Design Methodology and Cooling Potential of the Environmental Heat Sinks

Abstract

The usefulness of defining the cooling potential and other related variables is a function of how these figures will help the designer in the decision taking process. Consequently, a rational approach to these definitions should start from a certain design methodology The present paper proposes a design methodology which uses the concepts of gross cooling potential, net cooling potential, available cooling potential, usable cooling potential and natural cooling saving fraction. These concepts are expressed under common terms for three natural cooling techniques (NCT), radiative cooling via night sky radiators, ground cooling using buried ducts and evaporative cooling via mechanical evaporative coolers. The objective is to develop a systematic procedure of producing information about the suitability of using a certain NCT in a given locality and for a certain building. The application of the methodology mentioned for a set of European localities has been included in the ATLAS about the potential of NCT whi...