Suitability of passivhaus design for housing projects in Colombia

The aim of this investigation is to study the applicability of the Passivhaus standard to typical housing projects in the Colombian market. Dynamic simulations run in IESVE for a detached house and an apartment block revealed that under the business-as-usual construction scenario slightly cold indoor conditions are perceived in the cold climate of Bogotá (−0.8 ≤ PMV ≤ 0.15), while pronounced overheating (1.45 ≤ PMV ≤ 1.95) is predicted in the hot climate of Barranquilla. The implementation of typical passive design measures significantly improves indoor conditions in the cold climate of Bogotá, making these housing designs fulfil the Passivhaus energy requirements. On the other hand, in the hot climate of Barranquilla, these measures are not sufficient to meet the standard prescriptions, and thus further passive strategies should be sought along with the use of highly efficient cooling systems.