Comfort settings and energy demand for residential nZEB in warm climates

Building policies worldwide are becoming more demanding in terms of improving the energy performance of buildings to ensure that the target for nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB) will be reached. Setting the thermal comfort parameters for a nZEB is a big challenge because the parameters must provide adequate indoor thermal conditions while at the same time guaranteeing the sustainability of buildings. Thermal comfort parameters for residential buildings have a strong impact on air conditioning demand. In this study, simulations have been performed to check the impact of comfort parameters on the air conditioning energy demand for residential nZEBs following the Passivhaus standard. Fifteen cities located in the south of Europe were selected for this study: twelve cities located in Spain, two in Italy and one in France as examples of a warm climate. Energy demand simulations have been carried out for a range of temperatures and different degrees of air humidity in order to calculate their impact depending on the climate data. The results obtained for a nZEB dwelling were compared with those obtained for a traditional dwelling to provide information for the development of further standards and norms concerning indoor climate and energy calculations. Moreover, simulations have been performed following adaptive models where the comfort temperature depends on the outdoor conditions. These results will help countries with warm climates, like those in southern Europe, to define their thermal comfort parameters for nZEB. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.