Application of the Thermal Balance Equation to determine hygrothermal comfort in a single-family house in canton Giron.

Abstract

The single-family houses in Girón, a canton located in the south of the province of Azuay, reveals the lack of hygrothermal performance studies in the design process that achieve successful internal thermal comfort conditions for the users; scenario that falls into poor indoor environmental quality of life. Through the thermal equilibrium, applying the heat balance equation, the research aims to determine the level of comfort or discomfort that the user experiences in the different the single-family house inner spaces. A qualitative research, starting at the exploratory level, with non-probabilistic sampling and the application of surveys, allows to obtain Girón population data. Heat balance calculations reveals if whether people are in comfort or in discomfort. The results exhibit that there are several factors which ward off the house users from being within the comfort zone; accordingly, it evidences the importance of the thermal balance analysis, which opens a wide range of possible recommendations that will allow reaching the expected levels comfort.