Resilient cooling of the Mediterranean office spaces under climate change

Abstract

Resilient cooling strategies can minimize overheating risks by reducing energy demands and providing healthy indoor environments. Envelope-based resilient cooling strategies are particularly crucial for limiting external heat gain through conduction, convection, and radiation. This paper examines the impact of these strategies on the indoor environment under climate change. Using a case study approach, we simulate various scenarios for single and combined envelope-based resilient cooling strategies in a hypothetical, free-running office building located in the Mediterranean across five K & ouml;ppen-Geiger climate zones (BSh, BSk, BWh, Csa, and Cfa) for both historical and 2050 weather data. We calculate indoor overheating degree and evaluate occupants' adaptive comfort. The findings suggest that combining envelope-based resilient cooling strategies significantly reduces indoor overheating risks, particularly in Southern European and North-Western African cities. Strategies that effectively control solar exposure are more influential in mitigating these risks. Among the strategies examined, a ventilated double skin with low-SHGC or chromogenic glazing is the most climate-change-resilient. This study contributes to the field by assessing the effectiveness of envelope-based resilient cooling strategies and providing recommendations for their application in the Mediterranean climate. It also evaluates how climate change may impact the performance of these strategies, offering insights for design and policymaking.