Bioclimatic Interventions for Reducing Cooling Energy Demand in Hot and Humid Climates

Abstract

While development of industry and science has been tremendous, population has also increased dramatically in the last centuries. As a consequence, unchecked consumption of energy mainly based on fossil fuels is the main culprit for triggering climate change worldwide. Meanwhile, an impressive amount of energy is being used for just cooling or heating the existing building stock. The need for energy can be reduced by adopting traditional bioclimatic measures that can be tested for their appropriateness through building performance simulations. To this end, collection and evaluation of empirical data through parametric design simulations can enable predictions about the adaptability and appropriateness of different bioclimatic interventions/features in different buildings in different climates. For instance, predictions about the impact of all or a combination of some interventions on energy performance of buildings may be helpful for optimizing the retrofit design. This approach may also help to provide a design process where the parametric variations in the building design are made according to the building performance simulation outputs. The aim of this research is to determine, test, select and implement the most effective passive cooling strategies in retrofitting a local government building located in the hot and humid climate of Alanya, in Turkey.