Natural ventilation makes sense everywhere (yes, even in Monterrey)

Other than arctic/antarctic scientific stations, I honestly believe that all buildings should be designed with some form of natural ventilation in mind, period.

Of course, one might think: wait a minute it's too hot outside! that can't be done in this climate, this is NORTHERN Mexico after all!

Well, opportunities are everywhere.

That was the though that crossed my mind as I was recently driving back from Guadalajara to Monterrey (after a fantastic 2-year stay), leaving the comfortable temperate climates of central Mexico and heading straight to the arid and dry regions closer to the U.S. border.

Of course, in temperate and colder climates the notion of keeping comfortable temperatures using natural ventilation is easier to grasp, but even in this arid regions, natural ventilation is always a good idea, the benefits are always there.

However, if we design and build glass towers with minimal concern of pasive shading, the task can become more than herculean.

Take for instance, the following case of an seven-story residential building:

This is a well-thought building, with a good form factor that allows for self-shading and terraces fitted with fixed louvers and overhangs that provide very good protection for direct solar exposure.

The initial site evaluation shows that the exterior conditions are less than ideal, however there are still opportunities for reducing cooling energy usage by implementing natural ventilation, and VERY importantly; smart control HVAC systems to be used in mixed mode.

It is the job of the clever building designer to take maximum advantage of these.

The benefits are always there

If we compare the annual results between case A (no natural ventilation) and case B (mixed mode HVAC operation) we find out that the projected cooling energy consumption drops 22.6%.

We can take this approach with a multitude of building types and configurations and it is possible to show that even in the most cooling-dominated climates it makes absolute sense to design buildings to be naturally ventilated.

So in the end, designing highly-efficient buildings under the northern sun is not so daunting, in fact it is an awesome challenge.

And best of all: now I get to work again surrounded by those magnificent mountains. It is good to be back.

We can help

If you would like to know how natural ventilation and smart control strategies could benefit your projects, contact us at www.simulacionesenergeticas.com and we'll be thrilled to explore together all the different ways building science can help you design better buildings.