Evaluation of the thermal behavior and energy consumption of typological housing models in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic, as a tropical Caribbean country, is generally characterized by a warm and humid climate. As an island with strong maritime influence, it receives a significant contribution of moisture from the sea, particularly in coastal areas such as Santo Domingo. The climate of Santo Domingo has an average temperature of 25.8 °C and a relative humidity of 80%, conditions that from the outset greatly compromise the thermal comfort of building users. In this context, the design and materiality of housing are key factors in enabling occupants to achieve an adequate level of comfort that allows them to carry out their activities under appropriate conditions.

On the other hand, the lack of thermal comfort is closely related to increased energy consumption, since in order to improve habitability, people are forced to rely on mechanical systems. As a result, dwellings generate higher levels of pollution (CO₂) and cause greater environmental damage. In recent years, a construction technology has been introduced in the country that has become increasingly popular due to time savings and ease of execution: the use of formwork and cast-in-place concrete for walls and slabs. To date, its thermal behavior, its influence on human comfort, and its impact on energy consumption have not yet been studied.

This research focuses on studying this issue through the monitoring of climatic parameters in four housing units (apartments) located in two representative residential developments in Santo Domingo. Energy consumption was also monitored in order to correlate it with temperature and humidity levels. Additionally, the orientations of the monitored dwellings were analyzed, and the measured results were compared according to their orientations. The actual orientations were also compared with ideal ones through computer simulations, and different material systems were analyzed to establish differences with the one under study.

Among the main findings are the following:
1. The design of the buildings does not allow for effective ventilation, which increases indoor temperatures and leads to a loss of thermal comfort.
2. Inadequate orientations contribute to higher indoor temperatures due to increased solar radiation gains.
3. In the least comfortable periods and spaces, the use of air-conditioning systems increases, leading to higher energy consumption and greater pollution.
4. The existing building materials influence temperature increases.
5. There are simple and low-cost alternatives that can improve the comfort performance of the current material system.