Feasibility of adaptive thermal comfort for energy savings in cooling and heating: A study on Europe and the Mediterranean basin

Abstract

Buildings are part of an energy-intensive industry responsible for a remarkable amount of the greenhouse emissions, therefore the European Union has launched in the last years an ambitious strategy to decarbonize buildings. Nevertheless, transnational policies based on technological upgrade might not be always effective, as in the case of Europe, Northern and Southern countries face very different socioeconomic situations; conversely, policies seeking new ways of doing can be applied to overcome this technological gap. This research explores the applicability of two standards for thermal comfort, namely, ASHRAE 55"“2017 and EN 16798"“1:2019, to devise strategies aimed at reducing the energy consumption for heating and cooling in the European building sector, specifically focusing on the Mediterranean area. The climate of 32,564 locations has been analysed to assess the potential of applicability of these two standards, as well as natural ventilation and adaptive setpoint temperatures to reduce the energy demand of buildings. As a consequence, these standards may build a valid theoretical foundation for a European policy aimed at improving the energy efficiency in the building sector, which should be implemented on a regional scale, and on a climate-basis. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.