Energy optimization in a warm humid climate— A case study of some health facilities in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

All buildings, irrespective of their uses are supposed to provide internal environments that will respond to human physiological, sociological and psychological needs. Sociological and psychological needs are often responded to during design process while the physiological needs are often assumed and left at the mercy of technological solutions. While this practice does not create problems in developed countries because the technology to achieve this is always available, the economic situations and the lag in technological development do not give the developing countries (most of which lie within the tropics) the liberty to solely rely on these technological solutions. Using a few health facilities as case studies, this paper examines climatic factors that would create the necessary comfortable interior space without much reliance on active energy and concludes that if all the climatic factors are property considered during the design process, comfortable internal spaces can be achieved without the use of mechanical equipment.