Showing results 51 - 100 of 147
Image
Image
Having both low and high ventilation openings is necessary to promote airflow from the stack effect
Image
If a cool room is directly under an attic or roof, having lighter colored roofing (home on left) will reduce heat gain to the space as compared to darker roofing (home on right) because the temperature of the roof will be lower (see thermal image)
Image
In a typical old style multi-inlet evaporative cooler, the blower fan draws outside air in through multiple media filters and blows it into the home
Image
In heating mode, split system heat pumps absorb heat from the outside air and “pump” that heat to the indoor air handler unit, which releases it to the inside air.
Image
In hot climate zones, shade building surface with vegetation for passive cooling.
Image
In hot, dry climates, passive cooling should focus on shading, night flush through cross ventilation and whole-house fans, potentially using high-mass construction
Image
In hot, humid climates, passive cooling should focus on shading, airflow through cross ventilation and ceiling fans, and low-mass construction
Image
Image
Image
Inducing airflow through the stack effect requires low inlets and high outlets such as a ridge hood or crown monitor
Image
Installing an ENERGY STAR ceiling fan is a low-energy way to improve comfort in a designated cool room
Image
Landscape trees and shrubs to funnel cooling breeze towards a home in hot climate zones.
Image
Landscaping and Bahama shutters can provide important shade for a designated cool room
Image
Light colors have been used on exterior walls and roofs to keep buildings cooler in hot climates for centuries, as shown by this traditional building in Morocco, built in the early 1800s
Image
Light-colored roofs and walls and deep overhangs for shade are some of the features used by builders in the hot-humid climate (Source: Alys Beach Construction).
Image
Locating windows on adjacent and opposite sides of the house will allow cross ventilation regardless of wind direction
Image
Image
National HVAC Design Report - Cooling Equipment Selection (Version 3 / 3.1 (Rev. 09))
Image
Image
Passive cooling techniques can reduce or eliminate the use of air conditioning and can be used for backup cooling during emergencies.
Image
Portable air conditioners offer flexibility with where they are located, but usually need to be installed near a window as they require one or two intake/exhaust ducts connected to the exterior
Image
Image
Proper refrigerant charging is critical to maximizing performance for compression cooling systems
Image
Right - An energy recovery ventilation (ERV) brings fresh air into the home while exhausting stale air. Both ducts pass through a heat exchanger where heat from the warmer duct is transferred to the cooler duct.
Image
Right - This evaporative cooler is wall mounted to reduce leak effects and allow for ease of maintenance.
Image
Right – The outside unit of the mini-split heat pump system is installed on a concrete pad and away from shrubs.
Image
Right – This home uses a light-colored exterior wall to reduce solar heat gain
Image
Image
Right – This home uses light tan stucco and white trim to reduce solar heat gain.
Image
Right – This metal roof is being coated with a cool (high SRI) coating to reduce solar heat gain
Image
Right (decent): For a relatively high-capacity ccASHP sized per Approach 3 or 4 to meet nearly 100% of the heating load, this heat pump’s modulating zone has a decent overlap with the home’s heating load line, reducing short-cycling.
Image
Right: Sized per Approach 1, this heat pump will have minimal short-cycling; since sized using Approach 1, it will require backup heat when temp is below 30°F but could still contribute significant heating down to heating design temp (-6°F) and lower
Image
Right: Sized per Approach 3 or 4, this heat pump’s modulating zone has a large overlap with the home’s heating load line, resulting in minimal short-cycling; the unit may require a small amount of backup heat during the very coldest hours of winter.
Image
Right: Sized per Approach 3, this heat pump’s modulating zone has a large overlap with the home’s heating load line; it will require backup heating but could still contribute significant heating for all hours of the heating season
Image
Right: This house plan orients broad building surfaces away from the west and east, trees are used to shade the west and east, and large overhangs shade windows on the south wall
Image
Roof-mounted solar panels shade the roof below them (left), significantly reducing the roof’s surface temperature (thermal image on the right - yellow region under the panels is cooler than the red and white region on the exposed portion of the roof)
Image
Shade trees planted on the east or west sides of a house are one of the most effective measures that can be taken to reduce heat gains
Image
Side by side comparisons of standard roofing colors (top row) and cool colors (bottom row) shows that solar reflectance (R) can be reduced significantly using special coatings with almost no change to the color
Image
Small, battery-powered evaporative coolers can be appropriate for personal cooling in arid climates (only)
Image
Some whole-house fans are equipped with an automatic drop-down cover to provide an air seal at the ceiling level when the fan is not in use
Image
Some whole-house fans use an automatic insulated cover achieve high R-values when the fan is not in use
Image
Sources of heat gain in a house include solar gains, infiltration, conduction through walls and roof, occupants, and internal equipment
Image
Sources of heat gain in a house include solar gains, infiltration, conduction through walls and roof, occupants, and internal equipment
Image
Image
Tall annuals, like the sunflowers in this picture, can provide very effective shade in summer (left), provide a pleasant view from inside (right), and allow sun into the home in winter when the plants die back.
Image
The cool shingles on the right have been coated with a ceramic coating to reflect near-infrared radiation, resulting in a cooler roof as shown by these thermal images (red and yellow are hotter, green and blue are cooler).
Image
The ductless air handler of a ductless heat pump can be mounted above the ceiling so that only the register is visible
Image
The existing dark tile roof on this home (top photo) was covered with a light -colored coating on day 6 (middle photo), resulting in a significant reduction in attic temperature and cooling energy consumption (bottom)
Image
The high-efficiency mini-split heat pump provides cooling and heating; a drain pipe carries condensate away to a location that meets local code requirements.