Chapter 3 - Mapping of building energy consumption and emissions under Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios by a geographic information system descriptive framework: case study of Mexico

Abstract

The demand for energy in buildings has increased significantly in recent decades. The residential sector has the highest energy consumption in space air conditioning processes, affecting the emission of pollutants into the environment. This is produced by implementing construction materials with high-density and intensive heat flux that do not allow habitability or maintain thermal comfort inside buildings, requiring artificial air conditioning equipment. The implementation of these devices is firmly rooted in the area’s climatic conditions, for which climate change and its effects on environmental variables will lead to the evolution of energy requirements in artificial air conditioning. This study illustrates the regional mapping of energy requirements in buildings caused by artificial air conditioning, considering climate change evolution through two scenarios known as Representative Concentration Pathway and establishing the emissions of pollutants caused by this process. Considering the case study of the energy consumption of homes in Mexico, a framework based on geographic information system will be provided for the analysis of present and future energy demand due to the intensive use of energy for air conditioning of spaces and climate change. Data on energy demand in the 2440 municipalities that make up the Mexican Republic were obtained. Maps of Mexico established a spatial visualization of the energy requirements in air conditioning and the emission of pollutants, and whose method can be replicated for other countries, climatic regions, and indoor artificial environment needs.