This paper proposes a method for the evaluation of the global thermal of low-cost single-family one-floor dwellings, considering the climate of Porto Alegre, Brazil. This method uses requirements and criteria that are easy to apply by professionals involved in this type of project, which complement the recently approved Brazilian building performance standards. The thermal parameters were obtained from the literature and include global heat flow coefficients, thermal inertia and effusivity, among others. Reference values were obtained from Brazilian standards and through the thermal analysis of four dwellings, two of them submitted to in situ measurements, considered as typical in the context of the region. The method was submitted to the evaluation of representatives of local governmental organizations involved in the design, financing, building, and evaluation of low-cost housing as well as by experts from Brazilian research and teaching institutions. Seventeen parameters for evaluation and three degrees of performance were defined, in accordance to availability of government resources. The findings indicate that the variation of thermal effusivity among the dwellings was very low, and confirmed the importance of roofs for the performance of one-floor houses.
Hygrothermal performance; Low-cost housing; Performance evaluation