Assessment of Social Housing Energy and Thermal Performance in Relation to Occupants’ Behaviour and COVID-19 Influence—A Case Study in the Basque Country, Spain

Silvia Perez-Bezos, Anna Figueroa-Lopez, Matxalen Etxebarria-Mallea, Xabat Oregi and Rufino Javier Hernandez-Minguillon
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Silvia Perez-Bezos: CAVIAR Research Group, Department of Architecture, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Oñati Plaza 2, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
Anna Figueroa-Lopez: CAVIAR Research Group, Department of Architecture, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Oñati Plaza 2, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
Matxalen Etxebarria-Mallea: CAVIAR Research Group, Department of Architecture, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Oñati Plaza 2, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
Xabat Oregi: CAVIAR Research Group, Department of Architecture, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Oñati Plaza 2, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
Rufino Javier Hernandez-Minguillon: CAVIAR Research Group, Department of Architecture, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Oñati Plaza 2, 20018 Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 9, 1-22

Abstract: Evidence shows that people have a major impact on building performance. Occupants’ impact is especially important in social housing, where their occupants may present greater vulnerabilities, and their needs are not always considered. This study aims to analyse the socio-demographic influence in social rental housing concerning hygrothermal comfort and energy consumption in a case study located in Vitoria, Spain during the first 4-month period of 2020 and 2021 (during and after COVID-19 lockdown). An innovative data management system is included, where the users and administration can see in real-time the temperature and consumption in the dwellings. A 2-phase method has been applied; phase 1 is associated with outdoor climate conditions, building properties and social profile. Phase 2 determined the results in energy consumption, indoor hygrothermal comfort and occupant energy-use pattern. The results show that the comfort levels and energy consumption vary according to the analysed social profiles, as well as the heating activation periods and domestic hot water system usage. In conclusion, socio-demographic characteristics of social housing households influence the hygrothermal comfort of their dwellings, occupants’ behaviour and heating and domestic hot water energy consumption.

Keywords: social housing; long-term monitoring; occupant behaviour; indoor hygrothermal comfort; energy consumption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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