The Influence of Global Warming and Tourism Over the Sleeping Thermal Comfort of Dwellings in Granada

Abstract

The impact of tourism on the behavioural patterns of residential occupants can be significant. Noise generated by tourist activities may restrict the resident ability of adaptation during hot periods (e.g. limiting opening windows). This issue can be even more severe in future climate change scenarios. In this context, the aim of this study is to analyse the impact of restricted natural ventilation practices on sleeping thermal comfort. The analysis focused on the summer period (e.g. July and August) when natural nocturnal ventilation can effectively cool residential spaces. A case study of a dwelling in the Albaicín neighbourhood of Granada was selected for this purpose. Simulations were conducted for both current and future scenarios based on representative concentration pathways (RCP 2.6, RCP 4.5, and RCP 8.5). The thermal comfort of the dwelling was assessed using the PMV model adapted for the night-time conditions. The findings indicate that limiting natural night ventilation leads to an increase in hours of thermal discomfort. For all future scenarios, the values obtained indicate that the percentage of hours of sleeping thermal discomfort is higher compared to the current scenario.