User comfort and energy consumption of office buildings in Santiago, Chile: results of an unregulated context

Abstract

In Chile, non-residential buildings are not subject to regulations in regard of energy consumption or indoor environmental quality. General urban aspects related to volume, lot occupation, constructability and sun obstructions are regulated, but other aspects such as energy or façade performance are left to the market's ability to define without any standards or models of adaptation to the country’s climate and energy conditions. Santiago, the capital, concentrates most of office buildings, and it is here that this development has turned critical due to the widespread use of architectural models based on highly transparent façades. This article discusses the comfort conditions and the energy consumption of office buildings constructed in the last years in this scenario of lacking regulation. To do so, we present the results of a measurement campaign considering nine representative cases of a universe of 105 buildings selected by types according to the characteristics of its architecture and façade systems, carried out during one year. The results of these measurements are discussed in reference to existing Chilean and international standards and norms, in order to understand the consequences of market mechanisms regulating building energy performance and the further consequences of this for user comfort.. Keywords: Energy Consumption, User Comfort, Regulation, Office Buildings