Analysis of indoor climate and occupants' behaviour in traditional Scottish dwellings.

Due to the relevance of the internal boundary conditions and the lack of specific data for the Scottish context, an exploration of the internal environment of traditional dwellings is needed. In this study the indoor climate of 24 properties with different levels of insulation and air-tightness was analysed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative data. Temperature and relative humidity were recorded at 15 minutes intervals in two rooms per property. The analysis was complemented with semi-structured interviews with the occupants. Based on temperature and relative humidity, the moisture loads were calculated. Results in non- insulated properties showed indoor temperatures lower than the minimum level of thermal comfort, especially in winter, and high values of relative humidity during the warm season. The humidity levels in upgraded buildings are consistently lower despite the greater variability found in the internal temperatures

Understanding the influence of occupants' behaviour on the hygrothermal performance of insulated solid walls.

Residential buildings in the UK consume around 28% of total final energy use. Therefore, in order to achieve the CO2 and fuel poverty reduction targets set by the Scottish government, it will be necessary to improve the energy efficiency of the existing housing stock. This research explores the improvement of the envelopes performance in traditionally constructed buildings (which represent 20% of the total stock) so as to reduce the space heating energy demand. Current studies show a great level of uncertainty regarding the long term effects of energy retrofit on moisture migration in traditional fabrics. Evaluation of risks, prior to any alteration on buildings physics, is critical to avoid any future damage on the envelopes performance or occupants health and well being. Moisture dynamics in buildings envelopes are affected by the geometry of the enclosure, material properties and external and internal boundary conditions. Within the internal boundary there are several user related factors determining the environmental conditions like hours of heating use, number of rooms heated, temperature settings, ventilation patterns or cooking and dry clothing habits. However, due to the difficulty to obtain and model this information, internal climate is often neglected or extremely simplified. This research will explore the influence of users behaviour on the risk of condensation in solid walls in order to predict the actual effects of retrofit measures. Specifically, it will focus on the users influence on the hygrothermal performance of granite solid walls in Scottish tenement buildings after the insulation of the cavity between inner face of the masonry and the original lining. This research project intends to use Heat, Air and Moisture (HAM) numerical simulation to examine the impact of different behavioural patterns on the insulated walls. These patterns will be previously identified and analysed by means of long term environmental monitoring and occupants in-depth interviews. The results of this research may be used to advice owners and practitioners about the feasibility of different retrofit measures and the behavioural aspects that need to be monitored after its implementation. Conference held in Edinburgh

How Can Scientific Literature Support Decision-Making in the Renovation of Historic Buildings?:An Evidence-Based Approach for Improving the Performance of Walls

Buildings of heritage significance due to their historical, architectural, or cultural value, here called historic buildings, constitute a large proportion of the building stock in many countries around the world. Improving the performance of such buildings is necessary to lower the carbon emissions of the stock, which generates around 40% of the overall emissions worldwide. In historic buildings, it is estimated that heat loss through external walls contributes significantly to the overall energy consumption, and is associated with poor thermal comfort and indoor air quality. Measures to improve the performance of walls of historic buildings require a balance between energy performance, indoor environmental quality, heritage significance, and technical compatibility. Appropriate wall measures are available, but the correct selection and implementation require an integrated process throughout assessment (planning), design, construction, and use. Despite the available knowledge, decision-makers often have limited access to robust information on tested retrofit measures, hindering the implementation of deep renovation. This paper provides an evidence-based approach on the steps required during assessment, design, and construction, and after retrofitting through a literature review. Moreover, it provides a review of possible measures for wall retrofit within the deep renovation of historic buildings, including their advantages and disadvantages and the required considerations based on context

Ampliación de la R.E.S.A.D en Madrid [Hojas Resumen]

Ampliación de la R.E.S.A.D en Madri

Energy efficiency improvements in traditional buildings: exploring the role of user behaviour in the hygrothermal performance of solid walls.

Thermal improvement of traditional and historic buildings is going to play a crucial role in the achievement of established carbon emission targets. The suitable retrofit options for traditional buildings are, however, very limited and their long term performance is still uncertain. Evaluation of risks, prior to any alteration of building physics, is critical to avoid future damage to the fabric or occupants health. Moisture dynamics in building envelopes are affected by the enclosures geometry, materials properties and external and internal boundary conditions. Since the internal boundary is heavily influenced by users, understanding their behaviour is essential to predict the outcome of energy retrofit measures more accurately. The effect of user behaviour on energy demand has been extensively investigated; however, its impact on the hygrothermal performance of the envelopes has barely been explored. This research approached the connection between users and buildings from a new angle looking at the effect that user behaviour has on moisture dynamics of buildings envelopes after the retrofit. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to develop a holistic evaluation of the question. Firstly, factors influencing the adoption of energy efficiency measures in traditional buildings were explored by means of semi-structured interviews with private owners and project managers. Subsequently, a multi-case study including interviews with occupants and monitoring of environmental conditions was conducted. Data collected at this stage was used to explore users daily practices of comfort and to characterise the internal climate of traditional dwellings. Lastly, users impact was quantified using Heat, Air and Moisture (HAM) numerical simulation. This allowed for the evaluation of the hygrothermal performance of walls under different internal climate scenarios. Combined results of interviews, environmental monitoring and simulation showed that internal climate can compromise envelope performance after the retrofit and highlighted the need to consider users in the decision making process. Ultimately, the results of this research will help to increase awareness about the potential impact of user behaviour and provide recommendations to decision makers involved in the energy retrofit of traditional structures

Ampliación de la R.E.S.A.D en Madrid [Hojas Resumen]

Ampliación de la R.E.S.A.D en Madri

Categorization of South Tyrolean Built Heritage with Consideration of the Impact of Climate

Climate change imposes great challenges on the built heritage sector by increasing the risks of energy inefficiency, indoor overheating, and moisture-related damage to the envelope. Therefore, it is urgent to assess these risks and plan adaptation strategies for historic buildings. These activities must be based on a strong knowledge of the main building categories. Moreover, before adapting a historic building to future climate, it is necessary to understand how the past climate influenced its design, construction, and eventual categories. This knowledge will help when estimating the implication of climate change on historic buildings. This study aims at identifying building categories, which will be the basis for further risk assessment and adaptation plans, while at the same time analyzing the historical interaction between climate and human dwelling. The results show some correlations between building categories and climate. Therefore, it is necessary to use different archetypes to represent the typical buildings in different climate zones. Moreover, these correlations imply a need to investigate the capability of the climate-responsive features in future climate scenarios and to explore possible further risks and adaptation strategies

What Are the Implications of Climate Change for Retrofitted Historic Buildings? A Literature Review

Historic buildings account for more than one-quarter of Europe’s existing building stock and are going to be crucial in the achievement of future energy targets. Although a drastic reduction in carbon emissions would slow climate change, an alteration in the climate is already certain. Therefore, the impact of climate change on retrofitted historic buildings should be considered in terms of occupants’ comfort, heritage conservation, and energy performance. Inappropriate interventions might weaken the potential of traditional climate adaptive solutions, such as thermal mass and night cooling, leading to higher risks of overheating in a warming climate. Similarly, retrofit solutions will change the moisture dynamics of historic envelopes, which might lead to moisture damages when combined with more extreme precipitation events. This paper reviews recent literature that provides evidence of climate change’s impact on retrofitted buildings, reveals potential future risks, and thereby sheds light on new factors influencing the decision-making process in the retrofit of historic buildings

Application of the Guidelines for the Integration of Photovoltaics in Historic Buildings and Landscapes to Evaluate the Best Practices of the Historic Building Energy Retrofit Atlas

The challenge of transforming historic buildings and city centers into energy-self-sufficient environments requires innovative solutions. The research project “BiPV meets History” addressed this challenge by providing comprehensive guidelines for assessing the integration of photovoltaic (PV) systems in protected historic architectural contexts. To validate these guidelines, this study conducts a thorough examination of best practices through the mentioned guidelines, developing an application tool. Recognizing the power of well-communicated best practices in overcoming obstacles to integrated photovoltaic adoption, this tool is used to assess PV integration quality with respect to the best practice contained in the HiBERatlas database. The analysis of 17 successful refurbishment cases highlighted the robustness and reliability of the proposed methodology, considering aesthetic, technical, and energy aspects. This study emphasizes the potential of the guidelines for achieving a harmonious integration of renewable energy solutions with historic architectural heritage and landscape and improving usability through the developed tool