In the building boom since the 1960's a lack of concern about thermal performance of buildings has led to increased use of air conditioning. The process of regulating the thermal performance of building in accordance with the EU Directive but also increased awareness of environmental issues is resulting in efforts to find feasible ways of improving the thermal performance of buildings. Recent research shows that improvement in the design of buildings can mitigate problems associated with local weather conditions. This paper describes how a combination of passive measures active air preconditioning can reduce the energy intensity of buildings to vey low levels.
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