Bio-Climatic Chart for Different Climatic Zones of North-East India

This article examines and analyses the climates of Northeast India with respect to building design parameters: temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity/direction and solar radiation, with a view to providing passive solar design potential for the achievement of physiological comfort. It presents the work on development of bio-climatic zones for the region. The major climatic types of the region are warm and humid, cool and humid and cold and cloudy zones. A bio-climatic approach is adopted in which the comfort zone and 12 monthly climatic lines are determined and plotted on the psychrometric chart for each climatic zone. From these bioclimatic charts, the potential use of passive design strategies such as solar heating, natural ventilation, thermal mass, thermal mass with night ventilation and evaporative cooling are assessed. A total of five passive design strategies are considered. It is expected that this study will help in explaining the different passive features, which are present in traditional buildings of the region and also help the architects to design modern climate responsive energy efficient buildings in the region.