⌛ Earthship Green Home in Philippines ??

still I have not been able to find any examples in a tropical climate, air ventilation seems the most used and effective methode sometimes the suroundings are put to use. I am not sure what the effectiveness is of ground cooling it also seems most effective when there is serious differences between ground temperature and air. And I am not sure that is the case in a climate that basicaly always is warm and humid.

just cooling a space without getting rid of suprlus water seems trouble to me

if I would build in the Philipines this would be my angle, bahay na bato:

there are some nice examples of such real philippino(-spanish) architecture, with sliding pannels etc.

have a look here Photography, Heritage and Architecture - SkyscraperCity

that place is full of threads and pictures on architecture in the Philippines

Going back to former building methodes in a country has its advantages, they tend to take a lot of issues in consideration that are still valid, fit in the country (there are more then enough really ugly buildings in Ph).

It seems a simple design that should not give local contractors much problems, not too flashy/show-off from the outside en pretty good on the safety side. Still a lot of ways to make it your own from veranda's outside to a modern variant.

 

Since I've never measured the soil temperature at depth in the Philippines I don't know what the temperature difference is. I did find this entry in Wikipedia however.

Since there is often little air temperature change in most areas in the Philippines I would have to believe that even at a depth of 40 feet there wouldn't be enough change to make the system effective.
I wonder what difference elevation would make? IOW, would a ground-coupled heat exchange system work in Baguio?

 

even if you where able to cool from the ground you are still faced with the humidity as soon as you cool the air the whole place will become wet, just being able to bring the humidity down would already make the athmosphere a lot more comfortable I would think, the air temperature is not so extreme if the air was dry.

If you would be able to pump air through a pipe system in the ground logic says it will end up full of water, right? Shade, plants and ventilation still seem the most practical to me.

 

Which leads us back to the noble Bahay Kubo. The elevated floor keeps the structure away from ground water and allows air to flow underneath. The lightweight materials limit thermal storage. Overhangs keep the afternoon sun from directly heating the walls. The high ceiling allows the hot air to rise away from the living area. With the addition of a little technology these basic principles can be used to design a comfortable, modern home.

 

yes certainly nothing wrong with them but stone at ground level seems more secure, I rather avoid having a house what can be entered with hacking through the floor with a bolo :D Seen them build of coconut wood and that seems a bit more sturdy, still pretty easy for somebody to burn the place. Also seen them on a stone foundation.

 

Closed Loop Systems for cooling

There are closed-loop systems that solve this problem. Matter of fact, water could actually be used as the vehicle for transferring coolness from 5 feet down to the flooring in your home. Normally an antifreeze sort of substance is used but in the Philippines, I am sure freezing would not be an issue.

Look up Closed Loop Systems. And once again, this would only work under very specific conditions -- not just anywhere in the Philippines. Look me up in three or four years and I think I could show you it would work.

 

thanks I will have a look, it is a subject that has my interest (I don't want to be right or something just looking to expand my knowledge)

A large hotel next to me uses a system where they have drilled a deep well and pump the water around, to heat in the summer and cool in the winter but that is in a North-Sea climate. It is used more and more here but mainly for very large buildings. Although some houseboats use the openwater system.
Geothermal heat pump - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Closed Loop Systems for cooling

I noticed that relationship too (larger buildings embrace this technology more so than smaller homes). I expect it might be more cost-effective for a large building. A huge building can't exactly hide from the sun so it takes a considerable amount of energy to cool them. More or less FREE energy pays for the higher initial start-up cost in the long run.

 

I would not be surprised if you drill deep in Phi you get a high temperatures rather then lower

you might be better of with a small scale geothermal power plant/generator of some kind :D

Some member here is in the oil business he might know a bit more about it.

 

Gentlemen, I think I have stumbled across the right place to build or buy a home: Go west ... as in 2,000 kilometers West -- or to be more precise, North West, to Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The cost of living is just about the same. Weather there scores about a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10 (I would rate weather in the PI as about a 3, considering the heat and humidity), the Thai government does not thrive on corruption as some other places do, and with a Buddhist temples on practically every corner -- what more could an aging photographer wish far.
There are about 20,000 foreigners living in Chiang Mai, and no, they are not all there for the sex. (Those farang usually head for Bangkok or further south to Phuket).
Like any other country, when you weigh the good against the bad, no place is anywhere near perfect. Thailand has its share of corruption for sure. Seems like a new scam is reported just about every day. Still the place is known as the Land of Smiles.
I like to keep all options open and might even consider spending part of the year in the Philippines. One of my long range goals is to travel as much as my health will allow.
--Rich--