Energy efficiency, indoor thermal comfort and influence of user habits in retrofitting of social housing blocks: Case study in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona

Abstract

The Mediterranean seaside cities like the towns placed at the Metropolitan region of Barcelona have soft winters and variable summers which change from hot to very hot. Historically, summer comfort in dwellings was reached through passive cooling strategies and reducing the activity of the citizens during the hottest hours (the siesta). At the beginning of the 20th and until the building regulations appear, most of the constructed buildings were designed without any energy saving criteria, therefore, summer and winter passive were scrapped.

Full Document