Recent progress on passive cooling techniques: Advanced technological developments to improve survivability levels in low-income households

Low-income households in developed and less developed countries suffer from serious indoor environmental problems such as heat stress, lack of comfort and poor indoor air quality. Passive cooling of buildings and in particular solar and heat protection techniques, heat dissipation and heat amortisation techniques have reached a very high degree of maturity. New technological developments have proven extremely efficient in decreasing the need for cooling and improving indoor environmental conditions. Developments on the field of solar and heat protection, such as highly reflective coatings for the urban environment and the building envelope and new knowledge and developments on the field of ground and convective cooling and ventilation, may help low-income citizens to considerably improve their quality of life during the overheating period. These new developments are characterised by low cost and are easy to apply.