This paper reviews the results from a field survey of thermal comfort within two types of buildings; old (traditional) and new (contemporary), in Ghadames oasis in Libya. The survey was undertaken in the summer seasons 1997 and 1998, which were typical of the hot-dry climate of North Africa. It shows how the 237 residents responded to the environmental conditions. Questionnaires were collected from the residents of 51 buildings: 24 old buildings that employ natural ventilation systems with courtyards and 27 new buildings that employ air-conditioning systems.

Seven years after the groundbreaking Queen's Building, ventilation towers are back on the campus agenda with this passive solar library for Coventry University. How has the design moved forward?

Covers low energy cooling technologies, the numerical design tools, and case study buildings.

This paper discusses the application of a new strategy approach for the room air conditioning. The basis of the classification is different aims or ideas of the temperature, gas, particle, humidity distributions and room air flow patterns that can be created within a room. A certain strategy can be applied by using different system combinations of room air distribution, exhaust, heating and cooling methods and their control. The realization of an ideal strategy is also dependent on the operating parameters and internal sources.

During the last fifty years air condition i ng has become commonplace in commercial buildings and, in this time, we have managed to generate a poor image, both in the press and among the people who occupy air conditioned buildings. How have we succeeded in turning what people in hot countries regard as a blessing into a target for criticism and even abuse?

The book discusses issues raised by the "experience effect", such as price-cost cycles, competition for learning opportunities in the market, risk of "technology lockout" and the effects of research, development and deployment policies on technology learning. Case studies illustrate how experience curves can be used to set policy targets and to design policy measures that will encourage both investment in and use of environment-friendly energy technologies. Low-cost paths to stabilising CO2 emissions are explored.