Application of Passive Cooling Principles in Selected Hotel Buildings in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

This study was initiated in response to the high energy consumption connected with tourism-related activities. Air conditioning uses the majority of the energy required, typically exceeding 40%. Hotels in the tropics have higher average annual energy use intensity (avg. EUI) rates than those in the temperate zones; Regardless of the climate zone, the highest category hotels (i.e., five-star hotels) have a higher energy use index. When their efficiency is assessed and understood to ensure continuous improvement in their energy conservation, hotel buildings will make a much greater contribution to energy management. The objective of this paper is to investigate the extent to which Passive Cooling Principles were applied in hotel buildings in Nigeria, and the impact of these principles on the selected hotels; towards assessing the achieved level of energy conservation. The study is limited to selected hotel buildings in Nigeria; and they were studied in-depth to determine their compliance levels to passive cooling principles. Non-participant observation was carried out to obtain are objective data. As Lagos State houses a larger number of the five-star hotels in the study population, two of the selected case studies were from this location; and the last was from Abuja, which represented the North and Central Region of the country. The sampling technique used for this research is purposive sampling. The Five-Star hotels were selected based on their star rating according to set standards that have been identified in Literature; and they include prominent hotels in both Lagos and Abuja. The application rate of 64% also creates a basis for determining the minimum application rate targeted for the five-star hotel design carried out along-side this paper; which is 75%. This relays the extent to which Passive Cooling Principles are applied in hotel buildings in Nigeria; and also provides a benchmark for future researches and designers that intend to implement or study Passive Cooling Principles.