BUILDING OCCUPANCY & THERMAL PERFORMANCE: A CASE STUDY IN DIFFERENT CLIMATE ZONES IN BRAZIL

Abstract

This study investigates the difference in buildings' thermal performance due to different parameters of home permanence from those proposed by Thermal Standards in distinct climate zones. It is based on the changes in the occupation of residential buildings in recent years, due to the greater flexibility of remote work, for instance. Different scenarios were performed through the building design of single-family houses and 4-story multifamily buildings, using as variables: the use of equipment, presence of people, windows opening, and four climate zoning. The pattern of building use recommended by the Brazilian Standard regards only night residence occupancy, while the study considers alternative scenarios by day and night occupancy. Results show that alternative scenarios presented the lowest percentage of hours in the thermal comfort range and higher annual thermal discomfort degrees-hours. Also, great differences are observed in results between cold and hot climates. Those finds indicate the need for standards updates to match the reality of residential building uses and suggest that design solutions should be climate-specific, aiming for greater thermal comfort for the user and, at the same time, potentiating the energy efficiency of the building.

Keywords

• Thermal performance
• building uses
• design thermal simulation