Dataset on solar contributions by thermal solar systems in Chile applying Chilean and Spanish regulations.

The data presented in this article are related to the research article entitled "Solar domestic hot water regulation in the Latin American residential sector with the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive: The case of Chile" (López-Ochoa et al., 2019), which evaluates the possibility of adapting Spanish solar domestic hot water regulations in Chile, with the objective of presenting the potential impact of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in Latin America. This dataset was made publicly available to show the possible energy savings with the thermal solar systems proposed to enable the use of these data by other researchers as well as designers, installers and decision-makers.

Study of the Technical Feasibility of Increasing the Amount of Recycled Concrete Waste Used in Ready-Mix Concrete Production.

The construction industry generates a considerable amount of waste. Faced with this undesirable situation, the ready-mix concrete sector, in particular, has invested energy and resources into reusing its own waste in its production process as it works towards the goal of more sustainable construction. This study examines the feasibility of incorporating two types of concrete waste, which currently end up in landfill, into the production process of ready-mix concrete: the waste generated during the initial production stage (ready-mix concrete waste), and waste created when demolition waste is treated to obtain artificial aggregate. The first phase of the study's methodology corroborates the suitability of the recycled aggregate through characterization tests. After this phase, the impact of incorporating different percentages of recycled coarse aggregate is evaluated by examining the performance of the produced concrete. The replacement rate varied between 15% and 50%. The results indicate that recycled aggregates are, indeed, suitable to be incorporated into ready-mix concrete production. The impact on the final product's performance is different for the two cases examined herein. Incorporating aggregates from generic concrete blocks led to a 20% decrease in the produced concrete's strength performance. On the other hand, using recycled aggregates made from the demolition waste led to a smaller decrease in the concrete's performance: about 8%. The results indicate that with adequate management and prior treatment, the waste from these plants can be re-incorporated into their production processes. If concrete waste is re-used, concrete production, in general, becomes more sustainable for two reasons: less waste ends up as landfill and the consumption of natural aggregates is also reduced.