Dynamics of changes in climate zones and building energy demand. A case study in Spain

Abstract

In the current context of the climate crisis, it is essential to design buildings that can cope with climate dynamics throughout their life cycle. It will ensure the development of sustainable and resilient building stock. Thus, this study’s primary objective has been to demonstrate that the current climatic zones for buildings in peninsular Spain do not represent the current climatic reality and are not adapted to climate change and the impact on the energy demand of buildings. For this reason, the climatic zones of 7967 peninsular cities have been updated and adapted to the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios by using the data measured in 77 meteorological reference stations. The results obtained have shown that in more than 80% of the cities, buildings are designed and constructed according to an obsolete climatic classification that does not take into account the current or future climatic reality, which will significantly affect the thermal performance of a building and highlights the need to review the climatic zoning in the country. The results obtained can be extrapolated to other regions. The methodology defined in this work can be used as a reference, thus making an essential scientific contribution in reflecting on current capacities and the possibilities of improving the building stock.