Bioclimatic strategies in existing multifamily buildings to achieve cities decarbonization goals: Potential and relevance for Catalonia climates

The ambitious decarbonization goals of the EU underscore the need to implement strategies that release users from their dependence on energy consumption to meet their comfort needs. Bioclimatic Strategies (BS), tailored to the intricacies of climate conditions and constraints of each location, undoubtedly support these goals. However, their successful implementation also depends on the motivation and support provided to all project teams. The article presents a study on the potential application of Bioclimatic Design Measures (BDM) as part of strategies aimed at achieving decarbonization goals in the existing residential building stock. Yet, assessing specific bioclimatic solutions is complex, as it necessitates advanced simulation tools and specific analysis models that consider detailed information on their characteristics and operating conditions. The aim of this study is to establish a decision-making methodology with a comprehensive global and comparative approach. This methodology precedes the specific and detailed analysis of particular design measures and it is developed and validated within the specific context of Catalonia focusing on the most representative building typology in terms of user volume and territorial presence: multifamily buildings. The study was systematically developed to ensure it can be easily replicated in other geographical settings and building typologies. Its methodology is based on the analysis of fundamental baseline information about a given geographical context, such as climate evolution and building stock characteristics. This approach shows that it is possible to comparatively evaluate the relevance of applying certain design solutions to a specific building stock.