Towards an alternative cooling : Optimization of the successive use of the cooling system from passive to active - Development of design and control strategies of the hybrid cooling – COOL-DOWN

Due to global warming, serious problems of buildings overheating during summer in temperate and hot climates arise. Thus there is an increasingly use of air conditioning. However, to address both comfort and energy savings issues, some alternative passive and soft cooling systems exist such as natural ventilation or ceiling fans that consume fewer energy. Although they are well-known today, their use remain under-enhanced. The aim of the project is to define the tools and methodology to optimize the successive use of passive, soft and active systems to maximize controlled comfort for occupants while minimizing energy consumption in summer, hot seasons or heat waves. The outputs of the project will be mainly of 2 types: first, the definition of metrics to quantify their potential and performance from both a comfort and energy use point of view. Second, the development of tools and algorithm to optimize the coupling of these systems, both in the design and operation phases.