When windows define the condition of thermal performance in naturally ventilated environments: the specific case of multifamily buildings in Vitoria, ES

The adoption of guidelines for the passive thermal conditioning assists in minimizing the energy consumption of a building, especially when associated with construction components with thermal characteristics appropriate to the planned strategies. Among these strategies, for humid tropical climates, the ventilation assumes fundamental importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the window on thermal performance in multifamily residential buildings in the Vitória (ES) city, considering the two windows typology, with emphasis on natural ventilation. Three steps were established: Characterization of the usual typologies in multifamily buildings; Definition of the method for analysis of thermal performance in naturally ventilated environments with the usual typology, considering the frequency of thermal discomfort and the degrees hours of thermal discomfort for the summer season; and Simulations with software DesignBuilder. For the final diagnosis it was adopted the variation between the frequency of thermal discomfort and the degree/hour of thermal discomfort characterizing the thermal performance of the environment. The evaluation showed that the usual window in Vitória (ES) is inefficient for obtaining thermal comfort, considering the natural ventilation as passive thermal conditioning.

Natural ventilation; Types of windows; Thermal performance; Simulations