Energy-Efficiency Passive Strategies for Mediterranean Climate: An Overview

Abstract

Among all the activities in a society, construction has a key role in environmental, social, and economic pillars. Construction is also responsible for a considerable amount of waste production, energy consumption, pollutant gas emissions, and consumption of nonrenewable natural resources. Regarding energy consumption, a high demand for building operational energy has been observed in the last decades due to the more demanding requirements of the users with a continuous search for better thermal comfort in their homes, namely in developed countries. In Portugal, for instance, more than 20% of the electricity consumed is related to residential buildings, which is based on CO2 emissions and other pollutants that negatively affect the environment. Much of this consumed energy is a result of the HVAC systems installed inside buildings to provide users with thermal comfort. One exciting opportunity to mitigate buildings’ operational energy consumption while contributing to thermal user comfort is the use of passive solutions. Even though several passive options are available and constantly under research, their use is still considered limited. This paper overviews and highlights the potential of energy-efficiency passive strategies, namely for Mediterranean-climate countries, where passive solar technologies can be set as a viable solution, as this climate is mainly known for its solar availability (solar hours and solar irradiance). A comprehensive overview of innovative and traditional housing passive solutions currently available is presented and discusses the main advantages, disadvantages, and concerns contributing to the optimal use of climatic conditions and natural resources in those regions.