Energy efficiency, thermal resilience, and health during extreme heat events in low-income housing in Argentina

Abstract

Extreme heat events result in higher indoor temperatures in buildings, increased energy consumption, and more frequent health problems, mainly between the children, the elderly over 65, and vulnerable low-income people. The indoor environment plays a key role in reducing the effects of extreme heat events. While the benefits of passive cooling measures on thermal and environmental aspects are well known, their effects on resilience are less well explored. This paper aims at studying the indoor environment in low-income housing from the energy and heat resilience points of view, during extreme hot periods, together with possible passive cooling measures to be applied in the houses in order to improve both, heat resilience and energy efficiency. A low-income neighbourhood in La Pampa, central Argentina, was selected as a case study. Transient thermal simulation, electricity consumption bills obtained from the Energy Company, and health statistics from the data-base of the nearby hospital were used. We conclude that the houses are not capable to manage hot/heat wave periods in a resilient way because of their energy inefficient design. Moreover, the cooling equipment is sub-used due to economic reasons. Indoor temperatures exceeded 33 C and Heat Index reached ‘‘Extreme caution” health risk level. Sudden changes in the meteorological conditions seems to increase the number of consultations of health disorders previous or after the hot periods. The best set of passive strategies is to favour night ventilation together with shading of the envelope (i.e., by trees, climbing plants, green walls, or by installing ventilated opaque façades) and an improved roof (light colour coating and addition of thermal insulation). These strategies could both, improve the heat resilience and the thermal behavior of the indoor environment while reducing the electricity consumption in the hottest months of summer.