# Monitoring a Pre-Normative Multi-Family Housing Case-Study in a Mediterranean Climate
## 2 Case Study
The same comparative analysis of the parameters as that of the walls has been carried out, whereby each orientation is considered and bedroom openings are differentiated from those in the living-rooms. Regarding the existent solution of the openings (made of metallic frame with no thermal bridge breaks and either single or double glazing), two transmittance values have been obtained for bedroom openings, with a frame factor of 0.26, and another two values for the living-room openings, with a frame factor of 0.17. Calculated transmittance values have been compared to the limit values (U\({}_{\text{lim}}\)) established by Spanish regulation [29], regarding each orientation and opening percentage in the facades. Concerning the different orientations of the openings in Dwelling A, the opening in the bedroom has a south orientation, while that in the living-room has a southeast orientation. In Dwelling B, the opening in the bedroom has a south and southeast orientation, while that in the living-room also has a southeast orientation. For both dwellings, the opening percentage in facades stands at approximately 5% in the facade of the bedrooms and 18% in that of the living-rooms. Table 1 shows that single-glazing openings have a very close-fitting transmittance value to the limit established for Climate Zone B4, according to the Spanish regulation (DB-HE1) [29], when the opening percentage in facades is under 10%, and that major differences only exist when comparing north-orientation openings. When the opening percentage in facades is between 11% and 20%, single-glazing openings exceed the limit values in north, east and west orientations. However, double-glazing openings present a transmittance value closer to the established limit values, thereby perfectly meeting the aforementioned regulation limit values in every orientation in both dwellings. In general, collective housing buildings in the Mediterranean area seldom feature air-conditioning systems (heating and/or cooling) or centralized systems for the whole building or single dwellings. As in most of the cases in this region, a split heat pump and a small heater are found in the living-room, which are sporadically used in high temperature situations in summer and in very cold temperature situations in winter. An electric radiator is the single electric device found in the bedroom, which is only used on the coldest days in winter. The monitoring results clearly show sharp increases or decreases of indoor temperature that account for those critical moments at which the user switches \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline \hline  & **Building Envelope** & **U * (W/m\({}^{2}\)K)** & **U\({}_{\text{lim}}\) (W/m\({}^{2}\)K)** \\ \hline \multicolumn{3}{c}{Brick-faced wall, air chamber and hollow brick plastered partition} & U\({}_{\text{e}}\) = 1.57 & U\({}_{\text{elim}}\) = 0.82 \\ \hline \multicolumn{3}{c}{Floors} & U\({}_{\text{F}}\) = 1.96 & U\({}_{\text{Film}}\) = 0.52 \\ \hline \multicolumn{3}{c}{Hollow brick plastered wall (connected to common areas)} & U\({}_{\text{e}}\) = 1.85 & U\({}_{\text{elim}}\) = 0.82 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{\
\begin{tabular}{c} Bedroom (5\% openings) \\ \end{tabular} } & Double-glazing 6–6–6 mm. Metal frame (no T.B. **) & U\({}_{\text{W}}\) = 3.9 & U\({}_{\text{Wlim,N,NE,NW}}\) = 5.4 \\ \cline{2-3}  & & U\({}_{\text{Wlim,E,W}}\) = 5.7 \\ \cline{2-3}  & Single-glazing 4–6 mm. Metal frame (no T.B. **) & U\({}_{\text{W}}\) = 5.70 & U\({}_{\text{Wlim,S,SE,SW}}\) = 5.7 \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{
\begin{tabular}{c} Living-room (18\% openings) \\ \end{tabular} } & Double-glazing 6–6–6 mm. Metal frame (no T.B. **) & U\({}_{\text{W}}\) = 3.7 & U\({}_{\text{Wlim,N,NE,NW}}\) = 3.8 \\ \cline{2-3}  & Single-glazing 4–6 mm. Metal frame (no T.B. **) & U\({}_{\text{W}}\) = 5.70 & U\({}_{\text{Wlim,S,SE,SW}}\) = 4.9 \\ \hline \multicolumn{3}{c}{\({}^{\star}\) U\({}_{\text{e}}\) = U-value for walls; U\({}_{\text{F}}\) = U-value for floors; U\({}_{\text{W}}\) = U-value for openings; ** T.B. = thermal bridge break.} \\ \end{tabular}
\end{table}