Avaliação computacional do desempenho termoenergético em edificação residencial com sistema híbrido de trocador de calor solo-ar e dispositivos eletrocrômicos

Abstract

This study investigated the thermoenergetic performance of a hybrid system composed of a ground-to-air heat exchanger (EAHE) and electrochromic devices (ECDs), applied to a residential building located in Pelotas, RS (Bioclimatic Zone 2), aiming to optimize thermal comfort and energy efficiency. The adopted methodology was based on dynamic computational simulations using EnergyPlus software, considering different scenarios: the real model (without technologies), the isolated application of the EAHE, the isolated application of each ECD — one based on tungsten oxide (WO₃) and the other on molybdenum oxide (MoO₃) — and the integration of systems, forming two hybrid configurations (EAHE with WO₃-based ECD, and EAHE with MoO₃-based ECD). The assessment was based on two main indicators: the percentage of hours in thermal comfort (PHFT) and the total annual thermal load (CgTT), in addition to estimated energy savings. The results demonstrated that the combination of technologies achieved better performance compared to isolated applications. The annual PHFT increased from 60.4% in the real model to up to 63.0% in the hybrid configuration with WO₃. The CgTT was reduced from 5,158.80 kWh to 2,274.69 kWh with the hybrid system combining EAHE and WO₃-based ECD, representing an annual energy savings of approximately 49.5%. The model with MoO₃ showed similar performance, with a CgTT of 2,314.51 kWh and a savings of 48.8%. These results highlight the potential of integrating passive and active strategies to enhance the thermal and energy performance of residential buildings. It is concluded that the combined application of EAHE and electrochromic windows, especially those based on WO₃, constitutes a promising solution for improving thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption in subtropical climates.