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India's lattice buildings cool without air con

bbc.com

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Re: India's lattice buildings cool without air con

#51

Post by Vrondi »

RcouF1uZ4gsC wrote: post #25

This is all just a distraction. We either de-carbonize energy in which case air-conditioning doesn't contribute to CO2, or else we fail. There is no world where we convince the vast majority people to forgo air-conditioning. Billions of people in India, China, and Africa want air-conditioning. Energy austerity is not going to save us.

De-carbonizing is also not going to save us. It is merely a mental panacea to keep the masses from panicking more. The carbon that was pumped into the atmosphere before our grandparents were born already guarantees climate change. We delude ourselves by thinking we can stop it in the next century with any action we take now. Not poisoning ourselves is a good idea and all, but it isn't going to stop the climate change that is already triggered.

Re: India's lattice buildings cool without air con

#52

Post by nfriedly »

I wonder how this would work in someplace like Ohio that's hot in the summers but cold in the winters. Would it make the home even colder in the winter? If so, is there some variation that works both ways?

I've heard of overhangs that block the sun in the summer when it's more directly overhead, but allow direct sunlight into the home in the winter when it's at more of an angle, so there are certainly some things that can be done.

Re: India's lattice buildings cool without air con

#54

Post by Ar-Curunir »

anonym29 wrote: post #53

Let me know when the lattices can maintain 19° C internal temperatures with 39° C external temperatures like my AC can.

Did you even read the article? It says the point of these techniques is to help reduce the usage of AC, not reduce it. If you can lower the amount of heat entering a building (which this lattice technique helps with), then you need to use your AC less.

Re: India's lattice buildings cool without air con

#55

Post by danans »

nfriedly wrote: post #52

I wonder how this would work in someplace like Ohio that's hot in the summers but cold in the winters. Would it make the home even colder in the winter? If so, is there some variation that works both ways? I've heard of overhangs that block the sun in the summer when it's more directly overhead, but allow direct sunlight into the home in the winter when it's at more of an angle, so there are certainly some things tha…

> I've heard of overhangs that block the sun in the summer when it's more directly overhead, but allow direct sunlight into the home in the winter when it's at more of an angle, so there are certainly some things that can be done.

This is the best approach to take almost anywhere that experiences hot weather, which is almost anywhere these days. It works like a cowboy hat or an rice field worker's conical hat.

In addition to the overhangs, it's wise to minimize windows on the side of the building facing the nearest pole, both to reduce winter heat loss, and minimize summer heat gain. Conversely, the same house should put a reasonable (but not excessive) amount of glazing on the side facing the equator, to maximize winter solar heating.

The problem is often that the optimal placement of windows overhangs isn't possible due to existing orientation to the streets or other features.

Re: India's lattice buildings cool without air con

#57

Post by uup »

kijin wrote: post #10

Define "cool". I dunno about the author, but for me "cool" means something like $temperature No amount of ventilation is going to keep a building "cool" like that when there's a 49C (120F) heat wave outside as the article says. Or even 35C, if there's any humidity involved. A large temple with thick stone walls, on the other hand, could remain substantially cooler than its surroundings through a couple of weeks of un…

I agree. It feels weird to attribute to cooling effect of the structure to the little holes and not to the thousands of tons of stone that can absorb heat. I just moved into an older building and it remains very cool. No jaali to be found, but plenty of old masonry walls.

Re: India's lattice buildings cool without air con

#59

Post by anonym29 »

viksit wrote: post #56
anonym29 wrote: post #53

Let me know when the lattices can maintain 19° C internal temperatures with 39° C external temperatures like my AC can.

actually - not 19, but mid 20s - https://www.dezeen.com/2021/05/15/diana-kellogg-architects-o...

I'm extremely uncomfortable by 20° C. By 21° C, that's 3-showers-a-day for me.

I'm all for sustainable technology improvements, and this certainly appears to be a valuable tool for reducing AC costs, but I'm not on board with decreasing my quality of life in the process, so this isn't a replacement for AC by itself.

Re: India's lattice buildings cool without air con

#60

Post by anonym29 »

Ar-Curunir wrote: post #54
anonym29 wrote: post #53

Let me know when the lattices can maintain 19° C internal temperatures with 39° C external temperatures like my AC can.

Did you even read the article? It says the point of these techniques is to help reduce the usage of AC, not reduce it. If you can lower the amount of heat entering a building (which this lattice technique helps with), then you need to use your AC less.

Of course! See my comment above. Just remember that policy is shaped by the opinion of the general public, who, in America, overwhelmingly only read headlines, not full articles.

My criticism is with the headline. Imagine all the people in Florida and Texas who read the headline and immediately "nope" the whole idea. That's a poor headline for building consensus on the need for new architecture to reduce our collective carbon footprint.

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