Glossary

Terms for Architecture, Green Building & Energy

This glossary includes more than 300 solar terms, as well as hundreds of additional sustainable design and construction terms.

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Thermal Chimney

Definition 1: An air heating device that provides a constant vacuum which may be used to vent the house, bring warm air from collectors, or pull air from cool towers, earth tubes or rock bed coolers. This creates what is called a "stack effect."

Definition 2: Static chimneys are used at high level to provide natural ventilation in buildings. Variations in height between the chimney and the occupied space allow the creation of temperature differentials, which in turn promote natural ventilation via the buoyancy effect. Enhancements can be made by installing fans within the chimney. This fan could be solar powered to reduce energy consumption.