Descrição
The driving force of the thermal regulations revision
in the European Union (EU) was the European
Energy Performance of Buildings Directive – EPBD
(European Commission, 2003). The main objectives
of the EPBD are the harmonization of all thermal
regulations in the EU and the optimization of
buildings energy performance, taking into account
the climatic conditions, interior comfort conditions of
the occupants and economic viability, for both new
and existing buildings.
In order to be efficient and effective, the thermal
regulations must accurately estimate the energy
performance of buildings and so, the building
certification will allow comparisons of the results
obtained in the different climates to be more
meaningful. Having this fact in mind the Portuguese
calculation methodology will be put side by side with
a dynamic simulation for the energy performance
estimation.
This study was based on the heating and cooling
needs estimation of single houses and dwellings, for
the three major Portuguese thermal regions, using the
simplified calculation models established in the
Portuguese thermal regulation and the results
obtained with a dynamic simulation tool.
; Silva, Sandra Monteiro 
