## 2 Methodology
### Passive Optimization
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline
**Type** & **Name** & **Description** \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{\begin{tabular}{c} Climate \\ parameters \\ \end{tabular} } & Locality & Geographic location. \\ \cline{2-3}  & HDD & Heating degree-days in the location and the considered period. \\ \cline{2-3}  & CDD & Cooling degree-days in the location and the considered period. \\ \cline{2-3}  & Is & Accumulated global radiation on a vertical surface oriented to the south and during the period considered (\(\mathrm{kWh/m^{2}}\)). \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{\begin{tabular}{c} Building \\ parameters \\ \end{tabular} } & Floors & Number of building floors. \\ \cline{2-3}  & Ai & Transfer area of element i. Elements: roof, floors, walls and windows of each orientation. \\ \cline{2-3}  & Height & Height of the spaces (m). \\ \cline{2-3}  & \multirow{2}{*}{ASSE} & Solar equivalent south area (dimensionless). It is the relationship between the radiation received by the windows and their corresponding directions, taking into account near and far-shadowing, together with the radiation that they would receive if they were facing south with no shade. \\ \cline{2-3}  & G & Solar factor through the windows (dimensionless). \\ \cline{2-3}  & Ventilation & Renovations per hour due to ventilation and/or infiltration. \\ \cline{2-3}  & Li & Length of thermal bridge i. \\ \cline{2-3}  & Aa & Conditioned area: floor area \(\times\) number of floors. \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{\
\begin{tabular}{c} Building \\ variables \\ \end{tabular} } & Avi & Percentage of area of the windows, direction i. \\ \cline{2-3}  & pi & Permeability of the windows, direction i. \\ \cline{2-3}  & Ui & Thermal transmittance of an element i. \\ \cline{2-3}  & Vi & Linear thermal transmittance of thermal bridge i. \\ \cline{2-3}  & At & Area of transfer. \\ \cline{2-3}  & \multirow{2}{*}{Um} & The mean thermal transmittance of the building, calculated from the transmitances of the elements of the envelope, including thermal bridges. \\ \cline{2-3}  & At/V & A/V ratio, transfer area to volume ratio. \\ \cline{2-3}  & Av/Aa & Window equivalent south area to conditioned area ratio. \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{
\begin{tabular}{c} Thermal \\ properties \\ \end{tabular} } & P & Density of air (1.2 kg/m\({}^{3}\)) \\ \cline{2-3}  & Cp & Specific heat of air at constant pressure (1 kJ/kg\(\cdot\)K). \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Parameters, variables and data depending on variables. The cooling and heating demand are used to define the Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). The EPCs calculation method is very similar in all countries, using the annual energy demand of the building to calculate the energy rating [16]. For such calculation, it is necessary to be very precise defining the building envelope, materials, thermal bridges, heating and cooling, etc. The methodology proposed seeks the best passive solution, based on the best EPC with the lowest Life Cycle Cost (LCC). The LCC is defined in Equation (3) and contains the cost of investment in materials and construction elements, which depend on the materials selected and their characteristics: the thermal transmittance of the opaque (walls, roofs and floors); thermal transmittance, solar factor and permeability of windows; linear thermal transmittance of thermal bridges; permeability, etc. As the investment has effects on the building demand, it implies that such demand defines the operation cost due to energy consumption for heating and cooling demand of the building studied, and therefore the living cost of consumption and emissions generated by such building.