Form conditions and energy performance of single -family housing in Central-South Chile

Authors

  • Rodrigo Garcia Alvarado Universidad del Bío-Bío
  • Alex Gonzalez Universidad del Bío-Bío

Abstract

The energy consumption of the residential sector has been increasing and the formconditions have been suggested as one of the critical aspects in the environmental behavior of dwellings. In centralsouth Chile, there is a predominance of single-family housing with independent volumetrics, which may have a considerable effect on their energy performance. In order to clarify the effect of formal characteristics on the environmental behavior of this typology, the paper reviewsseveral studies and the main conditions of dwellings in the area, followed by an analysis based on energy simulations of a model with different configurations with the same surface and constructional properties. The analysis results enable the identification of an important influence on the variation, contiguity and height of energy demand, with low impact of solar orientation. The conclusions suggest a regulatory factor corresponding to the surface of exposed walls, which is expressed on their formal and material importance; such a factor may be implemented to promote the energy consumption reduction and the environmental improvement of dwellings in the area.

Author Biographies

Rodrigo Garcia Alvarado, Universidad del Bío-Bío

Architect, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.MA in Architecture, Technical University of Madrid, Spain.PhD in Architecture, Technical University of Catalonia, Spain.Academic, Department of Design and Theory of Architecture and Director of the Doctoral Program in Architecture, University of Bio-Bio. Email: rgarcia@ubiobio.cl

Alex Gonzalez, Universidad del Bío-Bío

Researcher at the Research Center on Construction Technologies, University of Bio-Bio. Email: alex.gonzalez.caceres@gmail.com