Towards a Brazilian standard for naturally ventilated buildings: guidelines for thermal and air movement acceptability

Abstract

In 2001, Brazil suffered an electricity energy crisis as a result of meteorological conditions and poor strategic investments. One of the most important outcomes was the establishment of the energy efficiency law by the Federal Government, after long ten years of politic process. After this landmark event, the Brazilian Government has been promoting energy conservation initiatives including the Thermal Performance in Buildings-Brazilian Bioclimatic Zones and Building Guidelines for Low-Cost Houses (ABNT, NBR 15220-3, 2005) and the Federal Regulation for Voluntary Labelling of Energy Efficiency Levels in Commercial, Public and Service Buildings (Carlo and Lamberts, 2008). These new regulations summarize an immense effort in order to provide guidelines based on Brazil's climate requirements for designers with specific items related to lighting systems, HVAC and building's thermal envelope. Yet requirements for naturally ventilated indoor environments appear as an open category. This paper summarizes a first attempt in order to define guidelines for naturally ventilated environments in which specifications for thermal and air movement acceptability goals must be achieved.11 page(s