Experimental Evaluation of a Social Housing Dwelling Under Extreme Heat Climate Conditions

Current and future climate challenges are an important field of study regarding their impact on building performance. The predicted increase of summer severity in many Iberian Peninsula locations increases the need to quantify the performance of social housing buildings exposed to extremely hot climatic conditions, given the poor thermal criteria of their constructions and the predominance of energy poverty in these contexts. The objective of the present study is to understand the indoor temperature and relative humidity conditions monitored in a social housing dwelling, without the use of active cooling systems and during a particularly demanding period in the summer, so as to assess the suitability of its performance. The results obtained were evaluated according to reference values defined in national regulations and international standards, demonstrating that buildings present thermal performances that are very distant from those recommended, when exposed to these conditions and without resorting to active systems. This work therefore contributes to reinforcing the need for strategies and/or programs to retrofit social housing buildings regarding the climate challenges, in order to safeguard the well-being and health of residents, including risk groups.