Opto-thermal methods for evaluating building envelope materials and components: Situation in Argentina

Abstract

The International Energy Agency, in its report on energy efficient building facades, maintains that building envelopes play a fundamental role in determining thermal and visual comfort and energy consumption for indoor lighting and thermal conditioning. Within this framework, the goal of this article is to conduct a review of the opto- thermal evaluation of building envelope materials and components, regarding the state of transfer and possibilities for technology development in Argentina, in order to estimate the thermal and optical properties and energy indicators of building envelopes. This review shows that for energy-savings resulting from the implementation of energy certification programs to be effective, it is imperative to have databases on the opto-thermal behavior of local materials and technologies. It also demonstrates that in the socioeconomic context of developing countries, this requires the study of low-cost methods.