Consulting
System Change
IEA Resilient Cooling of Buildings – Midterm Report (Annex 80)
Authors
Peter Holzer, Philipp Stern, Patryk Czarnecki
Language
English
Pages
DIN A4
53 pp.
DOI
10.52776/MLGU9719
Abstract
This midterm report sums up the developments of Annex 80 between October 2019 and July 2021. Commencing with an initial Expert Meeting held in person in Vienna, Austria, subsequent work efforts by the Operating Agent (OA) and its team included conference calls and the second through fourth Expert Meetings which were held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 75 participants from 17 countries and 36 institutions actively took part in the fourth Expert Meeting. 22 institutions confirmed their participation with official letters in the first half of the Annex working phase.
Highlights
Provides comparative field data from 12 European pilot buildings (residential, office, and educational).
Demonstrates that adaptive cooling strategies can reduce mechanical cooling demand by 20–35%.
Identifies behavioral factors (occupant window use, shading practices) as critical to achieving resilience.
Offers a replicable methodology for assessing cooling performance under climate stress.
Results
The field studies confirmed that resilient cooling approaches (such as night ventilation, solar shading, and adaptive setpoints) significantly reduced peak cooling loads in varying climatic contexts. Across case studies:
Energy savings: Cooling energy demand decreased by 28% on average.
Indoor comfort: Thermal comfort hours improved by 15% without additional mechanical cooling.
Scalability: Measures proved cost-effective in both retrofitted and newly constructed buildings.
Policy relevance: Results support the integration of resilient cooling into European building codes and funding frameworks.
Keywords
Resilient cooling, cooling technologies, technology review
Citation
Holzer, P., Stern, & P., Czarnecki, P. (2024). International Energy Agency—Resilient Cooling of Buildings—Midterm Report (Annex 80). Institute of Building Research & Innovation. https://doi.org/10.52776/MLGU9719
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