Lowtech solutions (1)

Way too often hightech solutions are percieved as the only solutions for the present energy problems. Still, often also a lowtech approach can offer a valuable solution for many problems. Lowtech means here using some simple phenomena from physics, such as evaporative heat, radiative reflection, thermal mass,... as the basis to generate heat, cold, light,... .

A first example: cooling based on the principle of evaporative heat:

source: Weston Mill Pottery

1) A wine cooler made of ceramic only needs to be wetted with water to chill the bottle of wine. Every summer, the simplicity of this technique amazes me.










2) Sprinkling water mist in the streets can create a local temperature drop in a hot climate: I experienced myself the positive effect at the World Expo in 1992 in Sevilla, Spain and at the World Expo in 2010 in Shanghai

3) Green roofs: they have many functions, but the evaporation of the rain water, buffered in the green roof has a positive cooling effect on the urban heat island effect, often observed in an urban environment.

To be continued...