Abstract
In Mexico, residents of low income housing mainly achieve thermal comfort through mechanical ventilation and electrical air conditioning systems. Though government and private efforts have risen to meet an increasing demand for social housing, the average construction quality and thermal comfort of new housing stock has decreased over the years. Various programs and regulations have been implemented to address these concerns, including the 2011 residential building standard NOM-020-ENER-2011. This standard attempts to limit heat gains in residential buildings, in order to reduce the energy consumption required from cooling systems, and was intended to be applied throughout Mexico. NOM-020-ENER-2011, however, divides the country into just four climatic zones and only considers the energy use of cooling systems, disregarding heating costs. The recommendations of this policy are thus inadequate for the many regions in Mexico that have mild to moderate winters. This study discusses the assumptions and calculations that underlie NOM-020-ENER-2011, identifying several problems and recommending specific changes to the standard that would lead to greater comfort and lower energy use throughout Mexico.
Highlights
Well-applied energy efficiency standards are among the most cost-effective measures to reduce national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
Alfano et al broadly discuss the concept of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), stating that to apply and trust energy and building codes uncritically will lead to inaccuracies in compliance [15]
NOM-020 is based on the TETD (Total Equivalent Temperature Differential) method published by the ASHRAE in the 1960s
Summary
Well-applied energy efficiency standards are among the most cost-effective measures to reduce national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Evans et al [12] recently measured the state of implementation of building energy codes in six cities: Rajkot, India; Bogota, Colombia; Tshwane, South Africa; Da Nang, Vietnam; Eskisehir, Turkey; and Mexico City, Mexico This cities were selected for their strong commitment in the buildings section of the Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) nonprofit organization [13]. Alfano et al broadly discuss the concept of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), stating that to apply and trust energy and building codes uncritically will lead to inaccuracies in compliance [15]. This means that to find the optimal design for each case, there is a need to analyze each project under their particular circumstances. The authors further emphasize that this happens in European countries, and in Mexico and Brazil
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