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Is Lisbon moderate? I've spent a little time spread all around the year in Cascais and while the absolute temperatures aren't often extreme, the humidity for fi
by oliwarner 4y ago
Is Lisbon moderate? I've spent a little time spread all around the year in Cascais and while the absolute temperatures aren't often extreme, the humidity for five months of the year is off the scale. In a traditional house in winter, you fight a battle against mold. I know people who've lost entire wardrobes to it. They tried heating the following year but found most of the heat goes straight through the solid walls. HVAC was the only meaningful option open to them but again, with such breezy construction, it barely touches the sides in winter.
A modern, "fully-sealed" design sidesteps all of this. Insulated walls and a little solar —both bizarrely absent in most buildings, even new builds— would go a long way. I'm not saying that there's no an opportunity to overspec these things, but the status quo, the spec 90% of buildings are being made to, is barely any better than the buildings going up 30 years ago.
But to answer your lead, yes. Materials' fabrication costs should be factored into their 10y efficiency.