Windcatcher as sustainable passive cooling solution for natural ventilation in hot humid climate of Malaysia

Two third of buildings' energy consumption is associated to HVAC systems. Windcatcher is a green traditional method of natural ventilation which has been applied for centuries in Middle East. Nevertheless, tropical climate, this green feature is not a common architectural element. In Malaysia as a developing country, buildings account for 23% of total energy consumption and statistics reveals that the their CO2 emissions boomed in recent decade. Due, to high ambient temperature and humidity a great share of buildings energy consumption is related to cooling and ventilation systems. Windcatcher can reduce temperature and provide fresh air for occupants as well as reduction in CO2 concentration inside the building. This old traditional technique can be merged with new building designs to raise the green concept in the building sector. This paper aimed to present a perspective of windcatcher implementation in tropical climate of Malaysia.