Impact Analysis of Bioclimatic Strategies on the Thermoenergetic Performance of a Pilot Plant in Southern Brazil

AbstractNatural resources in the current scenario of energy production and consumption demands appropriate management. Due to increasing urbanization worldwide, energy consumption optimization has become fundamental, including in the building sector. Many authors mention bioclimatic architecture as an intelligent way to achieve energy efficiency, reducing energy consumption while providing thermal comfort for the users. This paper aims to evaluate the energetic performance of a bioclimatic pilot plant in Bioclimatic zone 2. The methodology to evaluate the energetic performance of the bioclimatic building was developed from hygrothermal measurements and simulations in eQUEST version 3.65. The building was compared to its similar nonbioclimatic one by changing its envelope characteristics in the simulation. The results show the efficiency of bioclimatic strategies, which ensures the building’s thermal and hygrometric stability, besides thermal comfort conditions most of the time. Consequently, these strategies allow one to reduce about 25% of the electric energy consumption compared to the nonbioclimatic building.