Upgrading the Building Facades in Low-Density Residential Areas: Implications on the Overall Building Performance

Abstract

The most common action for the buildings' energy upgrade across Europe is the addition of thermal insulation on the external walls. Such interventions, although simple on their construction, cause significant changes on the building's behavior, not only on its energy needs, but also on the hygrothermal and visual performance. The effects are not always positive; for example, thicker insulation may result in lower thermal transmittance and better thermal energy performance, but on the other hand the thermal bridging effect is amplified, and the daylight levels are decreased. This research intends to quantify these impacts by analyzing the relevant parameters for different regions of Europe. The analysis aims at explaining the complicated interrelationships on the building physics' aspects encountered through interventions on the building envelope, but also at identifying appropriate measures that could counterbalance the negative impacts and enhance the overall building performance.