Energy efficiency and sustainability: evaluation of the thermal performance of coverings and of the behavior of transparent materials in relation to solar radiation

Abstract

Coverings and transparent surfaces merit special attention when dealing with thermal comfort of buildings, since they are elements vulnerable to considerable heat gain, especially in places with a great amount of insolation, as is the case in Brazil. Transparent surfaces also have to meet the needs of illumination, which when conjugated with the requirements for termal comfort, guarantee the energy efficiency of the building. The present work aims to study the behavior of these two elements through measurements of prototypes. It is intended to evaluate the thermal performance both of combinations of ceilings and roofing existing on the market as well as experimental elements which are being developed in the Civil Construction Laboratory of the Department of Architecture at the São Carlos School of Engineering. These experimental coverings address the concept of sustainability, in that there is an effort to use materials derived from renewable resources, which require the least amount of energy possible, both in the sourcing phase and in the processing phase.With reference to the transparent materials, it is also intended to study the thermal and luminous behavior in loco of glasses, polycarbonates and solar control films, characterized in previous research. (AU)