Strategy for Energy Efficient Buildings in Tropical Climate

Abstract

Residential, commercial and industrial buildings share nearly one-fourth of the total electrical energy consumption in Thailand. The design of energy efficient buildings relies on a selection of appropriate techniques that complement the local climate. The two important elements to be considered carefully in tropical climate are the cooling technology and the electrical appliances (including the lighting system). In this paper, the focus is on the design of residential and commercial buildings in a tropical climate. The literature data and the results from a case study in Thailand are gathered and a strategy for energy efficient buildings is proposed. In short, the design of the building envelope, the cooling technology and the efficiency of the appliances are the crucial factors in reducing energy consumption. This investigation shows that building energy demand could be reduced by as much as 28% through the use of low thermal conductance material alone for a building wall.