Comparison of the energy demand with the envelope limitations of the performance normative of Brazil and Spain

Buildings consume 42.6% of the electricity generated in Brazil, and the residential sector is responsible for 21,4% of that amount, in other words, almost a quarter of the generated electricity. Add to this fact, the housing deficit was almost 6 million in 2019 in the country. The purpose of this article is to analyze the results of the heating and cooling demand of a social residential building designed in an H shape, in Passo Fundo, in southern Brazil, from the perspective of the thermal transmittance limitation of the Brazilian normative (NBR 15575) and the Spanish Technical Code (CTE). The main objective is to verify and analyze the existing differences and potentials in the comparison between the regulations, evaluating the thermal envelope of a typical social housing building. The method used to obtain results was a computer simulation, using EnergyPlus software as an energy calculation engine and Sketchup 2017 for the modeling, with the Euclid plugin, which directly sends data to the energy simulation program. The building was simulated with climate data from the city of Passo Fundo, belonging to the Brazilian Bioclimatic Zone 2 (BZ2), and was compared to the transmittance level required for the D1 climate of Spain, as required by the CTE. Finally, it is possible to evidence that there is a decrease in the building’s energy demand as thermal insulation is incorporated into the walls and roof, to reach the strictest standard requirement levels. This article intends to show the potential for improvement in Brazilian regulations and the path to be followed concerning energy improvement in buildings.