Adapting Buildings to meet the Energy Challenge

Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems account for up to 60% of domestic buildings energy consumption [U.S Dept. of Energy, (2009)]. Natural ventilation offers the opportunity to eliminate the mechanical requirements of HVAC systems by using the natural driving forces of external wind and the buoyancy effect from internal heat dissipation. A wind tower was used in traditional architecture originating from the Middle East and captured air at a higher velocity and delivered it through cool sinks to the buildings occupants. Commercial Wind towers have been available in the United Kingdom (UK) for the last forty years; recent rising energy costs have seen their implementation into new and existing building increase. This research details the technological developments of the wind tower system in the UK and Qatar and discusses the barriers to implementation and the ongoing research in this field.