Energy consumption
In
tropical regions energy consumption is usually high because
of the
need
for cooling. In the Caribbean hospitality and
office sector, cooling accounts for 50 to 80 %
of the electricity consumption. Lighting is the second major consumer, being
responsible for approximately 10 to 20 % of the electricity bill.
Cooling
Since cooling
is the largest energy consumer, it seems obvious that reducing the cooling demand
will decrease electricity costs considerably. The cooling load of an average
building (office or hotel) can be divided into:
- heat conduction through the
walls and roofs (30% to50%)
- heat irradiation through the windows (20%
to 30%)
- heat generation by people and appliances (20%
to 40%)
- heat infiltration due to (natural or forced)
ventilation (10%)