I’m considering building a house in central Thailand. The ground is elevated (maybe 500 ft above the plains) and the underlying rock is granite so I don’t have to worry about floods and the like. This is almost at the crest of a substantial hill.
Anyway, my question has to do with methods of keeping the thing cool. Solar heat is definitely unwanted. I have considered (and will probably implement) things like extended eaves to reduce light entering the house, high ceilings, planting trees for shade, and raising the house a couple of meters off the groud for a breeze.
What other kinds of things could be done? I’ve though of evaporative cooling but Thailand is way too humid for this to work well.
You could do what most Thais do and slap air conditioners all over the place.
But if you want to be eco-friendly, try white/reflective rooves, and if you have total control over the build, maybe look into the ancient wind tower design they have in the Emirates (maybe Saudi as well?) - Al Bor Al Kashteel (halfway down the page). Though with that much humidity, you’re probably screwed.
You could also maybe install dehumidifiers - I did this in Hong Kong instead of air-con, and got used to it within a few days.
Thanks. I might try the reflective roof bit. As far as wind-towers go, I’d thought of those but dropped the idea because of the high humidity there. They work extremely well here in Riyadh though.
Maybe some simple dehumidifiers would work. As far as dropping in split-unit ACs all over the place goes, I’d think that the high ceilings would require something more-or-less industrial sized. I could get it but really wouldn’t want to pay the bills for it.
What’s the climate data for your location? Daily min/max temperatures, seasonal variations, latitude, etc? Do you have significant temperature variation? Is it very sunny or often cloudy? Windy?
You definitely want to keep sunlight and heat out. Windows on the shady side, wide eaves, etc. If you use massive walls at all, insulate them on the sunny side to keep them from heating up. You might want to insulate on the sunny side anyways, or just have light-coloured reflective walls and roofs.
High ceilings mean the hottest air rises away from the occupants. The wind towers mentioned by jjimm look intriguing; if things cool off at night, you could use them to cool the interior of the house during the night and then close them off during the day.
The humidity is a more difficult thing to reduce if you don’t have cool temperatures at some point during the day and night, or don’t want to use mechanical aid.
High vents, perhaps even turbine style, in the roof. The hot air collects under the roof, and unless it is vented out, it just sits there and gets warmer. Many tropical houses have a large vent up high at each end of the roof.
Thanks Sunspace
The location is about 17,02 N and 100,40 E and the altitude is between 600 and 1000 feet above sea level. The average temp is 28C. Rainfall is 1400mm/year. The humidity is hellish year-round. It’s usually sunny but there is a nice breeze on most days.
My goal is to build something that I would eventually retire to. I want the house to require very little maintenance, be comfortable, and have few or no recurring costs. Electricity is no problem and we will soon be digging a well for water.
Thanks. I’ve thought of putting some kind of large exhaust fan in the front or rear of the building. My grandmother in Kentucky used one instead of AC. OTOH, it always sounded like Apolalypse Now when she used it.
Could it be possible to build your house into the side of the hill? Earth sheltered and cave houses typically maintain low constant temperatures that may well be very comfortable for your climate.