Social Dwelling Research Articles

Assessment of a methodology to evaluate constructive systems for industrialization: the case of dwellings in Spain.

Building monitoring systems deliver large volumes of information and advanced data analysis tools are available. A fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) problem in building energy systems can also be regarded as a pure machine learning problem. The aim of this work is to promote FDD with machine learning applications in building environment. As a contribution, in this work raw time data series, obtained from a SCADA, are processed for further pattern construction of a building thermal facility. The thermal facility supplies the DHW, and heating demands of a residential building, consisting of 26 social dwelling units and located at Durango (northern Spain). Data recorded every 24 hours in cumulative values is included in the R software for computing statistical graphs. For DHW and heating consumption meter values, 229 valid data points are obtained, and the daily consumption ranges are between 1.94 - 5.90 m3 and 0 - 547.63 kWh respectively.

Density in the Suburbs: Families with Children Adapting to Living in a Medium Density Social Housing Development

ABSTRACT Medium-density housing (MDH) is posited as a solution to providing greater housing affordability. Yet, higher-density housing is often considered unsuitable for children. Our study investigates the experiences of families living in a new MDH development designed for affordability and sited in a suburban location. Findings highlight trade-offs made by families moving into higher density residential environments and the positive effects of a supportive social environment and flexible dwelling designs integrated with communal spaces. Also evident is the enduring challenge of car dependence and the need to address the interface between developments and surrounding amenity and public transit environments. The research provides an example of positive experiences of families living in MDH that runs counter to conventional expectations.

Applying the mixed-mode with an adaptive approach to reduce the energy poverty in social dwellings: The case of Spain

Fuel poverty is a pressing issue in several European countries, and Spain is no exception. Traditionally, it has been associated with cold conditions, but recent studies in the field have stressed its prevalence in warm countries too, during summer. Further, forecasts of climate change for these territories predict more severe summers. This envisages a scenario where low-income families might suffer from fuel poverty due to their inability to afford the energy bill to cool their homes, for tackling which the European Union and its member states are devising strategies. Adaptive comfort models have emerged as a sustainable and resilient approach in this regard. This study aims at clarifying how a change in the behavioural patterns of users, following the adaptive model might reduce the incidence of fuel poverty, compared to the static model based solely on active cooling. For this purpose, a common typology of social dwelling has been simulated in 10 cities representative of the diverse climates of Spain; both the current and future climate change scenarios have been considered. Results indicate that the mixed-mode is effective in alleviating fuel poverty not only in the present scenario, but also in 2050 and 2100, except for the most underprivileged households earning less than 500 € per month. The outcomes of this study will be of use to policy makers, designers, and stakeholders in targeting families in need for specific subsidies to afford a comfortable environment during summer.

Worlding resilience in the Doña Juana Volcano-Páramo, Northern Andes (Colombia): A transdisciplinary view

We present a transdisciplinary perspective for multiple actors interested in disaster-risk-reduction strategies in inhabited volcanoes, based on the novel approach of complexity and collaborative research. Our reflection is based on an ongoing research process that puts into dialogue scientific knowledge and local knowledge from Andean campesino communities inhabiting the Dona Juana Volcano-Paramo in the Latin American tropics. These local communities have experienced historically complex social, economic, and environmental conflicts in their territories; currently, most of them live in the buffer zones of the National Natural Park Dona Juana-Cascabel, which is part of Colombia’s national system of natural protected areas. We address inhabited Andean volcanoes as complex systems, which combine multi-temporal and spatial processes that allow for the emergence of nonlinear and heterogeneous social and ecological interdependencies. By transgressing disciplinary boundaries, we see an opportunity for building horizontal dialogues with communities inhabiting active volcanoes, understanding resilience, and eventually developing situated and collaborative disaster-risk-reduction strategies. The resulting vision is proposed as a fundamental methodology in settings such as south-western Colombia, marked by convoluted social dwelling patterns, and unequal biosocial and socioeconomic histories. Detached from positivistic and victimising perspectives, we seek to build knowledge on the antecedents, inheritance, persistence, and preservation of systems, ultimately enabling response-abilities for decision-making. The motivations, knowledge, and self-organisation capacities of the volcano inhabitants bring about new possibilities of doing locally while thinking globally. The transdisciplinary research approach allows us to situate our exchanges with the local community, and envision future collaborative paths towards promoting community-oriented forms of appropriation and transformation of a volcanic lifeworld.

Matching Energy Consumption and Photovoltaic Production in a Retrofitted Dwelling in Subtropical Climate without a Backup System

The construction sector is a great contributor to global warming both in new and existing buildings. Minimum energy buildings (MEBs) demand as little energy as possible, with an optimized architectural design, which includes passive solutions. In addition, these buildings consume as low energy as possible introducing efficient facilities. Finally, they produce renewable energy on-site to become zero energy buildings (ZEBs) or even plus zero energy buildings (+ZEB). In this paper, a deep analysis of the energy use and renewable energy production of a social dwelling was carried out based on data measurements. Unfortunately, in residential buildings, most renewable energy production occurs at a different time than energy demand. Furthermore, energy storage batteries for these facilities are expensive and require significant maintenance. The present research proposes a strategy, which involves rescheduling energy demand by changing the habits of the occupants in terms of domestic hot water (DHW) consumption, cooking, and washing. Rescheduling these three electric circuits increases the usability of the renewable energy produced on-site, reducing the misused energy from 52.84% to 25.14%, as well as decreasing electricity costs by 58.46%.

Health related quality of life and satisfaction with care of stroke patients in Budapest: A substudy of the EuroHOPE project.

Disadvantaged socioeconomic status is associated with higher stroke incidence and mortality, and higher readmission rate. We aimed to assess the effect of socioeconomic factors on case fatality, health related quality of life (HRQoL), and satisfaction with care of stroke survivors in the framework of the European Health Care Outcomes, Performance and Efficiency (EuroHOPE) study in Hungary, one of the leading countries regarding stroke mortality. We evaluated 200 consecutive patients admitted for first-ever ischemic stroke in a single center and performed a follow-up at 3 months after stroke. We recorded pre- and post-stroke socioeconomic factors, and assessed case fatality, HRQoL and patient satisfaction with the care received. Stroke severity at onset was scored by the National Institutes of Health Stroke scale (NIHSS), disability at discharge from acute care was evaluated by the modified Rankin Score (mRS). To evaluate HRQoL and patient satisfaction with care we used the EQ-5D-5L, 15D and EORTC IN PATSAT 32 questionnaires. At 3 months after stroke the odds of death was significantly increased by stroke severity (NIHSS, OR = 1.209, 95%CI: 1.125-1.299, p<0.001) and age (OR = 1.045, 95%CI: 1.003-1.089, p = 0.038). In a multiple linear regression model, independent predictors of HRQoL were age, disability at discharge, satisfaction with care, type of social dwelling after stroke, length of acute hospital stay and rehospitalization. Satisfaction with care was influenced negatively by stroke severity (Coef. = -1.111, 95%C.I.: -2.159- -0.062, p = 0.040), and positively by having had thrombolysis (Coef. = 25.635, 95%C.I.: 5.212-46.058, p = 0.016) and better HRQoL (Coef. = 22.858, 95%C.I.: 6.007-39.708, p = 0.009). In addition to age, disability, and satisfaction with care, length of hospital stay and type of social dwelling after stroke also predicted HRQoL. Long-term outcome after stroke could be improved by reducing time spent in hospital, i.e. by developing home care rehabilitation facilities thus reducing the need for readmission to inpatient care.

Argentinean energy transition. The new energy efficiency standard in the evaluation of social housing. Case study: Barrio Papa Francisco

The building sector is responsible for 40% of the energy demand internationally, and for 37% in Argentina. Heating and cooling are the most representative item. Rational energy usage measures are being introduced in countries throughout the world, as well as strategies that pursue energy transition. The passing of the IRAM 11900 standard in Argentina promotes energy efficiency (EE) in the residential building sector, and it is expected to be inclusive and lead to the transition by 2050. The aim of this work is to perform the thermo-energy evaluation of an existing social dwelling prototype in “Barrio Papa Francisco” (Pope Francisco Neighborhood), as well as in its two improved variations: “retrofit” and “ex ante”. For this, information is collected about the dimensions, construction systems, building envelope components and equipment to meet demands for heating, cooling, domestic hot water and lighting. As a relevant result, it is reported that the energy supply index (IPE, in Spanish) of the existing prototype reaches a value of 132 kWhPrim./m2.year. In addition, the retrofit and ex ante variations lead to considerable economic savings in the initial investment. This is why the importance of implementing software analysis at the design stage is considered as important in order to quantify energy resources and emissions savings in a planned energy transition.

Integrated Analysis of Energy Saving and Thermal Comfort of Retrofits in Social Housing under Climate Change Influence in Uruguay

Energy improvement studies normally use energy demand reduction as an indicator, disregarding dwellings that do not use air-conditioning systems or do so only under extreme weather conditions. They also do not quantify the impact of climate change on results. This research seeks to evaluate and prioritize energy improvements for existing Uruguayan dwellings, assessing energy demand and thermal comfort in both the current and future climate. A social dwelling was monitored and calibrated to assess energy efficiency measures simulating the current climate and for 2050 (IPCC Scenario A2). The results show that improvements must be linked to the use of air-conditioning in dwellings. When air-conditioning use is unknown, for example, in public policy, thermal transmittance in walls should be between 0.50–0.61 W/m2 K, in roofs between 0.32–0.47 W/m2 K, in openings 2.7 W/m2 K, airtightness under 5 ACH n50 and with solar protections. However, when the use under free running is certain, thermal transmittance in walls and roofs should be 0.85 W/m2 K with an airtightness of 9.2 ACH n50 and solar protection used to avoid overheating. The operational ventilation and solar protection parameters were helpful to guarantee comfort, underlining the need for their inclusion and to train those who use them.

Internal surface condensation risk in façades of Spanish social dwellings

ABSTRACTThe poor maintenance of social dwellings causes the possible building deficiencies to be significantly increased, especially when most of these dwellings have been built before any thermal standard and without considering the effect of climate change. Façades are one of the building elements which are most degraded by the contact with the exterior, and surface condensation is the most common cause. This study applies the calculation of surface condensation from ISO 13788 to a representative case of social dwelling in Spain for all climate zones, both in the current and 2050 scenarios. Risks of corrosion, mould formation, and surface condensation were studied in nine different points of the façade, which were validated by in-situ measurements. The results determined that there was a greater risk of condensation or mould depending on the climate zone, and thermal resistance significantly influenced data variation in future scenarios. The results also showed that an adequate ventilation generally decreased risks, removing the risk of mould and surface condensation by 2050. To predict the results obtained, a model based on artificial neural networks was generated, and it could also be used to estimate risks in the future.

Analysis of phase change materials (PCM) for building wallboards based on the effect of environment

One of the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development in the building sector is the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. In this regards, it is necessary the development and promotion of efficient, affordable, and high impact technologies, systems, and practices. For this purpose, new technologies as phase change materials (PCM) is being studied to improve the energy efficiency and reduce energy usage in buildings.This research aims to analyze the selection of PCM for building wallboards and roofs by comparison between multi-criteria decision methods (MCDM) and Building Energy Simulations (BES). For this purpose, a reference generic social dwelling designed in Ecuador to shelter four people in a space of 36 m2 has been chosen to perform the study.The MCDM COPRAS-G, TOPSIS and VIKOR are considered to accurately rank PCM alternatives, taking in consideration different material selection criteria. Moreover, BES are performed to: (a) further contrast the MCDM ranking of PCM and (b) numerically assess the thermal behavior and estimate the energy consumption with the incorporation of the PCMs.The results found discrepancies between the MCDM and BES, demonstrating the importance that the environment variables play to appropriately assess the performance of PCM.

Artificial neural networks and linear regression prediction models for social housing allocation: Fuel Poverty Potential Risk Index

Fuel poverty is a pertinent issue for vulnerable households both in industrialized and developing countries, which is related to energy prices and accessibility of energy services. This research explores the feasibility of predictive models to prevent fuel poverty through the Fuel Poverty Potential Risk Index (FPPRI). Two statistical models, multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural networks (ANN), have been developed and applied to predict the probability of low-income households falling into fuel poverty when being allocated a social dwelling. The case study used to validate the model is located in the Bio-Bio Region of Chile and the households considered belong to the most vulnerable social strata. The models have considered the design and constructive features of common typologies of Chilean social dwellings, family income levels, changes in energy usage patterns and energy prices. Through extensive simulation and testing, ANNs have been found to be more accurate than MLRs for all situations, with a R2 coefficient above 99.6% and 80.7% respectively, despite their greater complexity. The result of this research can be useful in providing tools to fairly and accurately assign social dwellings to vulnerable households to prevent them from falling into fuel poverty.

On site deployment of 3D printing for the building construction – The case of YhnovaTM

The University of Nantes has developed a 3D printing technique (BatiPrint3DTM) dedicated to the construction of the walls of a house. This innovative on site construction technique is based on the deposition of two layers of expansive foam used as a formwork for a third concrete layer. It allows to build at the same time the structure and the insulation. This new construction technology has first been developed at the laboratory, but rapidly, we decided to deploy it on site, in order to demonstrate its technical viability. We present the technology Batiprint3DTM and the demonstrator YhnovaTM, a 95m2 social dwelling built for the social landlord Nantes Métropole Habitat (NMH).

Comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of energy efficiency in social housing. Case study: Northwest Mexico

This article proposes a methodology, via a case study, to address the principles of Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA), applied to energy efficiency in social housing. In Northwest Mexico (NWM), comfort in Summer cannot be achieved without mechanical cooling; the hot-dry climate, combined with poorly designed dwellings, results in large cooling loads. Having demonstrated in a previous research work that passive cooling can be effective for reducing internal temperatures, it was necessary to investigate whether strategies proposed were affordable for householders and still profitable for developers. A typical social dwelling was set as reference case to assess the remedial measures applied, resulting in two new forms of new build and one for retrofit; the analysis included the two types of mechanical cooling commonly used in NWM, the vapour compression-based air conditioning and evaporative cooling. Using the Net Present Value (NPV) as comparison parameter, results showed that investing in low-energy design or energy-efficiency upgrade is always profitable in terms of reduced energy consumption, but the payback period varies depending on the type and source of financing. For example, when using single room air-conditioning devices in a new dwelling, the additional cost of the passive features was paid for, via reduced energy bills, in six years.

Thermal simulation of a social dwelling in Chile: Effect of the thermal zone and the temperature-dependant thermophysical properties of light envelope materials

As in most countries, Chile exhibits a continuous growth of energy demand, although nowadays the country does not have enough conventional energy sources to supply it. For this reason, energy saving approaches in the residential sector have been encouraged. One of the solutions to improve the energy performance of the buildings is to decrease wasting energy through the building’s envelope, therefore the thermal properties of materials used in building envelopes must be analyzed to evaluate the thermal response of houses. Normally, the thermal envelope of a social house in Chile is made of brick or wood along with light materials such as fiber cement, plasterboard, and thermal insulating materials as polystyrene foam. The experimental part of this work deals with the measurement of the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of the aforementioned light materials in a temperature range from −5°C to 40°C through the transient line heat source method. The experimental results allowed the identification of 10–20% variation of those thermophysical properties. The response of the thermal envelope and the inner temperature of a social dwelling under seven different climatological conditions was evaluated through transient simulations with EnergyPlus. The results allowed to identify that the dwellings located in hotter zones are prone to having higher temperatures than the comfort temperature, and the recommendations of the thermal regulations in Chile are more effective in the colder thermal zones 6 and 7.

Housing and Citizenship in the UK: Towards a Conditional Right?

According to T.H. Marshall's model, citizenship in Britain includes three categories of rights that were achieved in stages between the 18th and the 20th centuries. In Marshall's opinion, the latest category, namely social rights, was institutionalized by the Welfare State after 1945. First, we shall see how uneasily one of these rights, namely access to social housing in the absence of a decent home, fits his definition of citizenship. Then we shall examine the discursive shift that has taken place since the 1970s and that has led to a redefinition of the rights and duties of British citizens in the field of housing. As a result, citizenship in Britain is no longer synonymous with the possibility to enjoy a social dwelling but rather with the duty to be self-sufficient and a homeowner. Besides, in a housing crisis context, access to social housing increasingly depends on meeting a number of conditions aiming at controlling the behaviour of English tenants and ensuring they are professionally and socially well-integrated. In sum, housing has been part of a sustained governmental effort to redraw the contours of citizenship since the 1970s.

Thermal Performance of Traditional and New Concept Houses in the Ancient Village of San Pedro De Atacama and Surroundings

Earth, wood and others traditional materials are still used in house constructions in many regions of the world, especially in the Andes. San Pedro de Atacama, for example, is a small town where earth blocks (adobes) and rammed earth (tapial) are important ways to construct, an art passed on through generations. Energy properties of earth are very interesting: thermal conductivity is low; heat storage capacity is high; color is variable and can be used to absorb or to reject solar radiation. However, nowadays the government social dwelling service is proposing a different type of construction, which does not maintain any relation with the tradition. This paper presents simulation studies and monitoring of four different San Pedro houses, constructed by using different techniques and materials. Results can be used to discuss the thermal performance needed in desert climate and the reliability of social dwelling service houses, under construction at this time in the town.

Dynamic exergy analysis of energy systems for a social dwelling and exergy based system improvement

This paper presents a study of the usefulness of the exergy approach in the development of energy systems for the built environment. The energy and exergy performance of five different energy systems for a social dwelling in a multifamily building from 1960s in Bilbao (Spain) are studied; two reference cases as well as three improved options. The total energy chain is considered from the energy demand to the energy resources and the analyses are performed using dynamic simulations. The exergy losses of energy system components are identified and quantified and efficiency values in terms of energy and exergy are evaluated. Based on an analysis of the exergy losses further improvements are investigated. This study has shown the exergy concept to be a useful addition to the energy concept, giving a more rational analysis than an analysis solely based on the energy concept. It has also shown that identification and quantification of exergy losses can support the further improvement of energy system configurations, leading to a further reduction of exergy losses and thus a further reduction of high quality energy use.

The exergy approach for evaluating and developing an energy system for a social dwelling

In this paper the energy and exergy performance of a social dwelling of a multi-family building from the 1960s in Bilbao (Spain) is presented and various improved energy concepts based on exergy principles are proposed and investigated. The aim of this paper is to explore and demonstrate the usefulness of the exergy approach in the assessment and development of an energy system for the dwelling under consideration. The total energy supply system is analysed, including the demand (space heating, domestic hot water and electricity), the system components (for conversion, storage and distribution) and the energy input from energy resources (primary energy and renewable resources). The study includes a comparison of the primary energy input of all cases considered and an analysis of the energy and exergy losses of each system component. The study has shown that the exergy analysis reveals thermodynamic losses that are not revealed using energy analysis and secondly, that the development of an improved energy system based on exergy principles has resulted in a significantly reduced primary energy input compared to the reference situation.

Social Housing in the European Union

The following article summarizes the findings of the report «2012 Housing Europe Review» (Pittini and Laino, 2011), published by the European Social Housing Observatory – the research department of the international not for profit organisation CECODHAS Housing Europe. This Review focuses on social housing in the European Union and aims at providing a clearer picture of the way social housing systems are structured across the EU, while identifying the main recent developments in the sector. In this article we attempt a brief analysis of the social housing sector from different perspectives: the diversity of definitions at the national level and common characteristics across Europe, the size of the sector, which kind of actors are involved in social housing provision, who can benefit from a social dwelling in the different national contexts, how the sector is financed and what are the most significant trends and challenges.

‘Buy Your Home and Feel in Control’ Does Home Ownership Achieve the Empowerment of Former Tenants of Social Housing?

Encouraging home ownership is an important aim of housing policy in many countries. It is supposed to have positive effects on individual households and on society as a whole. This article focuses on the effect of home ownership on former tenants of social rented housing in the Netherlands. The central issue is whether becoming a home owner increases one 's sense of freedom and security in the home, one 's sense of control over one 's life, and one 's self-esteem. In other words, to what extent is buying a house a way of empowering individuals and households? Many Dutch housing associations are currently devising sale policies with the aim of empowering their tenants and providing more freedom of choice. We present the results of telephone surveys of 535 Dutch former tenants who bought their social rented dwelling and 602 others who decided not to buy their dwelling. The main question is: to what extent do these two groups differ in their scores on empowerment scales based on earlier research. Scales of ‘perceived control over life’, 'self-esteem' and 'housing-related empowerment' were adapted and measured among respondents of both groups. The results show that tenants who became home owners score higher on the control scale than tenants, but this difference can be explained by other background variables. Moreover, home owners score higher on the scale of housing-related empowerment, but lower on the scale of self-esteem, net of other factors.