Thermal resilience in a renovated nearly zero-energy dwelling during intense heat waves

Abstract

Overheating risk is expected to rise in dwellings as heat waves continue increasing in intensity and duration. This paper presents a simulation-based study on thermal resilience in a benchmark renovated nearly zero-energy dwelling during intense heat waves in Belgium. Data analysis using thermal simulations of the reference dwelling with and without active cooling was used to assess overheating risk. The analysis indicated that the reference dwelling with active cooling was resilient to heat waves for over 91% of the occupied hours. Furthermore, the existing building-level renovation strategies alone will not be sufficient to mitigate overheating in renovated dwellings and require active cooling. However, active cooling came with an energy penalty of 37.69 kWh/day during the monitored period, and any potential benefits of active cooling should factor in the excess energy use. The presented findings lead to recommendations for future building renovation practices and identified needs for further research.