AIR CONDITIONING – Tropical Patterns

ENCOURAGE REDUCTION OF AIR CONDITIONED AREAS
Air conditioned rooms and houses need to be closed in. The occupant is not in contact with the outside. This reduces greatly their ability to acclimatise to the tropical conditions. Without acclimatisation occupants end up staying in air conditioned area and not participating in tropical living. So discourage air conditioning and if used, reduce to a small area in a house designed to reduce heat transfer to that room.

CONSIDER USING FANS RATHER THAN AIR CONDITIONING
Fans maintain tropical acclimatisation of the house occupants while cooling. For most of the year in tropical areas fans are all that is required for cooling.

REDUCING EXTERNAL HEAT GAIN BY SHADING AND VEGETATION IS ESSENTIAL IN AIR CONDITIONED HOUSE AND WILL REDUCE ENERGY COSTS BY MORE THAN 50%
If you have all or part of your house air conditioned, then you will reduce the cost considerably by implementing passive cooling design first.

CONSIDER AIR CONDITIONING ONE INTERNAL ROOM RATHER THAN THE WHOLE HOUSE
You can maintain an open tropical house and still keep cool in the hottest periods by having a few core rooms in the centre of the house air conditioned.

IF USING AIR CONDITIONING SHADE THE EXTERNAL CONTEMPORARY (COMPRESSORS) AND PREFERABLE LOCATION IS EAST AND EQUATOR FACING SIDES AND HIGH UP UNDER EAVES
Don’t overburden your air conditioner by having the compressors in sunny location.

MAKE SURE AIR CONDITIONED ROOMS ARE WELL INSULATED INCLUDING FLOOR IN AN ELEVATED HOUSE
Air conditioning is expensive, so ensure coolth is kept in by good insulation.

USE CEILING FANS WITH AIR CONDITIONING TO REDUCE THE LOAD ON AIR CONDITIONER
Keeping cool with fans in air conditioned rooms will allow you to reduce the energy needed to keep cool.

REDUCE GLASS AREA IN AIR CONDITIONED ROOMS
It is essential to reduce glass areas so that solar heat gain is not working against the air conditioner. If you cannot eliminate windows, then make sure they are shaded from sunshine all times.