Solar Chimney for Sustainable Natural Ventilation in Buildings: A Systematic Review of Design Innovations, Hybrid Coupling, and Performance Enhancement

Abstract

The construction industry has faced a persistent dilemma about how to achieve sustainable natural ventilation without increasing energy use, especially across varying climatic conditions. On the basis of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines, this systematic review summarizes 30 central studies of 2015–2026 on the Solar‐Chimney (SC) system, including structural design innovations, hybrid couplings, and performance optimization strategies. The reviewed studies report chimney heights of 10.5–13 m, cavity depths of 12–23 cm, and inclination optima from 20° to 55°, but these values are conditional on geometry, climate, and performance objective; reported airflow scaling follows and . Hybridization with earth–air heat exchangers sustains 24 h ventilation, reduces indoor temperatures by 3°C–12°C, delivers airflow of 56–388 m 3 /h, and achieves a 40% reduction in cooling energy. Temperature decrease of 3°C–7°C and air changes per hour of 4–6 were noted in the hot‐arid climates. Multiobjective optimization of 19,008 design options doubled airflow (1.2–2.7 m 3 /s) and cut cooling energy by 30%–32%. In polyvinyl chloride tube chimneys, height‐to‐diameter ratios below 16 are associated with reverse flow, while radiative cooling is restricted in humid climates. The review finds a significant potential of SCs as passive‐ventilation systems, especially when hybridized, but it has been concluded that there are significant gaps in field validation, standardized performance metrics, life‐cycle cost analysis, and high‐fidelity transient models, which need to be addressed in future research toward multiseasonal, scalable, and climate‐adaptive building integration.