Evaluation of the impact of some Portuguese thermal regulation parameters on the buildings energy performance

Abstract

Due to the high energy consumption associated to the building sector, several legal documents with the aim of promoting energy efficiency have emerged in recent years. Some of these documents led to deep changes in the way that buildings are designed. The Portuguese thermal regulation for residential buildings (RCCTE) is a good example of that. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the RCCTE with the purpose of identifying the parameters that most influence the energy performance of buildings and in what way they interfere with the achievement of their final energy label.