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Adaptive comfort plays an important role in defining comfort standards when considering comfort in buildings in free-running mode, including adaptation to external temperatures, opening windows and changing clothing. In this regard, two international standards provide the fundamental basis to model the necessary equations: EN 16798 (formerly 15251) and ASHRAE 55-2017. This research intends on assessing the feasibility of applying these standards to the Chilean context, where a legal framework has begun to be implemented to regulate the occupant's comfort in social housing. Extensive monitoring of inhabitants in existing units under free-running mode has been undertaken in several social housing projects in the city of Concepción (Chile) and the collected data has been contrasted against the international standards. Results show that users in these houses show more tolerance to cold temperatures, thus, despite being allocated below the standards' lower limits, they are considered to be in thermal comfort. As a result, the outcomes of this research can shed light on the feasibility of applying international standards to social housing and low-income families in Chile. The study presents a proposal for a novel adaptive comfort model for Chile. The new model proposes adapting the thermal comfort threshold's lower limit in order to develop a national standard that better reflects the inhabitants' needs and socio-economic culture. The study demonstrates how the proposed model best fits the thermal comfort conditions in social housing in Chile.

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Fuel poverty is commonly associated with fuel price, energy consumption, income and building features to maintain comfortable conditions. Most studies are based on existing conditions with future macro level predictions. Therefore, there are a lack of micro scale policies and further in-depth research is needed based on the multivariable complexity of social justice. In this context, public housing policies have a challenge in order to meet not only the right to housing but also an affordable and comfortable use. The intention of this research is to develop an index to help the decision-making process in the early stages of social housing allocation. The analyses were based on the applicability of adaptive comfort, urban context and building features, considering energy use and the ability to pay utility bills. By means of these factors, the FP potential risk was set as crucial in public building sector decision-making and housing allocation. Methodologies based on dynamic simulations and current adaptive comfort standards were applied to social housing in the Central-South of Chile. Results reveal that within the urban context, energy consumption differs significantly due to boundary conditions, with fuel poverty potential risk index being an effective index to allocate appropriate housing for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable segments of society.