Building characterisation and assessment methodology of social housing stock in the warmer Mediterranean climate: the case of southern Spain

Abstract

The increase in the average temperature of the planet due to global warming has serious repercussions on buildings, affecting indoor environmental quality and thermal comfort. Currently, one of the building stocks most at risk is that of the residential sector in southern Spain, given the high sensitivity of the Mediterranean climate to the effects of climate change and the massive volume of this built environment with obsolete energy conditions. However, it is crucial to carry out an in-depth assessment of the necessary retrofitting strategies for implementation in this existing stock, with an overall analysis of building characterisation and current state of the building stock. This research takes these aspects into consideration, using statistical descriptive techniques to evaluate the building characterisation of public social housing in southern Spain. This public sector is managed by the Regional Government of Andalusia and is made up of 39.486 social housing units. Results reported in this research make it possible to establish which buildings require short-term and priority retrofitting actions, thus creating a useful tool for decision-making within the political context.