Análise de conforto e desempenho térmico de habitações unifamiliares no semiárido mineiro

Abstract

The transmittance of the envelope is a critical aspect of the thermal performance of buildings, especially in regions with extreme climatic characteristics. In this context, this work aimed to analyze the comfort and thermal performance of single-family homes in the semi-arid region of Minas Gerais state, considering the use of construction materials with different levels of thermal transmittances. Computer simulations were performed using the Energyplus software using TMYx-type climatic files, for the municipalities of Araçuaí, Januária, Monte Azul, Pedra Azul, and Pirapora, in Minas Gerais. The combination of wall and roof construction materials with high, medium, and low global thermal transmittance was varied. The results showed that, from the point of view of the comfort and thermal performance, the use of materials with medium and low transmittance was equivalent, resulting in higher annual percentages of comfort hours and a lower need for degrees-hour of cooling, in all municipalities analyzed. Despite this, better performance of the simulated building with medium transmittance materials was observed in the winter months. Finally, it was found that, although the municipalities of Araçuaí, Januária, Monte Azul and Pirapora are in different bioclimatic zones, they presented similar responses concerning the evaluated thermal indicators, and that the cities of Araçuaí and Pedra Azul, even being in the same bioclimatic zone, they presented opposite responses, which suggests the need for an improvement in the criteria for the definition of bioclimatic zones in the semi-arid region of Minas Gerais.