Title: Energy analysis of adobe performance as a housing construction material in Ecuador

Authors: Luis Felipe Godoy Vaca; Javier Martínez Gómez; Mario Fernando Bustamante Crespo; A. Jonathan Riofrio Trujillo

Addresses: Instituto de Investigación Geológico y Energético (IIGE), Av. de la República E7-263 y Diegod e Almagro – Edificio Sky, Planta baja Código, 170518, Quito, Ecuador ' Universidad Internacional SEK Ecuador, Quito, EC170134 Quito, Ecuador; Instituto de Investigación Geológico y Energético (IIGE), Av. de la República E7-263 y Diego de Almagro – Edificio Sky, Planta baja Código, 170518, Quito, Ecuador ' Universidad Internacional SEK Ecuador, Quito, EC170134 Quito, Ecuador ' Research and Development Department, Ecuadorian Electricity Operator, CENACE, Quito D.M, Ecuador

Abstract: For housing construction designs in Ecuador, mechanical characteristics of constructive materials are highly prioritised instead of thermal considerations. In this sense, promoting the use of local materials with good energy efficient features appears as a suitable solution. As a consequence, in this article, energy performance of adobe is analysed in household energy performance. For this purpose, the following steps were taken: thermal characterisation of adobe (thermal conductivity). Adobe is obtained from quarries located in Pichincha province, Ecuador and its conductivity was the major thermal parameter tested. The research was carried out by means of experimental and statistical techniques. In addition, a strong state of the art review is presented, considering national and international standards. Finally, field tests show that adobe reaches an average conductivity around 0.22 W/m K. This value tends to increase due to the density of the sample and the technique used during the manufacture process. In addition, some studies demonstrate that by using adobe, for instance, on the frontage of a building, thermal comfort improves in some regions of the country, and energy consumption is reduced by 10%.

Keywords: energy performance; housing; thermal conductivity; adobe; Ecuador.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMOR.2021.112930

International Journal of Mathematics in Operational Research, 2021 Vol.18 No.2, pp.154 - 168

Received: 29 Jul 2019
Accepted: 01 Nov 2019
Published online: 10 Feb 2021 *

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