Climate-friendly air conditioning inspired by termites

Lund University(Sweden) ^ | David Andreen

[Gaffer]

I built my first house in 1984. Had a full daylight basement and two sides were 12” concrete, capped block. I’d always thought that if I could have had the time and money to put a ventilation duct system that passed air through the inner cavities would be cooled significantly.

[Mean Daddy]

My son rents a condo in Arlington, VA and their heat for their furnace is the hot water heater running through the condenser coil. Works pretty well I guess.

[norwaypinesavage]

"future buildings inspired by the termites could achieve the same effect as traditional climate control"

I say BS! I built a house in SE Michigan in the 70s, thinking the same. used Hot water baseboard heating which cannot be made for cooling. The theory was that it is very rare in Michigan that it stays uncomfortably hot all night. I had a well- planned attic fan powered ventilation system to pull in the cool night air. Thad did work, but the problem was that it also pulled in the night time humidity. The house got uncomfortably humid every night and very uncomfortable. You can't be comfortable on hot humid days with just ventilation.