Abstract
One of the purposes of thermal performance standards for buildings is to evaluate the building envelope, identifying those building that are appropriate and can guarantee a minimum performance and hence the thermal comfort of users. In Brazil, there are currently two standards that regulate the thermal performance of residential buildings: NBR 15220 (2005) and NBR 15575 (2013). Some studies point out inconsistencies in these standards, especially with regard to the limit values for the thermo-physical characteristics of walls and roofs. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the thermal comfort of a multifamily residential building, adopting Mahoney's limit values, comparing these results with those obtained through the normative values for each of Brazil's bioclimatic zones. The analysis was performed through simulations using EnergyPlus© during one year in 24 Brazilian cities. The results point to the need to review especially the values adopted for the thermal capacity of walls and the thermal transmittance and solar absorptance of envelopes in NBR 15220 (2005), as well as the need to establish values for the thermal capacity of walls and the thermal capacity and solar absorptance of envelopes in the case of NBR 15575.
Keywords:
Thermal performance simulation; Thermal performance standards; Envelope thermo-physical characteristics
