SIMULATION TOOLS FOR ENERGY PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF BUILDINGS WITH MINIMUM MATERIAL RESOURCES

This paper presents the results of a Seminar / Workshop about simulation tools for energy performance evaluation of building’s architectural design that was organized in the University of Minho’s School of Architecture, located in Guimarães, North of Portugal. The theme of the Seminar / Workshop aims at sensitizing students to the importance of energy simulation as a tool to support the sustainable architecture design in early stages, introducing some simulation tools and giving examples of results obtained through them. The building envelope is the main element of control of gains and losses, and can be used to obtain passive and active energy gains. The reduction of weight in buildings by the introduction of lightweight construction systems and dry joints, using materials such as wood or steel, can contribute to eco-efficiency, in particular by reducing materials used on site, ease of transportation, assembly, reuse and recycling, but this reduction becomes complex in temperate climates due to the absence of thermal inertia. Lightweight constructions are generally characterized by reduced thermal inertia, which can result in a marked thermal oscillation and consequent increase in energy use. It is then necessary to compensate the lightness of the construction with well-weighted passive strategies: optimized thermal mass, increased insulation in the envelope, controlled ventilation, shading, well-oriented glazing, etc.). The simulation tools allow optimizing the passive strategies onto their limits in the design stage.