5 ms·

There are problems that can be solved with ventilation and then there are problems where you need a heat pump. If outside in the shade temperature and humidity

There are problems that can be solved with ventilation and then there are problems where you need a heat pump. If outside in the shade temperature and humidity are unlivable then "No A/C? Big Problem! You are probably going to die!". Enough "passive cooling" articles. That's ventilation, just a part of HVAC. These articles makes it sound like the ancient Iran and the termites knew something an entire industry full of engineers doesn't.

aaron695 3y ago
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QuarterReptile 3y ago
Termites certainly know things that modern engineers don't, and the same is probably true of ancient Persians. Just about everyone has the intuitive understanding that some old buildings do a very good job maintaining comfort, and that modern buildings often fail to do the same or only keep up at enormous expense. It's perfectly understandable that, in the wave of globalization and cheap energy that swept much of the world for half a century, we lost the craftsmanship to create these structures well, then the knowledge to do so at all, and all the while we didn't care because electricity was so cheap. Now we're clawing back stuff we used to be able to do as a matter of course. Central air is miserable to maintain. I want to maximize my comfort with ceiling fans and window units, or maybe ductless.
- jojobas 3y ago
  Sorry, no, termites don't know crap. They don't have to shed nearly as much heat per unit of surface area and are perfectly fine in humid 35 degrees C. We've known about thermal mass, convection, venturi effect and other stuff for ages, and it's not going to help you be comfortable (another thing termites have no concept of) beyond a certain envelope.
  - presentation 3y ago
    Have you read the article? The fungus described evidently is quite temperature sensitive (though at a temperature higher than what we’d like). > Architect Mick Pearce famously based his design in the 1990s on the cooling and heating principles used in the region’s termite mounds, which serve as fungus farms for the termites. Fungus is their primary food source. > > Conditions have to be just right for the fungus to flourish. So the termites must maintain a constant temperature of 87° F in an environment where the outdoor temperatures range from 35° F at night to 104° F during the day. Biologists have long suggested that they do this by constructing a series of heating and cooling vents throughout their mounds, which can be opened and closed during the day to keep the temperature inside constant.
- trabant00 3y ago
  > old buildings do a very good job maintaining comfort, and that modern buildings often fail to do the same or only keep up at enormous expense Old buildings did not have: thermal insulation, ventilation with heat recovery, timed ventilation, etc. While new buildings won't even get a building permit without all that. There's a minimum required energy efficiency. I have to ask: what is your experience with civil egineering?
- fuzzfactor 3y ago
  >we lost the craftsmanship So true. I want to maximize my enjoyment of warm humid air while targeting 10% of the energy usage of those who fear it.

aaron695 3y ago

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QuarterReptile 3y ago

Termites certainly know things that modern engineers don't, and the same is probably true of ancient Persians. Just about everyone has the intuitive understanding that some old buildings do a very good job maintaining comfort, and that modern buildings often fail to do the same or only keep up at enormous expense. It's perfectly understandable that, in the wave of globalization and cheap energy that swept much of the world for half a century, we lost the craftsmanship to create these structures well, then the knowledge to do so at all, and all the while we didn't care because electricity was so cheap. Now we're clawing back stuff we used to be able to do as a matter of course. Central air is miserable to maintain. I want to maximize my comfort with ceiling fans and window units, or maybe ductless.

jojobas 3y ago
Sorry, no, termites don't know crap. They don't have to shed nearly as much heat per unit of surface area and are perfectly fine in humid 35 degrees C. We've known about thermal mass, convection, venturi effect and other stuff for ages, and it's not going to help you be comfortable (another thing termites have no concept of) beyond a certain envelope.
- presentation 3y ago
  Have you read the article? The fungus described evidently is quite temperature sensitive (though at a temperature higher than what we’d like). > Architect Mick Pearce famously based his design in the 1990s on the cooling and heating principles used in the region’s termite mounds, which serve as fungus farms for the termites. Fungus is their primary food source. > > Conditions have to be just right for the fungus to flourish. So the termites must maintain a constant temperature of 87° F in an environment where the outdoor temperatures range from 35° F at night to 104° F during the day. Biologists have long suggested that they do this by constructing a series of heating and cooling vents throughout their mounds, which can be opened and closed during the day to keep the temperature inside constant.
trabant00 3y ago
> old buildings do a very good job maintaining comfort, and that modern buildings often fail to do the same or only keep up at enormous expense Old buildings did not have: thermal insulation, ventilation with heat recovery, timed ventilation, etc. While new buildings won't even get a building permit without all that. There's a minimum required energy efficiency. I have to ask: what is your experience with civil egineering?
fuzzfactor 3y ago
>we lost the craftsmanship So true. I want to maximize my enjoyment of warm humid air while targeting 10% of the energy usage of those who fear it.