Energy and indoor environmental quality of residential construction in Chile : analysis of the trends, achievements and pending challenges

This work is devoted to conducting a critical analysis of the trends, achievements and pending challenges in energy and environmental quality in relation to the indoor climate of residential buildings in Chile. From said analysis, which covers the period 1982-2012, a strategic development plan is proposed with objectives, indicators and a set of prioritized actions to reduce quality gaps within 10 years. Experimental and numerical simulation techniques are utilized to carry out a diagnosis of the energy quality of the residential constructions the Chilean market presently offers; retrospective analysis techniques are used to conduct a historical review of the work done in Chile since the eighties in investigation, technological development, regulations and laboratory infrastructure; and strategic planning techniques are employed to draw up a development plan. The results obtained shows that the energy quality of the majority of housing in Chile demands double the energy for heating than is strictly necessary. Work in the area of research and development has grown substantively in the last decade. Nevertheless, its volume is still limited and its efficacy is esteemed to be low. The regulatory framework does not adequately respond to social demands of quality, standards are low, unregulated areas exist, and it is necessary to strengthen laboratory infrastructure to create a modern national system of quality accreditation that covers the entire country. In the current state of development, it is recommended that the area of regulations and governance be improved as a condition to generate development and innovation and to orient R&D work with the most immediate social objective: to reduce the housing stock's energy demand to acceptable optimal minimum levels.