Passive cooling

Passive cooling manages heat without powered fans or pumps, using natural heat transfer and building design to limit heat gain or release heat.

Conduction: Heat transfer through direct contact between particles or materials. Walls and roofs conduct heat between outdoor and indoor environments.
Solar heat gain: The increase in heat within a space caused by absorbed or transmitted solar radiation. Reducing solar heat gain is often the first step in limiting indoor overheating.
Night ventilation: The use of cooler nighttime air to remove stored heat from a building. It can reset a building's thermal mass before the next warm day.
Air conditioning: The controlled treatment of indoor air, commonly including cooling and dehumidification. Unlike passive methods, conventional air conditioning uses powered equipment to move heat.
Urban heat island: The tendency for urban areas to be warmer than nearby rural areas. Hotter surroundings reduce the temperature difference that natural cooling strategies can exploit.
Convection: Heat transfer by the movement of fluids such as air or water. Air movement carries indoor heat out through openings and ventilation paths.
Thermal insulation: Materials and assemblies that reduce heat transfer between spaces at different temperatures. Insulation slows unwanted heat flow through roofs, walls, and floors.
Earth tube: A buried air duct that exchanges heat with surrounding soil before air enters a building. The ground moderates incoming air temperature without a powered cooling coil.
Evaporative cooling: Cooling produced when water evaporates and draws latent heat from its surroundings. Some forms use powered fans or pumps, while direct natural evaporation can be passive.
Thermal comfort: A person's subjective sense of satisfaction with the thermal conditions of an environment. Passive strategies aim to keep occupants comfortable without relying on mechanical cooling.

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