ARDIENTE

DESIGN
WHY?
Solar chimneys are mostly used for individual dwellings
or as a centralized system for larger buildings. In
our concept, the solar chimney principle is used as
a decentralized system improving interior thermal
comfort.
Solar chimneys rely on the pressure difference inside
the room and inside the chimney. For adequate
pressure difference which extracts the air from the
room, solar chimneys are built higher than the space
they serve. Our facade chimneys are thus designed
two storeys high and placed in a vertically shifted order
between two rooms for maximum efficiency.
Two storey high chimneys are divided into two units
for easier handling. The bottom unit is equipped with
PV cells for optimum electrical-thermal gain balance.
Operable lids control the solar chimney behaviour for
different weather conditions.
Heat exchangers, placed on top, maximizes the
thermal gains in winter. As the top lid is closed, the
trapped air inside the module heats up rapidly and
used inside, reducing the heating load.
The fans continue to cool the room down in warm
summer nights. They run on the stored electricity
generated by the PV cells.
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