{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,20]],"date-time":"2026-02-20T16:44:47Z","timestamp":1771605887377,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,24]],"date-time":"2021-07-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1627084800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["Base Funding UIDB\/04708\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Base Funding UIDB\/04708\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sustainability"],"abstract":"<jats:p>As of now, in the EU, all new buildings will have to comply with the requirements for nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB). Portugal defines limits for the maximum useful energy needs for heating and for the maximum primary energy needs and establishes that 50% of primary energy needs must be covered by local renewable energy sources, based on the dwellings\u2019 nominal condition of use. However, the actual use is different. Thus, a simulation tool is used to assess thermal comfort and energy needs for different conditions of use of a dwelling complying with nZEB requirements. Eight different locations are chosen, covering all Portuguese climate zones. The nZEB requirements lead to unusually high levels of thermal insulation, especially in the coldest regions, so special care must be taken by the designers to avoid overheating in summer. Without using HVAC system, some discomfort is found but comfort is possible with low energy consumption. Furthermore, the compliance with nZEB requirements proved to be enough to ensure that a significant percentage of useful energy needs for heating, cooling and domestic hot water is supplied by local renewable energy sources. This is key in order to overcome the high rate of energy poverty in Portugal.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/su13158277","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,25]],"date-time":"2021-07-25T22:07:00Z","timestamp":1627250820000},"page":"8277","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":13,"title":["The nZEB Requirements for Residential Buildings: An Analysis of Thermal Comfort and Actual Energy Needs in Portuguese Climate"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4385-0980","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jaime","family":"Resende","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"CONSTRUCT (LFC), Faculty of Engineering (FEUP), University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0398-3423","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Helena","family":"Corvacho","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CONSTRUCT (LFC), Faculty of Engineering (FEUP), University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"(2010). European Parliament and the Council of the European Union Directive 2010\/31\/EU. Off. J. Eur. Union, L153, 13\u201335."},{"key":"#cr-split#-ref_2.1","unstructured":"(2018). European Parliament and the Council Directive"},{"key":"#cr-split#-ref_2.2","unstructured":"(EU) 2018\/844. Off. J. Eur. Union, L 156, 75-91."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7427","DOI":"10.3390\/su12187427","article-title":"Issues, impacts, and mitigations of carbon dioxide emissions in the building sector","volume":"12","author":"Ali","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sustainability"},{"key":"#cr-split#-ref_4.1","unstructured":"(2016). European Commission Guidelines for the promotion of nearly zero-energy buildings and best practices to ensure that, by 2020, all new buildings are nearly zero-energy buildings-Commission Recommendation"},{"key":"#cr-split#-ref_4.2","unstructured":"(EU) 2016\/1318. Off. J. Eur. Union, 208, 46-57."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"439","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enbuild.2017.09.043","article-title":"Overview and future challenges of nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB) design in Southern Europe","volume":"155","author":"Attia","year":"2017","journal-title":"Energy Build."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100772","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jobe.2019.100772","article-title":"A review of performance of zero energy buildings and energy efficiency solutions","volume":"25","author":"Belussi","year":"2019","journal-title":"J. Build. Eng."},{"key":"ref_7","unstructured":"International Energy Agency (2018). The Future of Cooling, OECD."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"617","DOI":"10.1016\/j.enbuild.2016.07.034","article-title":"Cooling the buildings\u2013past, present and future","volume":"128","author":"Santamouris","year":"2016","journal-title":"Energy Build."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1016\/j.buildenv.2017.10.040","article-title":"Implications of present and upcoming changes in bioclimatic potential for energy performance of residential buildings","volume":"127","author":"Pajek","year":"2018","journal-title":"Build. Environ."},{"key":"ref_10","unstructured":"(2021, March 05). Eurostat Inability to Keep Home Adequately Warm\u2013EU-SILC Survey. Available online: https:\/\/appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu\/nui\/show.do?dataset=ilc_mdes01&lang=en."},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"Minist\u00e9rio da Economia e do Emprego (2013). Decreto-Lei n. 118\/2013, Di\u00e1rio da Rep\u00fablica n. 159\/2013, S\u00e9rie I de 2013-08-20."},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"(2021, February 06). Minist\u00e9rio do Ambiente Ordenamento do Territ\u00f3rio e Energia Portaria n.\u00b0 379-A\/2015 2015. Available online: https:\/\/data.dre.pt\/web\/guest\/pesquisa\/-\/search\/70789581\/details\/maximized."},{"key":"ref_13","unstructured":"Ambiente e Transi\u00e7\u00e3o Energ\u00e9tica (2019). Portaria n.\u00b0 98\/2019, Available online: https:\/\/dre.pt\/home\/-\/dre\/121854639\/details\/maximized."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110851","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rser.2021.110851","article-title":"Modeling, simulation and control tools for nZEB: A state-of-the-art review","volume":"142","year":"2021","journal-title":"Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev."},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"(2020). Estat\u00edsticas da Constru\u00e7\u00e3o e Habita\u00e7\u00e3o\u20132019."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"(2013). Dire\u00e7\u00e3o Geral de Energia e Geologia Despacho (extrato) n.\u00b0 15793-F\/2013. Di\u00e1rio da Repub., 2\u00b0 s\u00e9rie, 26\u201331. Available online: https:\/\/dre.pt\/web\/guest\/pesquisa\/-\/search\/2975219\/details\/maximized?p_p_auth=iFUG9WkE."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5844","DOI":"10.1002\/2017GL072874","article-title":"A high-accuracy map of global terrain elevations","volume":"44","author":"Yamazaki","year":"2017","journal-title":"Geophys. Res. Lett."},{"key":"ref_18","unstructured":"(2021, March 11). P3E.; Itecons Ferramentas de c\u00e1lculo DL 118\/2013. Available online: http:\/\/www.itecons.uc.pt\/p3e\/index.php."},{"key":"ref_19","unstructured":"(2021, March 10). Dire\u00e7\u00e3o Geral de Energia e Geologia SCE.ER\u2013Dados e c\u00e1lculos para aproveitamento de Energias Renov\u00e1veis em edif\u00edcios, Available online: https:\/\/www.dgeg.gov.pt\/pt\/areas-setoriais\/energia\/energias-renovaveis-e-sustentabilidade\/sce-er\/."},{"key":"ref_20","unstructured":"Team DesignBuilder (2021). ANSI\/ASHRAE Standard 140-2017 Building Thermal Envelope and Fabric Load Tests, Available online: https:\/\/designbuilder.co.uk\/download\/documents\/387-v6-1-ashrae-140-test-results."},{"key":"ref_21","unstructured":"(2013). Dire\u00e7\u00e3o Geral de Energia e Geologia Despacho (extrato) n.\u00b0 15793-K\/2013. Di\u00e1rio da Repub., 2\u00b0 s\u00e9rie, 30. Available online: https:\/\/dre.pt\/home\/-\/dre\/2975224\/details\/maximized."},{"key":"ref_22","unstructured":"dos Santos, C.A.P., and Matias, L. (2006). ITE 50\u2013Coeficientes De Transmiss\u00e3o T\u00e9rmica De Elementos Da Envolvente Dos Edif\u00edcios, LNEC."},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"(2021, March 13). REC REC Peak Energy BLK Series. Available online: https:\/\/www.renugen.co.uk\/content\/Solar_Panel_Brochures_part_3\/Solar_Panel_Brochures_part_3\/rec_brochure\/REC-Peak-Energy-BLK-REC260PE-BLK-260-Watt-Solar-Panel-Module-Brochure.pdf."},{"key":"ref_24","unstructured":"(2021, March 13). Baxi Bombas de calor AQS BC ACS 180\/230. Available online: https:\/\/mediacdn.baxi.pt\/-\/media\/inriver-media\/baxi-iberia-media\/2020\/5\/26\/a00b00c02d12catalog5pt01pdf.pdf?v=1&d=20200526T173735Z."},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"(2021, March 13). Baxi Bombas de calor AQS BC ACS 200\/300. Available online: https:\/\/www.baxi.pt\/-\/media\/inriver\/30562-10784.pdf."},{"key":"ref_26","unstructured":"(2021, March 13). Baxi Bombas de calor AQS BC ACS Split. Available online: https:\/\/www.baxi.pt\/-\/media\/inriver\/30564-10786.pdf."},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"(2021, March 13). Samsung Ar Condicionado Residencial, R32, Mural, Luzon, 2.5kW. Available online: https:\/\/www.samsung.com\/pt\/business\/climate\/ac-rar-ar09txhzawkn\/."},{"key":"ref_28","unstructured":"Presid\u00eancia do Conselho de Ministros (2020). Decreto-Lei n.o 101-D\/2020. Di\u00e1rio da Rep\u00fablica n.o 237\/2020, 1o Supl. S\u00e9rie I de 2020-12-07: Portugal, Portugal."}],"container-title":["Sustainability"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2071-1050\/13\/15\/8277\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T06:34:24Z","timestamp":1760164464000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2071-1050\/13\/15\/8277"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,24]]},"references-count":30,"journal-issue":{"issue":"15","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,8]]}},"alternative-id":["su13158277"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/su13158277","relation":{},"ISSN":["2071-1050"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2071-1050","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,7,24]]}}}