Measured indoor temperatures, thermal comfort and overheating risk: Post-Occupancy evaluation of low energy houses in the UK

There is growing concern in Western Europe that higher insulation and air tightness of residential buildings may lead to increased overheating risk during the summer. This risks undoing the energy savings as it may lead to the introduction of active cooling systems in buildings that so far have been cooled by natural means. This paper discusses temperature monitoring from houses in the Southwest of the UK that were built to low-energy standards (Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5). Results were analyzed using both established static overheating criteria and an adaptive thermal comfort standard. Findings suggest that these houses can be considered uncomfortably warm during summer and that they are at risk of overheating.