@misc{9230525,
  abstract     = {{The renovation and adaptive reuse of existing buildings is increasingly recognised as a strategy to address both housing shortage and climate targets in Europe. In Sweden, there is a large potential in converting cold attic spaces in mid-twentieth-century multi-family buildings which offers increased housing capacity without new construction. However, attic retrofits involve complex interactions between energy demand, thermal comfort, daylight availability, while overheating becomes an increasing concern under future climate conditions.
This study investigates how retrofit design parameters influence the energy performance, thermal comfort, and daylight availability of residential attic spaces in Sweden. A simulation-based parametric approach was applied in IDA ICE to evaluate the effects of glazing configuration and orientation on heating energy demand, daylight provision, and thermal comfort, as well as the effects of shading strategies and natural ventilation controls on overheating risk. Daylight performance was assessed according to EN 17037, while thermal comfort and overheating risk were evaluated using the adaptive comfort model according to EN 16798-1. The analysis was conducted on a representative Swedish attic apartment under present climate conditions, while future climate conditions (2050, SSP2-4.5 scenario) were assessed specifically in relation to overheating risk. Both typical and advanced renovation contexts were considered, corresponding to different envelope structures.
The results show that glazing-related parameters have the strongest influence on performance, although their impact varies across the evaluated aspects. Roof windows were the main drivers of daylight availability and thermal comfort, with increased number of roof window improving daylight provision while also increasing overheating risk. In contrast, façade windows had a stronger influence on heating energy demand. Compared to the typical renovation context, the advanced renovation context reduced heating energy demand while increasing overheating and slightly reducing daylight availability. The effectiveness of the control strategies varied depending on window type: shading was more effective for roof windows, while natural ventilation was more effective for façade windows. The combined application of both strategies resulted in the lowest overheating levels. Under future climate conditions, overheating increased across all analysed cases, and shading strategies used alone were less effective. Natural ventilation therefore played a greater role in maintaining acceptable indoor temperatures, while the combined application of smart shading and smart natural ventilation controls resulted in the best thermal performance.
Overall, the study contributes to the understanding of multi-performance attic retrofit design by balancing daylight provision, thermal comfort, and energy performance, while highlighting the increasing role of shading and natural ventilation control strategies in maintaining acceptable indoor conditions, especially under future climate scenarios.}},
  author       = {{Ilkyaz, Pelin and Georgiou, Anna Nektaria}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Attic Retrofit Strategies in Sweden: Design Parameter Interactions and Trade-offs in Thermal Comfort, Energy, and Daylight}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}