Seasonal analysis of thermal comfort in Mediterranean social courtyards: A comparative study
Eduardo Diz-Mellado, Victoria Patricia López-Cabeza, Carlos Rivera-Gómez, Carmen Galán-Marín
Abstract
Neighbourhoods in cities generate social inequality risks due to outdated climate passive control infrastructures. Previous research has explored thermal comfort related to health emergencies in energy-poverty areas. However, there is scant research on the courtyard's thermodynamic performance and its implication on thermal comfort throughout the year. This study evaluates that performance in Seville's social housing courtyards in extreme seasons. Monitoring campaigns were conducted to assess courtyard temperatures linked to outdoor environment. Results show that temperatures within the courtyards were 8.6–12.1 °C lower than the outdoor environment during the warm season and up to 3.3 °C warmer at night during the cold season. Thermal comfort in courtyards could reach comfortable conditions during 92% of the daytime hours in summer, reducing the sensation of extreme cold by more than 6 °C in winter when evaluated using Physiologically Equivalent Temperature. This highlights the ability of courtyards to mitigate health risks linked to extreme temperatures.