Auxiliary Cooling Loads in Passively Cooled Buildings: An Experimental Research Study

Abstract

Currently accepted methods of passive cooling offset only sensible building loads. In the warm, humid southeastern gulf coast climates the latent building load can comprise 35% of the building load in the typical residence. As the sensible load on residences in these climates is reduced or offset by passive cooling techniques, this latent cooling load percentage increases rapidly. In such residences the auxiliary cooling load cannot be effectively met by conventional cooling equipment . The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) is examining the auxiliary cooling requirements of residences in warm, humid climates. The study addresses both the thermal and moisture response of buildings. A total of eight wall systems, three frame wall types and five concrete block wall types are under test at the FSEC Passive Cooling Laboratory (PCL) in Cape Canaveral. Moisture studies involve examination of the absorption and desorption rates of building materials and furnishings and the development of improved moisture migration modeling techniques for inclusion in building energy analysis programs. TARP (Thermal Analysis Research program), developed at NBS by George Walton, and FLOAD, by FCHART Software, have been chosen as the analysis programs with which cooling examined.