Risk Of Overheating Research Articles

The effect of flame straightening on the microstructure and mechanical properties of different strength steels

In many cases, flame straightening is unavoidable after welding for the reduction of deformation. Due to the not very concentrated heat source, the process can cause significant changes in the microstructure, especially in high strength and wear-resistant steels. Due to their different physical properties, the effects vary depending on the flammable gases (acetylene, propane). The situation is complicated by the fact that the manual technology carries a risk of overheating, which can have detrimental effects on the mechanical properties. During our experiments, three steels are investigated (S355J2 + N, XAR400, S960QL). The thermal cycles for the physical simulations were determined by thermocouple measurement during real experimental conditions. Three peak temperatures (1000 °C, 800 °C and 675 °C) and two types of industrial cooling conditions (air and water cooling) were studied. The samples were examined by optical microscopy tests, hardness testing and Charpy V-notch impact tests. During straightening the XAR400 showed high sensitivity to softening even in the lower temperature range, while hardening occurred in the S960QL steel at a higher peak temperature values during water cooling. The inter- and supercritical temperature should be avoided in all steels; however, the subcritical temperature can be beneficial to the toughness properties of the S960QL and XAR400.

Photostability of Contrast Agents for Photoacoustics: The Case of Gold Nanorods.

Plasmonic particles as gold nanorods have emerged as powerful contrast agents for critical applications as the photoacoustic imaging and photothermal ablation of cancer. However, their unique efficiency of photothermal conversion may turn into a practical disadvantage, and expose them to the risk of overheating and irreversible photodamage. Here, we outline the main ideas behind the technology of photoacoustic imaging and the use of relevant contrast agents, with a main focus on gold nanorods. We delve into the processes of premelting and reshaping of gold nanorods under illumination with optical pulses of a typical duration in the order of few ns, and we present different approaches to mitigate this issue. We undertake a retrospective classification of such approaches according to their underlying, often implicit, principles as: constraining the initial shape; or speeding up their thermal coupling to the environment by lowering their interfacial thermal resistance; or redistributing the input energy among more particles. We discuss advantages, disadvantages and contexts of practical interest where one solution may be more appropriate than the other.

A novel approach for high-performance heat index forecasting for the hottest region in Thailand

In Thailand, the hottest area is the northern inland plains located in the Northern Thailand. In summer, from the middle of February to the middle of May, the temperature may rises up to 40◦ or above due to the changing of northeast monsoon to southwest monsoon and the impact of relative humidity. Relative humidity is the major factor that makes people feel hotter than the actual temperature. If only the air temperature was noticed, it is possible to take risk of overheating and heat illness, especially heat stroke that can be deadly. The heat index has used as an effective warning measurement, this calculated by Steadman’s equation and yields the real feel of body. In order to prevent the heat illness, the predictive analytics such as time series forecasting should be applied. The regular series was constructed by several time points in consecutive daily heat index, the seasonal and cycle effects will be analyzed simultaneously. This scenario leads to the complicated time series model and may cause inaccuracy of forecasting. The proposed study modify the data structure as the series of specific date and time for thirty years, i.e., 1-April to 30-April at time 4.00 p.m., this reveals distinguished increasing trend from year by year. Three trend-focused forecasting model be applied, the two benchmarking models are Holt’s linear trend model and time series regression model, being compared with the proposed model called autocorelated-based decomposition. The forecasting results of Uttaradit and Chiang Mai provinces heat index in recent thirty years show that the proposed approach yields more accuracy than the benchmarks. For Uttaradit, the MAPE of the proposed model less than the others from 26.8% to 36.9%, and less than the others from 48.9% to 55.9% in RMSE. For Chiang Mai, the MAPE of the proposed model less than the others from 16.9% to 36.9%, and less than the others from 27.5% to 61.6% in RMSE.

Scrutinizing modeling and analysis methods for evaluating overheating risks in passive houses

In response to the increasing demand for energy efficient houses, passive houses are quickly becoming a required standard for new buildings. Despite their energy efficiency, the occupants have reported thermal discomfort during the summer. This study investigates the effects of choices made in the process of evaluating overheating risks in passive houses. Key questions raised in this study relate to the effects of different thermal comfort criteria, the relevance of the building’s energy model to represent airflow phenomena, and the role of uncertainty associated with simulation models utilized for the analysis. The overheating assessment results were observed to be highly dependent on thermal comfort criterion choices, and the energy model was found to undervalue the overheating hours by 33.33% due to design infiltration and ventilation rate overestimation. This result highlighted the necessity of properly modeling airflow phenomena by coupling the thermal and airflow network models for overheating analysis. The sensitivity analysis results indicated that although most of the dominant uncertain parameters are included in the thermal model, when analyzing the output variance caused by the uncertainty related to each modeling method, both the thermal (82.5%) and airflow network (17.5%) models showed a significant variance in the number of overheating hours.

STUDY OF THE KINETIC OF COPOLYMERIZATION OF MODIFIED POLYGLYCOLMALEINATPHTHALATES IN THE PRESENCE OF COBALT DIACETYLACETONATE

Investigated as activators of radical-chain copolymerization of unsaturated polyester resins with methyl methacrylate acetylacetonates: cobalt (II) dihydrate, ferum (III), copper (II), chromium (III), nickel (II) dihydrate, zirconium (IV). Unsaturated polyester resins were obtained by polycondensation of maleic and phthalic anhydrides with ethylene glycol at 180 °C. Benzoyl peroxide was used as an initiator. Copolymerization was studied at temperatures from 30 to 60 °C by dilatometry using special collapsible dilatometers. The ratio of the unsaturated oligomer in the initial mixture to the monomer methylmethacrylate was 1:1. Determined the initial rate and temperature coefficient of the copolymerization reaction. A method for pretreatment of an activator solution in a monomer is proposed, which increases its efficiency in the process of redox radical copolymerization. After treatment, the content of Co2+ ions in the solution increases from 0.02 mol/l to 0.33 mol/l. The effect of both the nature of the activator and the modifier of polyester resins on the effective initial rate and temperature coefficient of the copolymerization reaction is shown. The following were used as modifiers of unsaturated oligoesters: 1,10-phenanthroline, diphenylamine, 1,2,3-benzotriazole. For comparison, methyl methacrylate was copolymerized with oligodiacrylates: triethyleneglycoldimethacrylate and bis-di- (triethyleneglycoldimethacrylate)phthalate. The following physical and mechanical characteristics of the obtained copolymers were determined: hardness, density, glass transition temperature. Initiating systems have been proposed for practical use in the copolymerization of unsaturated polyesters with vinyl monomers in a non-isothermal mode with the lowest risk of overheating. Mathematical calculations by the finite element method have been carried out and it has been shown that the use of the proposed methods makes it possible to increase the volume of the reaction mixture by several times in comparison with traditional systems.

To what extent can solar control be effective in enhancing indoor comfort in a fully glazed office building?

It is acknowledged that people spend almost 90 percent of their time in indoor spaces. Therefore, achieving a comfortable indoor environment that encourages productivity is crucial, particularly in office buildings. This paper investigates the design and performance of a modern office building in London characterized by fully glazed facades of open plan office spaces with no natural ventilation. The purpose of the research is to investigate the correlations between the control of direct solar radiation access and the effect on occupants’ thermal comfort in the summer followed by assessing the potential effect of the application of passive solar shading on thermal comfort levels in the office spaces. The research methodology involves a survey questionnaire undertaken with employees of the office building, followed by dynamic thermal modelling of the building using Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) software. The questionnaire has been designed to understand occupants’ experiences within their office spaces and their strategies to improve the indoor environment. Furthermore, IES modelling and simulation provide in depth understanding of the building thermal performance and investigating the solar shading strategies. Overall, 66 questionnaire forms were completed where preliminary results demonstrated that most employees relied heavily on secondary cooling and heating systems to adjust the indoor air temperature for more satisfactory thermal comfort levels in their office spaces. The building modelling and simulation is used to quantify the direct solar radiation accessing the office space, the risks of overheating and the potential impact of solar control on occupants’ indoor comfort. The findings from this study demonstrate the potentially high hours of discomfort in the summer within the office spaces mainly due to the lack of control of direct solar access through the extensive area of glazed facades. In order to maintain the thermal environment within the comfort level threshold in the warmer seasons a solar shading strategy should be considered.

Internal thermal environment and futureproofing of a newly built, naturally ventilated UK school

Research indicates that school children have lower comfort levels than adults and this exacerbates the challenge of tackling the risks of summer overheating in schools without resorting to air conditioning. UN SDG 13 calls for climate action to strengthen the resilience of our cities and reduce the impact of climate change. In this work, a modern, naturally ventilated school in Southampton, UK was used to evaluate single, “hard”, passive retrofit measures and “soft”, building management solutions that could increase the wellbeing of students and reduce current and future demand for cooling. The school was selected as it represents the current standardised design guidance for schools released in 2012 by the Department of Education (DfE). The research presents air temperature observations collected during the summer of 2015. Dynamic thermal modelling was undertaken to evaluate passive retrofit and “soft” solutions to reduce the overheating risk. The model was validated with temperature data collected from the school classrooms. The results indicate that (a) such school buildings have high likelihood of overheating, based on children’s comfort temperatures and (b) passive retrofits focused on shading and ventilation could help to reduce the classroom temperature when required. It is recommended that “soft” adaptive solutions will prove effective to reduce future air conditioning demand, but this will require a radical change in established practices. Achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 will require to rethink and redesign urban living and city infrastructures.

Summertime Overheating Risk Assessment of a Flexible Plug-In Modular Unit in Luxembourg

Modular buildings offer faster construction process, provide better construction quality, allow reducing construction waste and are potentially flexible. Frames of modular units can be made of metal, timber, concrete or mixed materials but lightweight structures do not always allow erecting high-rise buildings and generally present a higher risk of overheating and/or overcooling. To reconcile these pros and cons, a typology of modular building called Slab was designed by a group of architects. The building is composed on the one hand of a permanent concrete structure named shelf-structure and on the other hand of several flexible removable timber modular units, also known as modules. The shelf-structure will host the common utility rooms and will serve as docking infrastructure for the housing modules. To provide high flexibility, the Slab building was designed to adapt to any orientation and location in Luxembourg. An energy concept and a HVAC systems design has been developed for the Slab building. Furthermore, a two-fold sustainability analysis was carried out. The first part of the analysis regards the determination of the minimum required wall thicknesses of the modules in accordance with Luxembourgish regulatory requirements, although the current regulation does not yet consider the Slab building typology. The second part, which is the subject of this paper, is thermal comfort assessment, more precisely, summertime overheating risk assessment of these modules, in compliance with Luxembourgish standard. In this regard, dynamic thermal simulations have been realized on two module variants; the first fulfills the passive house requirements, and the second—the current requirements for building permit application, which in principle corresponds to low energy house requirements. Simulations showed that with adequate solar shading and reinforced natural ventilation by window opening, overheating risk could be avoided for the normal residential use scenario for both module variants.

Assessing the Magnitude and Likely Causes of Summertime Overheating in Modern Flats in UK

There has been increasing recognition that climate change may lead to risk of summertime overheating in UK dwellings with potentially adverse consequences for human comfort and health. This paper investigates the magnitude of summertime overheating over one month in 2017, in four new flats built to identical thermal standards, with similar occupancy patterns and located in the same block in a development in Southeast England. Both static and adaptive methods were used to assess the overheating risk, while the variation in indoor temperatures across the flats was examined through key building characteristics including floor level, glazing orientation, exposed surface area to floor area ratio (SA/FA), glazing area to floor area ratio, and ventilation. Data collection included continuous monitoring of indoor and outdoor temperature, relative humidity, CO2 levels and opening/closing of windows. Summertime overheating was found to be prevalent in all four flats but was most pronounced in two top floor flats with high SA/FA ratio and east/west facing glazing. Due to limited window opening and locational limitations of one flat, some conclusions were derived from three flats. Though the study sample is small, it is clear that overheating in new housing is a current issue and designing for avoidance of summertime overheating should become mainstream.

Analysis of Resilience of Ventilative Cooling Technologies in a Case Study Building

Buildings globally are subjected to climate change and heatwaves, causing a risk of overheating and increasing energy use for cooling. Low- energy cooling solutions such as night cooling are promising to realize energy reduction and climate goals. Apart from energy performances, resilience is gaining importance in assessing the performance of the building and its systems. Resilience is defined as “an ability to withstand disruptions caused by extreme weather events, man-made disasters, power failure, change in use and atypical conditions; and to maintain capacity to adapt, learn and transform.” However, there is a clear lack of Resilience indicators specific for low energy cooling technologies. In this paper, the resilience of the night cooling in a residential building in Belgium is assessed for two external events: heat wave and shading failure. This paper shows the first attempt of a resilience indicator for night cooling as the effect on the shock of solar shading failure, heat wave or combination of both. It take 3.4 days to bring down the temperature below 25?, in case of shading failure and heatwaves compared to 9 hours in the reference case. Further research is needed to determine resilience indicators as a performance criteria of low-energy cooling systems.

Diurnal Flying Activity of a Neotropical Bat (Saccopteryx leptura): Effect of Light Intensity, Temperature, and Canopy Cover

Nocturnal behavior is a critical life-history trait associated with the evolutionary success of bats. Avian predation, competition with birds, and hyperthermia may explain the origin of this behavior, but it is difficult to assess the validity of these hypotheses due to the rarity of diurnal activity in bats. In Gorgona National Natural Park, Colombia, the population of the lesser sac-winged bat (Emballonuridae: Saccopteryx leptura) has an unusual daylight flight activity, which provides an opportunity to learn about the origin of nocturnality in bats. We described the daylight activity of S. leptura in Gorgona Island and explored the influence of environmental factors at different spatiotemporal scales, potentially involved in this particular behavior. We registered the variation of light intensity and temperature across days, months, and different vegetation canopy covers and assessed their effects on the number of daylight flights. We found that the daytime activity of this insular population increases with vegetation cover, decreases with light intensity and temperature, and varies seasonally. These responses of flying activity to environmental temperature and light intensity seem to be related to avoiding the risk of overheating. Furthermore, bats were also active at night, and daytime flights included echolocation and feeding, which suggest that daytime activity complements but does not replace night-time activity. Consequently, our results provide empirical support for the notion that the nocturnality in bats can reflect the actions of avoiding overheating during the day.

Hygienic Assessment of the Risk of Disturbance of the Thermal State of Operators Employed in Oil Production and Treatment Enterprises in the Subarid Area

Introduction: The petrochemical industry is significant in terms of potential hazard to human health. The objectives of the study were to assess the risk of overheating of the open-air oil production and treatment plant operators working in the subarid area and to develop a set of preventive measures aimed at optimizing the thermal state of workers. Materials and methods: We studied working conditions of crude oil treatment operators of two groups: desalination and dehydration unit operators and loading operators. To establish the workers’ thermal state we measured their body temperature at five skin points along with the rectal temperature and estimated the weighted average skin temperature, the average body temperature, heat content, and heat sensations. Results: We found that in summer time crude oil desalination and dehydration unit operators and loading operators spent 52-54% of the shift time in the open air being exposed to high air temperatures. The average shift value of the heat load index allowed us to classify their working conditions as class 3.2 and to justify the factor of hot occupational environment as a leading occupational risk factor. The effect of high ambient temperatures was intermittent. Two variants of the heating microclimate, identical in general shift heat load, but with different intermittent modes and average duration of a single exposure to high temperatures, caused different degrees of tension of the thermoregulatory mechanisms of desalination and dehydration unit operators and loading operators. Conclusion: We proved the risk of disturbance of the thermal state of operators of crude oil production and treatment facilities located in the subarid area that was higher for loading operators and could be interpreted as “high”. Key words: risk assessment, thermal state, petrochemical industry, subarid area.

Optimization of the incubator air temperature during LED phototherapy treatment for the preterm infant.

Light-emitting diode phototherapy treatment for jaundice of the preterm infant presents adverse effects, such as discomfort, changes in metabolism, and overheating. This study quantified the body heat exchanges between the environment and a simulated preterm infant requiring phototherapy treatment in a closed incubator. Phototherapy treatment increased the mean incubator roof temperature by 2.9°C (p < 0.001) and the incubator air temperature by 1°C (p < 0.001). Analytical calorimetry was used to calculate the additional energy received during phototherapy and thus deduce the optimal incubator air temperature for ensuring thermoneutrality and preventing hyperthermia. The optimal air temperature settings inside the incubator during phototherapy were - 0.51 to - 1.25°C lower than references, for preterm infant weighing 500 to 2000g.Conclusion: Phototherapy treatment for jaundice of the preterm infant increased the incubator air temperature. To prevent overheating in the preterm during phototherapy, new curves for optimal air temperature settings inside the incubator were calculated with analytic calorimetry. What is Known •Phototherapy treatment is the first-line treatment for jaundice in the preterm infant. •Phototherapy treatment increases the risk of overheating. What is New •The heat transfers and risk of overheating were quantified using a thermal manikin during phototherapy treatment. •Phototherapy treatment increased the incubator roof temperature and heat transfers. •New incubator's air temperature settings during phototherapy treatment were calculated with analytical calorimetry for preterm infant weighing 500-2000g.

Thermal performance analysis of 28 PVT solar domestic hot water installations in Western Europe

Abstract Hybrid solar PVT has the potential to become a major player in the renewable energy sector, but one of the main barriers is the lack of reliable data due to limited number of monitored PVT hybrid systems with proven thermal performance results. In order to address this issue, a statistical study was realized to analyze in-field performances of twenty-eight hybrid solar domestic hot water installations equipped with innovative non-overglazed PVT collectors in Western Europe (France, Switzerland and Portugal). The results show that PVT technology, more than PV production, is particularly relevant on domestic hot water preheating, with a monthly average of daily maximal temperature (Tmean) in the panels reaching above 45 °C during 5 months in the year. The results also demonstrate the robustness of the non-overglazed PVT collector, as the highest stagnation temperature was always measured below 74.5 °C, which is very safe in terms of risk of overheating and effect on PV performance. The twenty-eight hybrid solar domestic hot water data base allows the quantify the main deviation compared to the classical simplified production simulations.

Energy savings and overheating risk of deep energy renovation of a multi-storey residential building in a cold climate under climate change

Here, we analyse final and primary energy savings and overheating risk of deep energy renovation of a Swedish multi-storey residential building of the 1970s under climate change and consider overheating control measures to reduce cooling demand and risk of overheating. The energy-efficiency measures include additional insulation to basement walls, exterior walls, and attic floor as well as improved energy-efficient windows and doors, balanced ventilation with heat recovery (VHR), lighting, household appliances as well as water taps and shower heads. The future climates are based on the representative concentration pathways scenarios. We find that implementing improved energy-efficient windows and doors, VHR and additional insulation to external walls give significant final and primary energy savings for space heating. The total operation final and primary energy use decrease averagely by 58% and 54%, respectively when all the measures are cumulatively applied under both current and future climate scenarios. Efficient household appliances and lighting as well as appropriate overheating control measures significantly reduce cooling demand and risk of overheating. The indoor air temperature and overheating risk as well as the final energy savings are influenced by the considered climate scenarios.

Functional histology of the skin in the subterranean African giant mole-rat: thermal windows are determined solely by pelage characteristics.

Excavation of burrows is an extremely physically demanding activity producing a large amount of metabolic heat. Dissipation of its surplus is crucial to avoid the risk of overheating, but in subterranean mammals it is complicated due to the absence of notable body extremities and high humidity in their burrows. IR-thermography in a previous study on two species of African mole-rats revealed that body heat was dissipated mainly through the ventral body part, which is notably less furred. Here, we analyzed the dorsal and ventral skin morphology, to test if dermal characteristics could contribute to higher heat dissipation through the ventral body part. The thickness of the epidermis and dermis and the presence, extent and connectivity of fat tissue in the dermis were examined using routine histological methods, while vascular density was evaluated using fluorescent dye and confocal microscopy in the giant mole-rat Fukomys mechowii. As in other hitherto studied subterranean mammals, no subcutaneous adipose tissue was found. All examined skin characteristics were very similar for both dorsal and ventral regions: relative content of adipose tissue in the dermis (14.4 ± 3.7% dorsally and 11.0 ± 4.0% ventrally), connectivity of dermal fat (98.5 ± 2.8% and 95.5 ± 6.8%), vascular density (26.5 ± 3.3% and 22.7 ± 2.3%). Absence of large differences in measured characteristics between particular body regions indicates that the thermal windows are determined mainly by the pelage characteristics.

Evaluation on Overheating Risk of a Typical Norwegian Residential Building under Future Extreme Weather Conditions

As the temperature in the summer period in Norway has been always moderate, little study on the indoor comfort of typical Norwegian residential buildings in summer seasons can be found. Heat waves have attacked Norway in recent years, including in 2018 and 2019. Zero energy buildings, even neighborhoods, have been a hot research topic in Norway. There is overheating risk in typical Norwegian residential buildings without cooling devices installed under these uncommon weather conditions, like the hot summers in 2018 and 2019. Three weather scenarios consisting of present-day weather data, 2050 weather data, and 2080 weather data are investigated in this study. The overheating risk of a typical Norwegian residential building is evaluated under these three weather scenarios. 72 scenarios are simulated in this study, including different orientations, window-to-wall ratios, and infiltration rates. Two different overheating evaluation criteria and guidelines, the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) and the CIBSE TM 59, are compared in this study.

Thermal Performance and Comfort Condition Analysis in a Vernacular Building with a Glazed Balcony

The increase in global environmental problems requires more environmentally efficient construction. Vernacular passive strategies can play an important role in helping reducing energy use and CO2 emissions related to buildings. This paper studies the use of glazed balconies in the North of Portugal as a strategy to capture solar gains and reduce heat losses. The purpose is understanding thermal performance and comfort conditions provided by this passive heating strategy. The methodology includes objective (short and long-term monitoring), to evaluate the different parameters affecting thermal comfort and air quality, and subjective assessments to assess occupants’ perception regarding thermal sensation. The results show that the use of glazed balconies as a passive heating strategy in a climate with cold winters is viable. During the mid-seasons, the rooms with balcony have adequate comfort conditions. In the heating season, it is possible to achieve comfort conditions in sunny days while in the cooling season there is a risk of overheating. Regarding indoor air quality, carbon dioxide concentrations were low, but the average radon concentration measured was high when the building was unoccupied, rapidly decreasing to acceptable values, during occupation periods when a minimum ventilation rate was promoted. Occupants’ actions were essential to improving building behavior.

Sustainable and self-regulating out-of-oven manufacturing of FRPs with integrated multifunctional capabilities

With the ever increasing demand for energy reduction to stimulate sustainable development, new energy efficient manufacturing processes for advanced fibre-reinforced plastics (FRPs) are of great interest to overcome limitations of conventional autoclave or oven based manufacturing processes such as high energy consumption and size restrictions. Herein, a highly energy efficient and safe out-of-oven curing method is presented by integrating a pyroresistive surface layer with intrinsic self-regulating heating capabilities, into a composite laminate. This surface layer consists of a nanocomposite film based on graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) and possesses self-regulating Joule heating capabilities, which can be used to cure epoxy based composites at a desired temperature without the risk of over-heating. Moreover, the thermoplastic nature of the surface layer enables easy fabrication with good flexibility for complex shapes. Compared to state-of-the-art out-of-autoclave oven curing, the proposed out-of-oven Joule heating approach consumed only 1% of the energy required for curing, with no effect on mechanical performance and glass transition temperature (Tg) of the final composite. Moreover, the integration of the self-regulating heating layer offers additional functionalities to the cured composites, like strain or damage sensing as well as the potential of de-icing without affecting the internal structure and performance of the laminate. The presented smart heating layer provides a novel solution for sustainable manufacturing as well as real-time structural health monitoring (SHM) throughout the components’ life for multifunctional composite applications in the field of renewable wind energy and aerospace.

The significance of occupancy profiles in determining post retrofit indoor thermal comfort, overheating risk and building energy performance

Recently, retrofit of tower blocks has gained momentum particularly in the UK social housing sector due to the increasing rate of fuel poverty coupled with deteriorating indoor living conditions. However, the process of making improvements to the thermal performance of building envelopes can significantly impact on occupants' thermal comfort, increasing overheating risks with the changing climate and associated heat waves. The first phase of the study evaluated the building energy performance of a 1960s social housing tower block prototype in London, pre-retrofit, where the building simulation model was created and calibrated with monitored indoor data and occupants' interviews. The second research phase, the subject of this paper, uses the model to further investigate the impact of improved thermal insulation of the building envelope, based on U-values prescribed by the UK Building Regulations (Part L1B), on the potential risk of overheating. The study investigates the impact of retrofitting on occupants’ thermal comfort and building energy performance in the current and future climate scenarios (2030, 2050 and 2080). Results confirm that improving the U-value of external walls will significantly reduce the heating energy use by 70% under future climate scenarios while the To increases by 15–17% with U-value of 0.5 W/m2K and 0.3 W/m2K in comparison to the base case. The overall results indicate that the different occupancy patterns adopted in the simulation model have a significant impact on the predicted duration of overheating which will, in turn, have an impact on determining appropriate retrofit strategies to reduce overheating risks.