Energy and Economic Life Cycle Assessment of Cool Roofs Applied to the Refurbishment of Social Housing in Southern Spain

Antonio Dominguez-Delgado, Helena Domínguez-Torres and Carlos-Antonio Domínguez-Torres
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Antonio Dominguez-Delgado: Department of Applied Mathematics 1, Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes 2, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
Helena Domínguez-Torres: Facultad de Económicas, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Ramón y Cajal, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
Carlos-Antonio Domínguez-Torres: Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura, Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Reina Mercedes 2, 41012 Sevilla, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 14, 1-35

Abstract: Energy refurbishment of the housing stock is needed in order to reduce energy consumption and meet global climate goals. This is even more necessary for social housing built in Spain in the middle of the last century since its obsolete energy conditions lead to situations of indoor thermal discomfort and energy poverty. The present study carries out a life cycle assessment of the energy and economic performance of roofs after being retrofitted to become cool roofs for the promotion of social housing in Seville (Spain). Dynamic simulations are made in which the time dependent aging effect on the energy performance of the refurbished cool roofs is included for the whole lifespan. The influence of the time dependent aging effect on the results of the life cycle economic analysis is also assessed. A variety of scenarios are considered in order to account for the aging effect in the energy performance of the retrofitted cool roofs and its incidence while considering different energy prices and monetary discount rates on the life cycle assessment. This is made through a dynamic life cycle assessment in order to capture the impact of the aging dynamic behavior correctly. Results point out significant savings in the operational energy. However, important differences are found in the economic savings when the life cycle analysis is carried out since the source of energy and the efficiency of the equipment used for conditioning strongly impact the economic results.

Keywords: cool roof; energy efficiency; social housing; energy saving; dynamic numerical method; life cycle assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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