PROFILE shade.
giving water body and vegetation inside.

• Indirect light enter in building

through window. Window shading can be done by using jaali
SHADING • Through vault , louvre ,
03. , louvers, horizontal and vertical shading
DEVICES overhang diffused light enter in elements
building.
 Comparitive Analysis
(CASE STUDY - 2)AMERICAN
(CASE STUDY - 1)PEDA
Sl no. Parameters INSTITUTE OF INDIAN Inferences Recomendation
OFFICE COMPLEX
STUDIES

Water body near or inside Water body inside courtyard and adjacent to
building change the building is preferable for thermal comfort .
04. surrounding microclimate by
WATER BODY If inside not possible then outside small
cooling the surrounding air ponds or fountain can be installed.

Courtyards microclimate is
changed by planting trees,
Courtyards should self shade and
THERE IS NO adding water bodies like
curvilinear for maximum self shade inside
05. COURTYARD pool and fountain .
COURTYARD building. Trees and water body cools hot
air inside.

Air is cooled by passing it Wind tower is the best method to cool the
through the underground indoor environment .

WIND THERE IS NO WIND TOWER channel and hot air from

06.
TOWER indoor is remove
automatically when cool air
enters.
 SOHRABJI GODREJ GREEN
BUSINESS CENTRE
•Located on the flattest zone available on site
•Easy access from main road
•The water body is preserved at site in the northern side of site, the site is flat on south west side
and plateou on the east side
•Central courtyard
•Roof garden -protect heat penetration , cut down heat-island effect
•use of light glazing and vision glazing
•Jaali wall for bringing in natural light as well as ventilation
•55% of the roof is covered with terrace garden helping reduced the interior temperature
Solar Photovoltaic cell - produce nearly 20% of the building electric consumption.
•energy consumption
Location- Hyderabad,
Size -4.5 acre( Total site area)
20000SQFT BUILT UP AREA
Coordinates - 17°N, 78°E
Type - Commercial Office
ARCHITECT -Karan Grover
The Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre is run by the Confederation Climate Type- Hot and Dry
of Indian Industry as a showcase for green technologies. It was built in Project Area -1,858 m2
Grid Connectivity -Grid Connected
Hyderabad in 2004 EPI -80 KWh/m2/year
Rating -LEED Platinum certified building
 Techniques

•Two air cooling tower are

•Jali use to prevent glare
erected where air is cooled up
and heat gain while
to 8degree by sprinking water
ensuring adequate day
this cooled air is circulates
lighting water seep into
inside the building minimizing
opening and it utilized by
the load on air conditioning
plant inside.
Techniques
•Solar panel are placed on the
eastern side and they are sloping •A central courtyard and
which help colonnaded corridor
production of energy throughout ensure that the hot air
the day and as it is a commercial cools before entering the
building more amout of energy is interior, the courtyard also
consumed during the day act as the area for
(working hr.)compare to the interaction.
evening

Building layout ensure that

90% of spaces have daylight
access and views to the outside.
North facade are glazed for
efficient diffused light
 INFERENCES
• The Centre is shaped and oriented such
that it captures prevailing winds and
circulates them around and through the
building
• Two air cooling towers are designed to
cool the air up to 8 degrees by sprinkling
water and hence reducing the load on air
conditioning.
• North facades have been glazed to gain
efficient diffused light. Double-glazed
units with argon gas filling between the
glass panes enhance the thermal
properties.
 Orientation - According to NZEB recommendations, a
rectangular form with a longer axis along the north-south
is the preferred orientation for composite climates. This
helps the building structure reduce heat gain in summer
and heat loss in winters.

DATA Building Form - For composite climates, the building must be compact and low-
rise. An important criterion that should be kept in mind here is the S/V ratio, which

ANALYSIS is the ratio of area to volume of a built mass. Another important criteria is the P/A
ratio, which is the perimeter-to-area ratio. A circular geometry has the lowest P/A
ratio, making it the most energy-efficient in composite climate.

Shading Devices
Horizontal shading device are most
efficient Horizontal louvers parallel
to a wall permit air circulation and
reduce heat permit air circulation
and reduce heat. when they have Horizontal louvers parallel to a wall
southern orientation . permit air circulation and reduce heat
permit air circulation and reduce heat.
 Shading Devices

Slantedlouvers provide more

protection then those parallel
to a wall. Angle varies

DATA according to the range of solar

angles

ANALYSIS Louvers hung from a

Trees and adjacent
structure may provide
solid overhang shade on their proximity
protect against low sun height and
angle. Orientation.

Vertical louvers are Solar blind and screen provide

Egg crate shading provide
more efficient for up to 50% reduction in solar
more characteristic of radiation shade on their
eastern western
horizontal and vertical proximity height and
exposures. Separation
lowers depending upon their
from wall reduces
and have a high shading. reflectivity.
conductive heat gain
 Movable opaque :reduce
solar gains but impede air
movement and block the

DATA
view.

ANALYSIS
Louvres: provide shade to the
building from the solar
radiation.

Fixed: Overhangs of chajjas

provide protection to the wall
and openings against sun
Natural Ventilation Living zone is the space
commonly used by
occupants . Air movement
should be directed through
this space

For composite climates,

reasonably large openings
on opposite walls are
suitable, preferably with
solid shutters that may be
opened when cross-
ventilation is important.
 Courtyard Solar Chimney
Prevailing wind passes over courtyard

Cooler air gets trapped in small courtyard

EVAPORATIVE COOLING
Central courtyards are also used extensively for composite During daylight hours, the sun's rays heat the air underneath the
climates, especially in India. Due to the incidence of solar transparent roof, causing it to become warmer and less dense than
radiation in a courtyard, the air gets warmer and rises. Cool air the surrounding air. This warm air rises and creates an updraft
from the bottom level of the building flows through the openings within the chimney, drawing in cooler air from the base. As the hot
of rooms surrounding a courtyard. air moves up the chimney.
 Wind Tower Earth Air Tunnel

• Daily and annual temperature fluctuations decrease with the increase in depth below
• In a wind tower, the hot air enters the tower through the openings in the the ground surface.
tower, gets cooled, and thus becomes heavier and sinks down. • At a depth of about 4 m below ground, the temperature inside the earth remains
• The inlet and outlet of rooms induce cool air movement. In the presence nearly constant round the year and is nearly equal to the annual average temperature
of wind, air is cooled more effectively and flows faster down the tower of the place.
and into the living area. • A tunnel in the form of a pipe or otherwise embedded at a depth of about 4 m below
• After a whole day of air exchanges, the tower becomes warm in the the ground will acquire the same temperature as the surrounding earth at its surface.
evenings. During the night, cooler ambient air comes in contact with the • Therefore, the ambient air ventilated through this tunnel will get cooled in summer
bottom of the tower through the room and warmed in winter and this air can be used for cooling in summer and heating in
winter.
Night purge ventilation Thermal Mass

WINTER
During day time temperature increases

SUMMER
During night time temperature reduce • Thermal mass refers to the ability of a material like concrete, brick,
• Night purge ventilation, also known as night cooling, is a passive stone, water, etc to absorb, store, and release heat energy.
ventilation strategy used in buildings to reduce indoor temperatures during • They should be placed at a certain position to receive adequate sunlight.
the night time hours. These locations may vary based on the direction of the building to the
• It involves bringing cooler outdoor air into the building during the night sun.
to remove heat accumulated during the day and improve thermal comfort • By incorporating thermal mass into a building's design, it can help
regulate temperature fluctuations, improve thermal comfort, and reduce
without relying on mechanical cooling systems
the need for mechanical heating and cooling systems
PARAMETERS

Solar path for winter and summer The stack effect, hot air rises due to buoyancy
and its low pressure sucks in fresh air from
How passive cooling works outside .

Capillary water moving films in floor EVAPORATIVE COOLING

SUNPATH and ceiling

PARAMETERS

Application of water body adjacent to the

building
usage of shade for cooling CENTRAL COURTYARD

SUNKEN COURTYARD
Application of roof shading with (a) Earthen pots, (b) fixed shades and (c) plants
PARAMETERS

Performance of domed roof Types of atrium

Windcatcher and natural ventilation

Performance of solar chimney
REFERENCES
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/energy-reports
• https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/10/12/4188
• https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1473/1/012054
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209526351400003X
• https://layakarchitect.com/passive-cooling/
• https://www.slideshare.net/swapnika15/passive-coolingtechniques
• https://www.novatr.com/blog/passive-design-architecture-examples
• BOOK- Energy-efficient buildings in India
THANK
YOU !