cooling and windows

A primary strategy for home cooling without air conditioning is to combine windows with wind deflection and wing walls, to get breezes and cross ventilation.

Wind exposure for natural ventilation

Cooling through natural ventilation demands a good exposure of the building and their windows to the dominant breezes, which can conflict with sun exposure….

In climates with cold winters and demanding high heating loads during some parts of the year, sun exposure should take precedence over wind exposure (whenever they conflict): we can’t change the sun’s path, contrary to what happens to the wind’s path.

Anyway, in most cases, the conflict between exposure to sun or to wind, is a false one: there are several ways to deflect breezes, and to get cool from them even when the building hasn’t the best exposure to wind…

Wing walls and casement windows are good ways to fulfill that goal.

Wing walls

Wing walls are simple solid panels located alongside windows to redirect cooler breezes into the home and also to pull the hotter air out (wing walls also accelerate the natural breeze speed, due to the differences of pressure they create).

Some designs use this fact in a more radical way: they involve a wing wall at the downwind end of the home (in order to create a positive pressure zone there) and another similar wing wall on the leeward side (at the upwind end, to create a negative pressure zone); this design ensures a stronger cross ventilation.

Windows, doors & Breezes

Casement windows are good to deflect breezes and get home ventilation Casement windows can also be excellent for maximizing airflow (besides being more energy efficient). Other types of windows (including hopper and awning windows, but also gliding windows) do not offer the deflecting possibility.

Well located doors can also contribute to cooling breezes or to deflect them. It’s a feature to consider, in some cases.

See, for details on windows: Windows Basics

Windows size and glass

Large windows provide better ventilation but can also be a source of hot air infiltration. When considering the size of your windows (and the type of glass) take into account your climate.

Relatively small and well located windows are better in strategies involving high levels of insulation (cold and temperate climates, and also in some hot-humid climates). In hotter climates, large windows are preferable, but they should be shaded (using overhangs, awnings, trees, shrubs…)