Posted on 02/20/2024 10:35:29 AM PST by DallasBiff
The climate control used by termites in their mounds could inspire tomorrow’s climate-smart buildings. New research from Lund University in Sweden shows that future buildings inspired by the termites could achieve the same effect as traditional climate control, but with greater energy efficiency and without its carbon dioxide footprint
Termite mounds have a sophisticated ventilation system that enables air circulation throughout the structure. This helps to maintain and regulate temperature and humidity.
“The digitalisation of design and construction processes creates enormous opportunities for how we shape architecture, and natural and biological systems provide an important model for how we can best utilise these possibilities,” says David Andréen, senior lecturer at the Department of Architecture and Built Environment at Lund University, who wrote the article.
The results, published in the journal Frontiers in Materials, show a structure for buildings based on termite mounds that facilitates indoor climate control.
(Excerpt) Read more at lunduniversity.lu.se ...
“...sophisticated ventilation system...”
~~~
AKA: random tunnels
With digitally printed materials it may be possible to enhance ventilation without added energy and I find this an interesting area of study. Problem is the environmental cultists will use this and anything like it to mandate unproven, expensive, and unrealistic building methods.
Yep the radical left goes full boar on their ideals, but have never read Adam Smith, look at EV's.
During the warm 7 or so months out of the year that I'm trying to cool the house, I direct the cold air byproduct from the water heater into an air receiver. That air receiver is almost always drawing in air, even if it's at low speed (a property of the variable speed air handler). Because that cool air is distributed through the house, my variable speed heat pump HVAC can operate in low speed mode for a couple of hours longer in the day (no need to kick into higher gear to work hard to keep the house cool if the air is already somewhat cooled by the water heater). Last but not least, the water heater itself operates more efficiently by virtue of the fact that the air intake vent of the water heater is ducted to draw air in from the attic above it (air that's usually pretty warm).
So the free heat from the attic is used to make the water heater operate more efficiently, then the free cold air from the water heater is used to make the home HVAC operate more efficiently (when keeping the home cool). When winter comes I flip a couple of duct levers by the water heater and force the cold air byproduct from the water heater to blow up into the attic (away from our living quarters while I'm trying to keep the house warm).
It's embarrassing that I didn't think to do this as soon as I heard about hybrid water heaters.
“...sophisticated ventilation system...
AKA: random tunnels”
Yep, they are called Air Tubes and have been in use in Earthships for 50 years.
They want us to eat bugs, so if we live in termite mounds, our food will be right there.
I doubt that. With the consumption of all that fiber, there's got to be a few cases of cheese being cut.
There is no such thing as climate friendly AC. This is a term the creeps and liars use to guilt you into using existing tech. If they succeed then the formerly climate friendly AC becomes regular AC and they begin inveighing THAT . Rinse repeat.
Used to call them ‘cooling towers’
It’ll have to be extraordinarily “efficient” to make any difference when it’s 115 degrees in AZ.
I’m sorry, but what works in Sweden isn’t going to cut in Houston in August.
“There is no such thing as climate friendly AC. “
To start with, the termite thing is air circulation, like a fan. An air conditioner lowers the temperature of the air and also dehumidifies it by condensing out water on its cooling coils.
Air conditioners require enough energy that in today’s world means climate-unfriendly electric power generation is needed.
Yes.
It is the architect’s dream.
Structural Ductwork.
*Florida Architect*
University professors discover fire can be used for heat!
In the time before air conditioning building were designed with airflow in mind. See former AT&T building at 32 Avenue of Americas, central staircase with opening vents on top of building. Teddy Roosevelt mansion (IE: Sagamore Hill)in Oyster Bay, central staircase with skylight at top.
The author of this piece has missed a fundamental truth. As anyone who has ever had an ant farm, or sliced a termite mound open on the Serengeti knows, the insects keep cool by THERMAL MASS, not “sophisticated ventilation systems”. I doubt that anything with a brain would be content to live in windowless buildings with 40 foot thick walls, but you might approach the same thermal efficiencies as a termite mound.
Also, being blind, termites don’t need lights. Basically, it is going back to the caves, without the torches
” Termite mounds have a sophisticated ventilation system “
No they don’t.
” Earthships”
We were forced to watch a documentary on this by the state of California when I was employed briefly by the state. They were asking for volunteers to go help build this “green” monstrosity. Even when I was young and stupid I saw how ridiculous and brilliant this was. The guys funding their personal houses had idiots volunteer to round up junk (old tires, old bottles, rotten hay bails) and bring them to their property. Then other volunteers hauled dirt and rocks to make the walls. And other idiot volunteers performed all the labor for free. Once finished and planted these guys got a massive house built by chumps at a very low cost.
I saw this on “eco-farms” all the time when I lived on Kauai. Idiot rich people would gain their environmental indulgences and volunteer to go work on some farm. Awful work, like picking the snails out of the Hanalei taro patches and pulling weeds on muddy cocoa orchards. What a great deal. Spend thousands on a vacation to do yard work for someone else.
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