Energy analysis of adobe performance as a housing construction material in Ecuador

For housing construction designs in Ecuador, mechanical characteristics of constructive materials are highly prioritised instead of thermal considerations. In this sense, promoting the use of local materials with good energy efficient features appears as a suitable solution. As a consequence, in this article, energy performance of adobe is analysed in household energy performance. For this purpose, the following steps were taken: thermal characterisation of adobe (thermal conductivity). Adobe is obtained from quarries located in Pichincha province, Ecuador and its conductivity was the major thermal parameter tested. The research was carried out by means of experimental and statistical techniques. In addition, a strong state of the art review is presented, considering national and international standards. Finally, field tests show that adobe reaches an average conductivity around 0.22 W/m K. This value tends to increase due to the density of the sample and the technique used during the manufacture process. In addition, some studies demonstrate that by using adobe, for instance, on the frontage of a building, thermal comfort improves in some regions of the country, and energy consumption is reduced by 10%.