Contribui？？o ao zoneamento bioclimático brasileiro: reflex？es sobre o semiárido nordestino

the bioclimatic zoning of brazil is part of the standard nbr 15220-3a, in force since 2005. it consists in the division of the brazilian territory into 8 climatic zones. for each zone, it recommends specific building design guidelines for passive thermal conditioning for low-cost housing. this paper examines the brazilian bioclimatic zoning regarding the suitability of its design guidelines for the cities of the semi-arid region of the state of alagoas. computer simulations were performed to compare the thermal performance of a case-study building, located in the city of maceió (hot-humid) with the performance of the same building located in p？o de a？úcar (semi-arid). the building was modeled according to the design guidelines of the nbr 15220-3 concerning the recommendations for zone 7 and zone 8. an analysis of the climate characteristics of the town of p？o de a？úcar demonstrates the existence of two different periods (8 months of drought and 4 months of rain), requiring different bioclimatic strategies. the study concluded that it is necessary to improve the criteria of classification of the cities in the semi-arid, as well as to establish sub-zones, covering the particularities of the region's climate.