Energy, Economic, and Environmental Performance of a Single-Family House in Chile Built to Passivhaus Standard

Abstract

The energy consumption of buildings accounts for 22% of total global energy use and 13% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, this study aims to evaluate the energy, economic, and environmental performance of housing in Chile built according to the Passivhaus (PH) standard. The standard was applied to housing in eight representative climate zones with a single-family residence as reference. The analysis incorporated passive strategies, which are considered as pillars of the PH. The energy performance was analyzed using the Passive House Planning Package software (PHPP), version 9.6a. The results showed that when every passive strategy is implemented, the heating energy demand decreases by 93%, while the refrigeration demand is nonexistent. These results were achieved through a 37% increase in the overall initial budget investment, which will be amortized over an 11-year period. In this way, the primary energy consumption is reduced by 32% and, correspondingly, CO2 emissions are reduced by 39%. In modern Chile, it is difficult (but not impossible) to incorporate PH. However, governmental programs and aids could represent an initial step. Therefore, this research will help to identify strategies for incorporating PH in Chile, with the aim of improving the energy performance of housing.

Analysis and evaluation of the thermal performance of roofing systems used in dry construction for residential buildings located in the city of Santiago de Cali and its area of influence

“…Se afirma que, para América del Sur, por ejemplo, la instalación de pequeños equipos de AC se da al pie de cada ventana en viviendas de carácter social y edificios institucionales, en ambos casos los sistemas centralizados de aire mitigan los efectos del calor a costa de una mayor demanda de energía, este factor multiplicado por la ineficiencia de los equipos evidencia el alto consumo generado a través del tiempo (2) . Por esta razón, la influencia de la temperatura en es un aspecto crucial a tener en cuenta en la gestión de la energía en las zonas urbanas más aun cuando se espera un aumento de días calurosos en la mayoría de las regiones terrestres, especialmente en los trópicos, por lo tanto, el efecto potencial del cambio climático en el entorno de la construcción es una cuestión crítica, especialmente en lo que respecta a su diseño y funcionamiento (3) , además de las implicaciones que este aspecto tiene en la salud humana ya que los estados de calor o deshidratación pueden conducir a cambios conductuales y de orden cognitivo que afectan el rendimiento físico y mental del individuo (4) .…”

Indoor Air Quality Assessment of Latin America’s First Passivhaus Home

“…Since then, other dwellings have achieved certification, but have only been subject to scientific scrutiny through virtual modelling, mainly through the PHPP; until now. These studies show evidence of the thermal comfort [8], energy [9,10], economic [11,12], and environmental [13] performance, as well as the feasibility [14,15] of Passivhaus buildings in Latin America. Their measured performance evaluation is limited to thermal comfort [16], energy [17], or limited to short (≤3 months) term studies [18].…”