Innovative Air Cooling System Cuts Energy Bills and CO²
Emissions by 94% at Portuguese Resort
System Welcomed as World Energy Prices Soar
A low energy air cooling system called ‘The Coolhouse System’ has
been conceived and developed by a British team at a Portuguese
resort as an alternative to air conditioning. Independent tests¹
show that the Coolhouse system reduced CO² emissions and energy
consumption by 94%. As world energy prices soar and the EU struggles
to meet its CO² emission targets, a cheaper and more environmentally
acceptable alternative to air conditioning within properties will be
attractive to many.
The Coolhouse system is the brainchild of British environmentalist
architect Jes Mainwaring for property developer Elixir, who has
already successfully incorporated the low energy system into more
than 80 villas at its AlmaVerde Village & Spa Resort in the Algarve,
Portugal. The system was developed largely to stabilise the internal
temperatures of the properties in an environment where there are 300
days of sunshine per year, humidity levels of up to 95% and
temperature variations up to 21°C from day to night.
The system employs a combination of new and traditional building
practices. It uses normal drainage pipes buried two metres
underground to deliver cooled fresh air into the house via a
sub-floor plenum or void. Fresh air is delivered to the ground floor
daytime living areas, through vents situated above the skirting, by
means of a simple air-handling unit or fan.
A key component of the system is the use of sun-dried adobe or clay
bricks, manufactured on-site, together with adobe mortar and render,
to form the inner walls and the inner skin of the outer walls. The
solid adobe provides high thermal mass to the inner part of the
structure whilst the outer walls are well insulated by the use of a
fibre-reinforced external insulation envelope that extends into the
roof. Solar controlled low-E glass is used on the timber-frame
windows. Monitoring has demonstrated that the villas remain at
comfortably stabilised temperature and humidity levels throughout
the summer, at very low energy cost.
Gordon Miller, editor of eco-homes website whatgreenhome.com, said:
"The Coolhouse system is a serious innovation that uses ground
cooling as a low energy alternative to power-hungry
air-conditioning. It not only reduces energy consumption and CO2
emissions by 94%, according to independently verified tests, but
also saves the homeowner the same amount in their energy bills.
Moreover, when you're in a 'Coolhouse' the ambient temperature feels
pleasant and the atmosphere feels healthier than one experiences in
an air-conditioned room."
Managing Director of Elixir John Tranmer says: “Buildings are
responsible for half of the world's total energy consumption, and
for half of the resulting carbon dioxide emissions. We were
determined that our development should adopt better practices.”
British couple, Gill and Tom Blades, who live in a ‘Coolhouse’ Home
at AlmaVerde, have been enthusiastic about the day-to-day benefits
of the system. Tom says: “The house stays nice and cool in the hot
summer months, when temperatures can reach over 38°C, and warm and
dry in the winter. We always have a nice even temperature, no matter
what the weather is like outside. Electricity is more expensive in
Portugal than the UK so I am pleased our energy bills are much less
than they would be if we had air conditioning.”
Independent tests done by Faber Maunsell showed a 12°C reduction in
internal temperatures in a villa where temperatures outside were
37°C, giving a consistent 25°C inside. It also showed that Coolhouse
reduced relative humidity levels by up to 30%(RH), eliminating the
unhealthy black mould, damp clothes and bed linen caused through
condensation. As the air is fresh cooled air from outside, rather
than re-circulated air, it provides a healthier and more comfortable
environment. Health benefits reported include the elimination of
respiratory tract and dry eye problems associated with air
conditioning.
Portugal’s Chief Energy Advisor, Prof. Eduardo de Oliveira Fernandes,
visited AlmaVerde to see how the Coolhouse project had been
implemented and complimented the developers on how they had managed
to industrialise the technology and make it commercially viable for
resort homes. Many construction professionals have also visited the
development to see how the system has been implemented.
AlmaVerde Village & Spa is a pioneering new resort located in the
unspoilt and less developed part of the Western Algarve, 10 kms from
Lagos. The village serves both as a residential community and a
vacation destination. The planned 4,000 sq.m. spa will offer an
unparalleled range of facilities and programmes for relaxation and
rejuvenation.
The village comprises plots for 130 villas, 28 townhouses and
several groups of apartments. Most buildings are single storey with
the occasional two storey building adding variety and interest. The
development is low-density, with only 10% of the land designated for
construction. Villa plots range in size from 420 to over 7,000 sq.m.
There are currently three and four bedroom villas for sale on a
freehold basis in a choice of six villa designs, all with private
swimming pools. Prices range from €519,725 (£411,761) for a three
bedroom villa on a 480 sq.m plot to €792,588 (£627,941) for a 3-4
bedroom villa on a 1,000 sq.m plot. Prices are inclusive of 10-year
family spa membership.
Email:
vicky.goodall@p1communications.com
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