Measuring the Effect of Local Commercial Roofing Samples on the Thermal Behavior of a Social Interest Dwelling Located in Different Climates in Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract This paper presents an assessment of the effect of the solar reflectance of roofing assemblies on the thermal behavior of a social interest dwelling model located in six representative cities in Ecuador. The model house complies the Ecuadorian building standard. The solar reflectances of 23 local commercial roofing samples were measured following the E1918A Procedure. The thermal behavior of the dwelling was simulated in EnergyPlus. The models use input data, such as: loads and schedules, provided by previous studies on social dwellings. The hours of thermal discomfort based on ASHRAE Standard 55-2013 adaptive model were obtained for each case by varying the experimental solar reflectance of the roofing sample and meteorological data for each hourly time step calculation. Results indicated that the 1808001-50 sample provided between 3240 to 5524 discomfort hours in all cases, being the most suitable roofing assembly for all studied cities due to its higher solar reflectance.