The importance of optimizing thermal comfort in interior spaces through passive means cannot be over-emphasized, especially in tropical regions in order to lower energy demand for cooling and to promote sustainable practices in Sub-Sahara Regions like Nigeria. This paper aimed at assessing the potential of passive cooling potentials in selected Nigerian Universities’ buildings in the North-East sub-region. In this study, quantitative method of data collection was adopted. Three cases were studied such as Administrative Building of Gombe State University (GSU), Senate Building of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi (ATBU) and Administrative Building of Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola (MAUTECH). The results of the study are presented in simple percentages, tables, figures and frequencies in adherence to the checklists derived from Contemporary Methods of Passive Cooling established by Santamouris & Kolokotsa as follows: MAUTECH’s Administrative Building scored 45% while ATBU Senate Building assessed to have 48% and GSU Administrative Building got 55%. This connotes that, designers should embrace passive elements in design and construction of office buildings in Nigeria as two of the three case studies fell below 50%.
Lack of government policies on efficient use of energy in buildings is one of the limiting factors toward achieving sustainable environment and development. Although, government has been setting targets to increase electricity generation in Nigeria, there is little or no consideration for its efficient usage in buildings. In order to propose an energy efficient office building, energy audit of existing similar structures should be conducted. Thus, this research aims at finding the energy demand of University Senate Buildings in North West-Nigeria (hot dry climate) in order to serve as a bench mark for further researches. Senate Buildings of three universities were studied, namely: Northwest University, Kano (NUK), Bayero University, Kano (BUK) and Umaru Musa Yaradua University, Katsina (UMYUK). Quantitative approach was adopted to carry out the audit and results were recorded as follows: NUK: 258,770.4kwh, BUK: 190,338.24kwh and UMYUK: 190,338.24kwh. The three results indicated high demand for energy by the existing case studies which necessitate researches on how to lower this demand to the barest minimum and to propose more sustainable design approaches.
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