Abstract
Abstract The main objective of this article is to demonstrate that passive energy refurbishment interventions influence comfort conditions of households for both cold and hot annual periods, while they help to avoid or promote temperature-related health risk situations. However, improving the thermal efficiency of the building envelope is encouraged in order to reduce energy demand for heating and cooling instead of considering also their impact on users’ health. The calculation methodology to quantify improvements, on the other hand, is drawn from regulation-based standards, which describe the optimal achievable efficiency levels and energy cost savings. The present study, however, addresses how diverse thermal performance variables are (climate, thermal comfort range and occupancy rate), and shows that different thermal assessment standards influence the obtained results. An energy simulation approach was developed to evaluate different scenarios and compare the results. In conclusion, the results contribute to an understanding or to a discussion of the suitability of current energy renovation policies with regard to indoor thermal comfort and temperature-related health risk situations.
Highlights
The results contribute to an understanding or to a discussion of the suitability of current energy renovation policies with regard to indoor thermal comfort and temperature-related health risk situations
A calculation methodology was defined in order to determine the relationship between heating and cooling energy demand, indoor thermal comfort conditions and temperature-related health risk situations in a multifamily residential building (Fig. 1)
There were some simulation scenarios, such as R_B_C_Pr2, R_B_C_Pr3, R_B_H_Pr1, R_B_H_Pr2, R_B_H_Pr3 for Bilbao_C1 climate, and R_G_H_Pr3 for Gasteiz_D1 climate, in which the cooling energy demand became higher than the heating energy demand
Summary
Energy efficiency measures were and are mainly promoted because of their capacity to reduce buildings’ carbon and greenhouse gas emissions while saving energy costs and improving thermal performance [7]–[13]. Alongside such purposes, it is worth mentioning their capacity and positive influence in the indoor thermal behaviour and comfort quality level [14]–[16]. If construction characteristics of buildings are considered, it has been demonstrated that the residential building sector is characterized by poor thermal efficiency in countries with milder climates, which promotes low and unhealthy indoor winter temperatures [42]–[44] 2020 / 24 different comfortable temperature conditions for determining indoor comfort [21]–[25], protecting human health [26]–[36] and decreasing mortality and morbidity rates [37]–[41].
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