1. Innovations in Ventilative Cooling: An Introduction

This chapter introduces the book’s contents and its structure. It also includes a short description of why Ventilative Cooling (VC) is increasing in importance in a scenario where building cooling needs are growing. The building sector is responsible for about 40% of primary energy consumption; space heating, cooling and ventilation have proved to be the main consumers. Even though great efforts have been made to reduce energy needs for space heating, much less has been done for space cooling and ventilation. However, this situation is bound to change given that energy consumption for cooling is expected to supersede that for heating between 2050 and 2100. The main features of this growth are analysed in consideration of the international style of buildings, the growth in comfort expectations and changes in comfort culture, the growth in internal heat gains, increasing air temperature and urban heat island, as well as the side effects of the advancement in building envelope optimisation to reduce winter consumption (solar gains, airtightness). In order to face these new developments, which are linked with local increases in air temperature due to the thermal by-product of conditioners and related Green House Gas emissions, natural and hybrid solutions are needed. This book focuses on Ventilative Cooling techniques which aim to be a complete and reliable reference for designers and engineers who are working in the field of environmental design and renewable energy in the building sector. In this book Ventilative Cooling boundaries including all relevant information, background issues, techniques and applications are discussed based on the work of an internationally recognised group of experts. This chapter contains a short description of the contents of each part of the book.