This work is part of the activities MODIFICA Project: Predictive model of the energy performance of residential buildings under conditions of urban heat island (BIA2013-41732-R). This project is funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through the R + D + i, 2013 program, and the authors are involved in their development, together with the research group Bioclimatic Architecture in a Sustainable Environment-ABIO (UPM). The hypothesis of the project is the fact that the transformation of land for urban growth in the city of Madrid potentiates the effect of the urban heat island (UHI), which modifies substantially in the urban microclimate. The UHI is the result of the gradual replacement of natural surface by the urban area, whose surfaces absorb more solar radiation. This, coupled with other anthropogenic factors, increase the air temperature and cause an increase in local temperature. The consequence is a modification of the urban microclimate that affects to the comfort conditions in urban space and to the energy performance of buildings and, therefore, to the quality of life of the inhabitants.
This ecoefficient renovation of two buildings of social housing for rent is located in the historic center of Zaragoza and has been carried out among 2013 and 2015. It emerges from the conclusions and strategies developed for the New-Solutions4OldHousing project (LIFE10 ENV / ES / 439), funded by the European Commission. The general objective of LIFE project is to define the most appropriate methodology for the rehabilitation of social housing with criteria of energy and environmental sustainability and application of innovative technologies to combat climate change. The application of passive strategies in the refurbishment of these Demonstrator Buildings has helped to achieve thermal and lighting comfort with less energy-consumption, with savings above 70% in demand and about 25% in real consumption. These data are particularly relevant when the residents are renters with very limited incomes, vulnerable to problems such as energy poverty. Therefore, the proposed action serves to improve the passive behaviour of the building and to achieve greater thermal and lighting comfort and liability without increasing the financial costs related to energy consumption.
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