Modeling and Analysis of the Thermal Behavior of Passive Techniques for Residential Apartment Buildings in Tropical Climate: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Abstract:

The vertical growth of cities is a general phenomenon in many countries, aiming to address a more efficient use of space, due to the high cost of the urban area. In the Dominican Republic, approximately 11% of households are apartment buildings, being the second predominant group of residential buildings. According to the National Statistics Office (ONE), the construction of this type of residential buildings is growing significantly, especially in the biggest city of the country. This research has analyzed the interior thermal behavior of these types of households using DesignBuilder®, an energy and environmental simulation software, searching for passive alternatives to allow the reduction of interior temperatures, as a result of overheating because of the tropical climate conditions. The most common type of four levels buildings have been analyzed in this study, through the evaluation of different parameters, such as the optimal orientation, the effect of using sunshades in the windows, and the modification of the building envelope. The objective of the study if to identifying the best alternatives to achieve the thermal comfort of the building, without the use of active control climate techniques such as air conditioning.

• Periodical: Construction Technologies and Architecture (Volume 5)
• Pages: 53-60
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-l85qy9
• Online since: April 2023
• Authors: Yokasta García Frómeta*, Jesús Cuadrado, Jesús María Blanco, Víctor González, Maggi Madrid
• Keywords: DesignBuilder, Dominican Republic, Indoor Temperature, Residential Building, Simulation Case Study, Thermal Comfort

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DOI: 10.25145/c.educomp.2018.16.054

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DOI: 10.1177/1420326X18792968

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