Influence of Improvement of Airtightness on Energy Retrofit of Social Housing, a Case Study in a Mediterranean Climate

In Spain, the residential sector is the third principal source of energy consumption; many of these dwellings are obsolete and do not have optimal conditions of comfort. For this reason, their energy retrofitting means an enormous step towards the energy efficiency. Under the general intervention strategies, the study and analysis of the air-tightness of the building envelope (as measured by the degree of infiltration) is a fundamental factor, because of its impact on energy efficiency, thermal comfort of occupants and indoor air quality. For this purpose, it has become a regular research field in other European countries and the USA. However, there is a lack of studies with adequate roominess to allow a proper analysis and interpretation of what happens in our regional climate and construction typology.
The aims of this paper is presenting a case study for the energy retrofit of 68 social multi dwelling units in Cordoba (Southern Spain) evaluating their global energy demand and analysing the importance of air-tightness.