Comparison of energy conservation measures considering adaptive thermal comfort and climate change in existing Mediterranean dwellings

Abstract

There is currently a need to restore the existing building stock. For this purpose, an energy evaluation of the building is conducted before deciding which intervention should be made. In that intervention, setpoint temperatures based on the index Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) are considered. This research studies the energy and economic feasibility of carrying out different energy conservation measures (ECMs) of façades by applying adaptive setpoint temperatures. The energy saving was also studied for future scenarios of climate change (2050 and 2080). The case study was a building with a deficient energy behaviour and located in the Mediterranean climate region. Both ECMs of façades and the cost payback period were studied. The results showed that the façade improvement was not an effective measure in the Mediterranean climate: saving percentages were not high in cooling consumption, and the amortization period was economically unfeasible. On the other hand, the use of adaptive setpoint temperatures was the most efficient measure, achieving savings higher than 70% in cooling consumption. Finally, there were limitations in the use of the adaptive comfort model from EN 15251 in future scenarios.