Natural ventilation in buildings: An overview

Omar S. Asfour*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Natural ventilation is a sustainable design strategy. However, its utilisation in buildings requires understanding of many relevant aspects including its driving forces and strategies. Natural ventilation is of a great environmental advantage, compared to the mechanical ventilation strategy. This has encouraged several researches on natural ventilation implementation in buildings, considering its main objective of providing buildings with the required air quality and quantity. A review of human thermal comfort revealed that natural ventilation has a high potential for improving thermal comfort in hot climates, implementing wind-induced ventilation, and in cold climates, implementing temperature-induced ventilation. Within this context, natural ventilation can be used in several strategies and techniques for passive heating or cooling. Natural ventilation affects different heat transfer mechanisms between human body and its ambient environment. This mostly occurs in the form of sensible heat, by convection and radiation, and the form of latent heat, by evaporation of moisture on the skin.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationNatural Ventilation
Subtitle of host publicationStrategies, Health Implications and Impacts on the Environment
PublisherNova Science Publishers, Inc.
Pages1-25
Number of pages25
ISBN (Electronic)9781634824279
ISBN (Print)9781634824149
StatePublished - 1 Apr 2015
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Engineering

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