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Chronological Thread  
  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] keeping cool
  • Date: Wed, 31 May 2006 04:05:01 -0400

Marimike6@cs.com wrote:

Prevailing breezes above roof level are frequently as much as 15-20 degrees cooler than ground level air. In Pakistan for the past 3,000 years people have put tall vents atop their homes, with the openings angled toward the prevailing winds. That way when it gets to be 120 degrees outside, a cooling 100 degree breeze can circulate down the shaft and into the home.

Passive cooling has been around forever in the Middle East, perhaps even
before the Islamic Moors of
North Africa (or were they originally from the middle
east/Mediterranean/breadbasket area?) colonized Southern Spain,
built the Alhambra and started the first university and the first library while many of our ancestors were running around in bearskins proving Darwin's theories and, no doubt, brought solar cooling to the West as well.

They build masonry solar chimneys between a large domed cistern and a multi-storied dwelling. The chimnet has openings near the top with metal plates mounted vertically and set back from the opening. The sun heats the plate and causes
convection currents in the tower. This pulls cool damp air from the cistern into the dwelling, up throug the floors to finally exit through a wall back into the chimney and out the top.





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