Passive Downdraught Evaporative Cooling System Integration in Existing Residential Building Typologies: A Case Study

This paper analyses the integration of a passive downdraught evaporative cooling (PDEC) system in existing residential buildings through a case study, an existing 3-storey building located in a small city near Turin. This study was focused on the technological integration of a PDEC system in residential buildings rather than on its actual applicability, which proved to be very low to Turin's climate. Three main aspects are considered: a) a matrix of PDEC systems integration related to building typologies; b) the results of a laboratory testing in site conditions for evaluating the performance of PDEC systems and correctly dimensioning the evaporative tower; c) the design of an integrated PDEC-Building solution, showing that the described approach can be applied to existing designed buildings.