Thermal Comfort Analysis Using System Dynamics Modeling—A Sustainable Scenario Proposition for Low-Income Housing in Brazil

Cylon Liaw (), Vitória Elisa da Silva, Rebecca Maduro, Milena Megrè, Julio Cesar de Souza Inácio Gonçalves, Edmilson Moutinho dos Santos and Dominique Mouette
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Cylon Liaw: Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil
Vitória Elisa da Silva: Institute of Technological and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38064-200, Brazil
Rebecca Maduro: Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil
Milena Megrè: Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil
Julio Cesar de Souza Inácio Gonçalves: Institute of Technological and Exact Sciences, Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro, Uberaba 38064-200, Brazil
Edmilson Moutinho dos Santos: Institute of Energy and Environment, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-010, Brazil
Dominique Mouette: School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 03828-000, Brazil

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-20

Abstract: As a riveting example of social housing in Brazil, the Minha Casa Minha Vida program was set in 2009 to diminish the 6-million-home housing deficit by offering affordable dwellings for low-income families. However, recurrent thermal discomfort complaints occur among dwellers, especially in the Baltimore Residential sample in Uberlândia City. To avoid negative effects of energy poverty, such as family budget constraints from the purchase of electric appliances and extra costs from power consumption, a simulation based on system dynamics modeling shows a natural ventilation strategy with a mixed combination of sustainable and energy-efficient materials (tilting window with up to 100% opening, green tempered glass, and expanded polystyrene wall) to observe the internal room temperature variation over time. With a 50% window opening ratio combined with a 3 mm regular glass window and a 12.5 cm rectangular 8-hole brick wall, this scenario presents the highest internal room temperature value held during the entire period. From the worst to the best-case scenario, a substantial reduction in the peak temperature was observed from window size variation, demonstrating that natural ventilation and constructive elements of low complexity and wide availability in the market contribute to the thermal comfort of residential rooms.

Keywords: system dynamics; thermal comfort; Minha Casa Minha Vida; natural ventilation; bioclimatic architecture; social housing; energy poverty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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