Energy Savings Obtained with an Adaptive Approach with Respect to Building Envelope Improvement

Abstract

Strategies based on adaptive thermal comfort models have great potential for application in most parts of the world. This means that these strategies are appropriate bioclimatic measures for buildings and constitute a tool for architects and engineers. However, it is necessary to know quantitatively the energy savings expected with this type of strategy. For this reason, this chapter analyzes the energy savings obtained in two buildings. The analysis was carried out in different climatic zones in Spain and using an adaptive strategy based on the three categories of EN 16798-1:2019. The results show the total energy savings obtained with the adaptive strategies: Category I ranged from 6.8 to 30.4%, Category II ranged from 23 to 56.3%, and Category III from 35.8 to 74.6%. Furthermore, the use of these strategies is adequate to reduce the payback periods of other energy conservation measures (e.g., the increase in thermal resistance of the facade), with reductions of up to 42 years in Category I, 64 years in Category II, and 73 years in Category III. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.