IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i6p2287-d332658.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Energy Renovation of Residential Buildings in Cold Mediterranean Zones Using Optimized Thermal Envelope Insulation Thicknesses: The Case of Spain

Author

Listed:
  • Luis M. López-Ochoa

    (TENECO Research Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of La Rioja, 26004 Logroño, La Rioja, Spain)

  • Jesús Las-Heras-Casas

    (TENECO Research Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of La Rioja, 26004 Logroño, La Rioja, Spain)

  • Luis M. López-González

    (TENECO Research Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of La Rioja, 26004 Logroño, La Rioja, Spain)

  • César García-Lozano

    (TENECO Research Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of La Rioja, 26004 Logroño, La Rioja, Spain)

Abstract

The residential sector of the European Union consumes 27% of the final energy of the European Union, and approximately two-thirds of the existing dwellings in the European Union were built before 1980. For this reason, the European Union aims to transform the existing residential building stock into nearly zero-energy buildings by 2050 through energy renovation. The most effective method to achieve this goal is to increase the thermal insulation of opaque elements of the thermal envelope. This study aims to assess the energy, environmental and economic impacts of the energy renovation of the thermal envelopes that are typical of the existing multi-family buildings of the 26 provincial capitals in the cold climate zones of Spain. To achieve this goal, the insulation thickness to be added to the walls, roof and first floor framework is optimized by a life cycle cost analysis, and the existing building openings are replaced, thus minimizing both the total heating costs and the total heating and cooling costs. The study uses four thermal insulation materials for four different heating and cooling systems in 10 different models. The results obtained will be used to propose energy renovation solutions to achieve nearly zero-energy buildings both in Spain and in similar Mediterranean climate zones.

Suggested Citation

  • Luis M. López-Ochoa & Jesús Las-Heras-Casas & Luis M. López-González & César García-Lozano, 2020. "Energy Renovation of Residential Buildings in Cold Mediterranean Zones Using Optimized Thermal Envelope Insulation Thicknesses: The Case of Spain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-34, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:6:p:2287-:d:332658
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/6/2287/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/6/2287/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cabeza, Luisa F. & Rincón, Lídia & Vilariño, Virginia & Pérez, Gabriel & Castell, Albert, 2014. "Life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle energy analysis (LCEA) of buildings and the building sector: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 394-416.
    2. López-Ochoa, Luis M. & Las-Heras-Casas, Jesús & López-González, Luis M. & Olasolo-Alonso, Pablo, 2018. "Environmental and energy impact of the EPBD in residential buildings in hot and temperate Mediterranean zones: The case of Spain," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 618-634.
    3. Salvalai, Graziano & Masera, Gabriele & Sesana, Marta Maria, 2015. "Italian local codes for energy efficiency of buildings: Theoretical definition and experimental application to a residential case study," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1245-1259.
    4. Ballarini, Ilaria & Corrado, Vincenzo & Madonna, Francesco & Paduos, Simona & Ravasio, Franco, 2017. "Energy refurbishment of the Italian residential building stock: energy and cost analysis through the application of the building typology," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 148-160.
    5. Ozel, Meral, 2012. "The influence of exterior surface solar absorptivity on thermal characteristics and optimum insulation thickness," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 347-355.
    6. Nematchoua, Modeste Kameni & Raminosoa, Chrysostôme R.R. & Mamiharijaona, Ramaroson & René, Tchinda & Orosa, José A. & Elvis, Watis & Meukam, Pierre, 2015. "Study of the economical and optimum thermal insulation thickness for buildings in a wet and hot tropical climate: Case of Cameroon," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 1192-1202.
    7. Fokaides, Paris A. & Polycarpou, Kyriacos & Kalogirou, Soteris, 2017. "The impact of the implementation of the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive on the European building stock: The case of the Cyprus Land Development Corporation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 1-8.
    8. Bektas Ekici, Betul & Aytac Gulten, Ayca & Aksoy, U. Teoman, 2012. "A study on the optimum insulation thicknesses of various types of external walls with respect to different materials, fuels and climate zones in Turkey," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 211-217.
    9. Sisman, Nuri & Kahya, Emin & Aras, Nil & Aras, Haydar, 2007. "Determination of optimum insulation thicknesses of the external walls and roof (ceiling) for Turkey's different degree-day regions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 5151-5155, October.
    10. López-Ochoa, Luis M. & Las-Heras-Casas, Jesús & López-González, Luis M. & Olasolo-Alonso, Pablo, 2019. "Towards nearly zero-energy buildings in Mediterranean countries: Energy Performance of Buildings Directive evolution and the energy rehabilitation challenge in the Spanish residential sector," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 335-352.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Belen Moreno Santamaria & Fernando del Ama Gonzalo & Matthew Griffin & Benito Lauret Aguirregabiria & Juan A. Hernandez Ramos, 2021. "Life Cycle Assessment of Dynamic Water Flow Glazing Envelopes: A Case Study with Real Test Facilities," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    2. Fupeng Zhang & Lei Shi & Simian Liu & Jiaqi Shi & Yong Yu, 2022. "Sustainable Renovation and Assessment of Existing Aging Rammed Earth Dwellings in Hunan, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-23, May.
    3. Belen Moreno Santamaria & Fernando del Ama Gonzalo & Danielle Pinette & Benito Lauret Aguirregabiria & Juan A. Hernandez Ramos, 2020. "Industrialization and Thermal Performance of a New Unitized Water Flow Glazing Facade," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-22, September.
    4. Peep Pihelo & Kalle Kuusk & Targo Kalamees, 2020. "Development and Performance Assessment of Prefabricated Insulation Elements for Deep Energy Renovation of Apartment Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-20, April.
    5. Ayou, Dereje S. & Wardhana, Muhammad Fa'iq Vidi & Coronas, Alberto, 2023. "Performance analysis of a reversible water/LiBr absorption heat pump connected to district heating network in warm and cold climates," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    6. Erdem Küçüktopcu & Bilal Cemek & Halis Simsek, 2022. "The Economic and Environmental Impact of Greenhouse Heating Pipe Insulation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jung Ho Kim & Young Il Kim, 2021. "Optimal Combination of External Wall Insulation Thickness and Surface Solar Reflectivity of Non-Residential Buildings in the Korean Peninsula," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-24, March.
    2. López-Ochoa, Luis M. & Las-Heras-Casas, Jesús & González-Caballín, Juan M. & Carpio, Manuel, 2023. "Towards nearly zero-energy residential buildings in Mediterranean countries: The implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2018 in Spain," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    3. López-Ochoa, Luis M. & Las-Heras-Casas, Jesús & López-González, Luis M. & Olasolo-Alonso, Pablo, 2019. "Towards nearly zero-energy buildings in Mediterranean countries: Energy Performance of Buildings Directive evolution and the energy rehabilitation challenge in the Spanish residential sector," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 335-352.
    4. Axaopoulos, Ioannis & Axaopoulos, Petros & Gelegenis, John, 2014. "Optimum insulation thickness for external walls on different orientations considering the speed and direction of the wind," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 167-175.
    5. David Bienvenido-Huertas, 2020. "Analysis of the Impact of the Use Profile of HVAC Systems Established by the Spanish Standard to Assess Residential Building Energy Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-19, September.
    6. Daouas, Naouel, 2016. "Impact of external longwave radiation on optimum insulation thickness in Tunisian building roofs based on a dynamic analytical model," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 136-148.
    7. Joana Fernandes & Maria Catarina Santos & Rui Castro, 2021. "Introductory Review of Energy Efficiency in Buildings Retrofits," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-18, December.
    8. Rui Jiang & Rongrong Li, 2017. "Decomposition and Decoupling Analysis of Life-Cycle Carbon Emission in China’s Building Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-18, May.
    9. López-Ochoa, Luis M. & Las-Heras-Casas, Jesús & López-González, Luis M. & Olasolo-Alonso, Pablo, 2018. "Environmental and energy impact of the EPBD in residential buildings in hot and temperate Mediterranean zones: The case of Spain," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 618-634.
    10. Jihui Yuan & Craig Farnham & Kazuo Emura, 2017. "Optimum Insulation Thickness for Building Exterior Walls in 32 Regions of China to Save Energy and Reduce CO 2 Emissions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(10), pages 1-13, September.
    11. Tamer, Tolga & Gürsel Dino, Ipek & Meral Akgül, Cagla, 2022. "Data-driven, long-term prediction of building performance under climate change: Building energy demand and BIPV energy generation analysis across Turkey," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    12. Graziano Salvalai & Marta Maria Sesana & Diletta Brutti & Marco Imperadori, 2020. "Design and Performance Analysis of a Lightweight Flexible nZEB," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-27, July.
    13. Alkistis E. Kanteraki & Grigorios L. Kyriakopoulos & Miltiadis Zamparas & Vasilis C. Kapsalis & Sofoklis S. Makridis & Giouli Mihalakakou, 2020. "Investigating Thermal Performance of Residential Buildings in Marmari Region, South Evia, Greece," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-22, February.
    14. Shad, Rouzbeh & Khorrami, Mohammad & Ghaemi, Marjan, 2017. "Developing an Iranian green building assessment tool using decision making methods and geographical information system: Case study in Mashhad city," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 324-340.
    15. Alberto Cerezo-Narváez & María-José Bastante-Ceca & José-María Piñero-Vilela, 2021. "Economic and Environmental Assessment on Implementing Solar Renewable Energy Systems in Spanish Residential Homes," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-39, July.
    16. López-Ochoa, Luis M. & Verichev, Konstantin & Las-Heras-Casas, Jesús & Carpio, Manuel, 2019. "Solar domestic hot water regulation in the Latin American residential sector with the implementation of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive: The case of Chile," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    17. Ozalp, C. & Saydam, D.B. & Çerçi, K.N. & Hürdoğan, E. & Moran, H., 2019. "Evaluation of a sample building with different type building elements in an energetic and environmental perspective," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    18. Thomas Märzinger & Doris Österreicher, 2020. "Extending the Application of the Smart Readiness Indicator—A Methodology for the Quantitative Assessment of the Load Shifting Potential of Smart Districts," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-24, July.
    19. Constantinos A. Balaras & Andreas I. Theodoropoulos & Elena G. Dascalaki, 2023. "Geographic Information Systems for Facilitating Audits of the Urban Built Environment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-26, May.
    20. Burek, Jasmina & Nutter, Darin W., 2019. "A life cycle assessment-based multi-objective optimization of the purchased, solar, and wind energy for the grocery, perishables, and general merchandise multi-facility distribution center network," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 235(C), pages 1427-1446.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:6:p:2287-:d:332658. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.