Roof Cooling Techniques: A Design Handbook

Natural heating and cooling of buildings helps to improve energy efficiency in the built environment. This book considers the principles of roof design and specific systems and cooling techniques. The authors explain the fundamental principles of roof cooling and describe in detail the relevant components, applications, built precedents, recent experimental work and key design considerations. Specific systems and techniques are examined, including the main advantages and disadvantages of each strategy. Environmental functions are considered in terms of protective strategies and selective strategies. Protective strategies include solar control, thermal insulation, heat storage and thermal inertia. Selective strategies include radiative, evaporative and convective cooling and planting of roofs. Traditional and current roof construction practices are described, exemplified by case studies from across Europe. Including a free CD-ROM with software that enables readers to evaluate their own designs, this book will be invaluable for architects and engineers who wish to create buildings that are more energy-efficient.

* Presents a thorough treatment of roof cooling techniques, facilitating research, design and installation
* Covers principles of roof design (environmental function and construction methods) and specific systems and cooling techniques
* Includes a free CD-ROM, enabling readers to evaluate their own designs

Natural heating and cooling of buildings helps to improve energy efficiency in the built environment. This book considers the principles of roof design and specific systems and cooling techniques.
Environmental function is considered in terms of protective strategies (solar control, thermal insulation, heat storage and thermal inertia) and selective strategies (radiative, evaporative, and convective cooling and planting of roofs). Traditional and current roof construction practices are described, with various European case studies.

Cooling techniques examined include roof ponds, cooling radiators, planted (green) roofs and roof components, presenting fundamental principles, the systems and components employed, advantages and disadvantages, application types, built precedents, recent experimental work (where applicable) and key design considerations.

Also included are two appendices, the first detailing mathematical models suitable for designing water ponds, radiators, cooling panels and planted roofs; the second outlining the software used to implement the models.

Simos Yannas is the Director of the Environment & Energy Studies Programme at the Architectural Association School of Architecture, London where he is responsible for the Master of Science and Master of Architecture in Sustainable Environmental Design and is the Academic Coordinator of the AA School's PhD Program.

Evyatar Erell works at the Desert Architecture Unit at the Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel.

Jose Luis Molina works at the Department of Thermal Energy Engineering at the University of Seville, Spain.