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Analysis of institutional authors

Barbero-Barrera, Maria Del MarAuthor

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October 7, 2025
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Energy Performance and Thermal Comfort in Madrid School Buildings Under Climate Change Scenarios

Publicated to: Applied Sciences-Basel. 15 (18): 9980- - 2025-09-12 15(18), DOI: 10.3390/app15189980

Authors:

Rodriguez-Gonzalez, Violeta; Barbero-Barrera, Maria del Mar
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Affiliations

Univ Politecn Madrid UPM, Escuela Tecn Super Arquitectura Madrid ETSAM, Dept Construct & Technol Architecture, Madrid 28040, Spain - Author

Abstract

Featured Application The findings of this study can guide the design and prioritization of energy retrofitting strategies in existing school buildings. Public administrations, technical offices, and design teams can use simulated scenarios to evaluate the impact of passive and active measures-such as envelope insulation, solar control, and mechanical ventilation-under both current and future climate conditions. This approach is especially relevant for high-occupancy buildings in warm or temperate climates, where indoor comfort and energy efficiency must be carefully balanced.Abstract This study presents a detailed analysis of the energy performance and thermal comfort conditions in four existing school buildings located in Madrid, Spain. Dynamic simulations were conducted using TeKton3D-(iMventa Ingenieros, M & aacute;laga, Spain)- an open-source tool based on the EnergyPlus engine-to model four improvement scenarios: (I) current state, (II) envelope retrofitting with ETICS and high-performance glazing, (III) solar control strategies, and (IV) incorporation of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. Each building was simulated under both current and projected 2050 climate conditions. The case studies were selected to represent different construction periods and urban contexts, including varying levels of exposure to the urban heat island effect. This approach allows the results to reflect the diversity of the existing school building stock and its different vulnerabilities to climate change. The results show that envelope retrofitting substantially reduces heating demand but may increase cooling needs, particularly under warmer future conditions. Solar control strategies effectively mitigate overheating, while mechanical ventilation with heat recovery contributes to improved comfort and overall efficiency. This study highlights the trade-offs between energy savings and indoor environmental quality, underlining the importance of integrated renovation measures. The study provides relevant data for decision-making in climate-resilient building renovation, aligned with EU goals for nearly zero and zero-emission buildings.
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Keywords

Architectural designClimate changeDynamic simulationDynamics simulationEconomic and social effectsEnergy conservationEnergy performanceEnergyplusMechanical ventilationOverheatingPassive designPublic administrationRetrofit strategiesRetrofittingSchool buildingsSolar controlTekton3dThermalThermal comfortVentilationWaste heatZero energy buildings

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Applied Sciences-Basel due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2025, it was in position 50/179, thus managing to position itself as a Q2 (Segundo Cuartil), in the category Engineering, Multidisciplinary. Notably, the journal is positioned en el Cuartil Q2 para la agencia Scopus (SJR) en la categoría Engineering (Miscellaneous).

Independientemente del impacto esperado determinado por el canal de difusión, es importante destacar el impacto real observado de la propia aportación.

Según las diferentes agencias de indexación, el número de citas acumuladas por esta publicación hasta la fecha 2026-04-24:

  • WoS: 1
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Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2026-04-24:

  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 31 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

    It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

    • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
    • Assignment of a Handle/URN as an identifier within the deposit in the Institutional Repository: https://oa.upm.es/94949/

    As a result of the publication of the work in the institutional repository, statistical usage data has been obtained that reflects its impact. In terms of dissemination, we can state that, as of

    • Views: 22
    • Downloads: 9
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    Leadership analysis of institutional authors

    There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (Rodriguez-Gonzalez, Violeta) and Last Author (BARBERO BARRERA, MARIA DEL MAR).

    the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been Rodriguez-Gonzalez, Violeta.

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    Awards linked to the item

    This research received no external funding. It was carried out within the academic framework of the Lime4Health project (PID2021-123023OA-I00), funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER 'Una manera de hacer Europa'. However, this study has not received financial support from the project and was developed in parallel to it.
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