GETTING NATURE TO HELP IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF THE AIR.

As we strive for better energy efficiency in the systems we use in buildings, this paper examines how nature can play its part in an air conditioning system. This concept is applied in a passive displacement ventilation system which distributes cooled air in a room without the use of a fan. Typically the fans consume some 15% of the total energy used in a building. Save for fans used to draw outdoor air into a building, several buildings in Singapore have been designed to use no fan to achieve thermal comfort. This paper will examine the performance of this innovative system that challenges established norms in air conditioning design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]