Natures Way of Cooling
Air Conditioning Installers Southampton –
A few Sunday’s ago we went to the home of some great friends for lunch. It was delicious but also the weather was unseasonably warm, we ate outside. You usually struggle to eat outside in the UK in August let alone mid-March.
Our friends have a beautiful big house with a full length conservatory which gets incredibly hot. Last summer they also had a minor issue of a wasp infestation around the seating area where food was served. This March, thanks to our friend’s new paper bag technique to ward off wasps there were none, however it did make us think a little. Why do wasps love the warm? How do they cool their nests?
We all know that wasps are workers, their nest is their office. The same goes for termites and other similar creatures that work hard love hot climates but use nests to survive. These creatures are known as social insects and they are fantastically astute when it comes to maintaining a comfortable climate in which to work. Wasps will use their wings as fans to move and refresh the air supply within their habitat, maintaining a comfortable temperature for themselves, their queen and her larvae.
- The Chimney of a Termite Mound
Mound forming termites build chimney like structures which allows warm air to escape as well as, through their ingenious underground nesting techniques prevents too much direct sunlight penetrating the surface of their nests.
The Eastgate Shopping Centre in Zimbabwe provides a similar solution for its employees and customers. Air is drawn continuously from the open space by fans of the first floor it is then pushed up vertical ducts which are located in the central spine of the building. Like the ‘chimneys’ of the termite mound the hot air is expelled. The Eastgate Centre uses less than 10% of the energy a similar sized building would use. Mike Pearce the architect used this elaborate system for cooling and heating the building to maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the day. The system is known as passive cooling and it works by storing the hot air generated during the day and releasing it into the building at night via vents. Portcullis House in central London works with a similar system. These buildings use around 10% of the energy generated by a conventional system.
Portcullis House – chimneys assist in the cooling process
Here at Air Control we have decades of experience in designing, installing, servicing and maintaining highly energy efficient heat pump air conditioning and ventilation systems across the south helping you keep your employees and customers warm cool and fresh throughout the year. Don’t hesitate to contact us to arrange a free quick assessment of your heating cooling and ventilation systems
