Wind catchers & natural ventilation

Wind catchers and natural ventilation have emerged as effective passive strategies to combat overheating in homes, especially in low-energy buildings. These systems utilise airflow dynamics to cool indoor spaces without relying on large-scale mechanical cooling systems, reducing energy consumption.

Natural Ventilation

External environmental factors can also affect the efficiency of natural ventilation, e.g., wind speed and direction. A study Jomehzadeh et al. (2020) found that the synergy of natural ventilation strategies in conjunction with wind catchers can direct airflow by > 40% and significantly increase the drop in indoor temperature without mechanical intervention

Wind Cathers

Wind catchers are traditional architectural features used to collect and guide fresh air from outside to enter indoor spaces. They take advantage of either external wind pressure or surface temperature differences that provide ventilation (Jomehzadeh et al., 2020). They are well-recognized for their effectiveness at passively cooling buildings, especially in hot climates where minimising heat accumulation inside buildings is essential.