Synchronizing Outdoor Heatwave Detection With Indoor Thermal Extremes: a Case Study in Brazilian Social Housing
Abstract
With climate change intensifying the frequency and severity of heatwaves, understanding their impact on indoor environments is critical for occupant health and energy resilience. This study investigates the alignment between two heatwave detection methods (WMO/INMET and Ouzeau et al., 2016) and indoor key performance indicators of a simulated social housing unit located in Brasília, Brazil. Using EnergyPlus program and historical weather data (1991–2023), we assessed the overlap between the detection methods and three indoor indicators: maximum operative temperature, Heat Index, and total cooling load. Results show a low temporal overlap between outdoor detections and indoor extremes, varying across thermal zones and depending on the building envelope characteristics. The Ouzeau et al. (2016) method showed greater sensitivity and better agreement with operative temperature and Heat Index extremes. However, both methods failed to capture peak cooling load periods, likely due to the omission of humidity and solar gains in their criteria. These findings highlight the need to refine heatwave definitions for indoor stress assessment and energy planning, particularly for off-grid and battery-supported systems.
Keywords
Heatwaves, extreme weather events, building simulation, thermal stress, peak loads