ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of sustainable cooling strategy options, and discusses the main design characteristics and requirements. The sustainable, low energy, cooling strategies have capability to minimise mechanical cooling loads in buildings while reducing the occurrence of summertime thermal discomfort and overheating. A sound sustainable cooling strategy should consider the following five steps: reduction and modulation of heat gains; use of direct and indirect ventilative cooling; cooling energy from renewable sources; analysis of free cooling options; and implementation of sustainable distribution systems. The sustainable distribution systems take advantage of the high water temperatures to provide the adequate cooling loads and more viable solutions to the low-energy cooling of buildings. There are four main systems: displacement ventilation; chilled beams and ceilings; and slab cooling. Low-energy cooling technologies include the incorporation of free cooling to an air-conditioning system which can take advantage of the weather conditions to reduce the energy consumption by shutting down the cooling plant.
