The roof impact on the heat balance of low height buildings at low latitudes

The central scope of this work is the architecture element roof, analysed through its close realtionship with two conditions of low latitude regions. First, its relationship with climate conditions, in reference with the high amount of solar radiation it is exposed to, and second, the roof omportance, in terms of area, in the middle of a disperse urban tissue. Thus, this study addresses the roof impact on residential buildings interior conditions, in these regions, This investigation has been handled with the use of simulation software. The imput data and results were based and validated with a measurements campaign carried out in a seaside city of Ecuador. The results highlight the roof as the principal source of heat gains on the interior heat balance, even higher than direct solar gains through windows.