Energy improvement studies normally use energy demand reduction as an indicator, disregarding dwellings that do not use air-conditioning systems or do so only under extreme weather conditions. They also do not quantify the impact of climate change on results. This research seeks to evaluate and prioritize energy improvements for existing Uruguayan dwellings, assessing energy demand and thermal comfort in both the current and future climate. A social dwelling was monitored and calibrated to assess energy efficiency measures simulating the current climate and for 2050 (IPCC Scenario A2). The results show that improvements must be linked to the use of air-conditioning in dwellings. When air-conditioning use is unknown, for example, in public policy, thermal transmittance in walls should be between 0.50–0.61 W/m2 K, in roofs between 0.32–0.47 W/m2 K, in openings 2.7 W/m2 K, airtightness under 5 ACH n50 and with solar protections. However, when the use under free running is certain, thermal transmittance in walls and roofs should be 0.85 W/m2 K with an airtightness of 9.2 ACH n50 and solar protection used to avoid overheating. The operational ventilation and solar protection parameters were helpful to guarantee comfort, underlining the need for their inclusion and to train those who use them.
Human wellbeing and their quality of life is linked to daylight. However, this is being hindered by the rapid growth of cities, promoted by regulatory frameworks and the interests of property developers that seek high-rise densification and re-densification of certain urban areas, jeopardizing access to daylight. This article proposes a methodology to evaluate the impact of urban re-densification on indoor lighting demand in high-rise buildings in Ecuador and its relationship with energy poverty. It analyzes the urban and building features of Quito, considering the location conditions of buildings and using simulation tools to explore solar irradiance reductions on the façade. It also analyzes increases in lighting demand, while determining the extreme conditions, considering an increase in energy consumption, the average salary, and the Ten Percent Rule. The results show that daylight obstructions and umbral cones generated when facing a high-rise re-densification scenario in the city reduce daylight by between 40% and 80%, generating increases of between 2% and 498% in lighting demand when compared to an unobstructed scenario. These re-densification scenarios may cause significant social problems associated with energy poverty. In conclusion, according to the Ten Percent Rule, buildings should be limited to four stories for streets under 10 m wide, between four and six stories for those between 10 and 14 m, and between six and nine stories for streets that are between 14 and 18 m wide. This research seeks to help public policy developers in making future decisions about risks that are currently not considered in urban planning and that may contradict sustainable development goals.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.