It is necessary to determine if the tools used in the process of building performance calculation accurately reflect the real conditions, with the objective of introducing simulation in the design process of buildings. The aim of this study is the assessment of the effectiveness of the software ENVI-met v4 on the prediction of the thermodynamic performance of courtyards by means of comparing between field data obtained from simultaneous monitoring of three courtyards and the results obtained from the software simulations. The results of the study show a significant difference between monitored and simulated data for air temperature inside the courtyards. And the difference between outdoor temperature and courtyard temperature is too important not to be considered in building efficiency calculations. For that reason, ENVI-met it is not an accurate software to be used in the process of design of this kind of architectural transitional spaces that can be very important in order to design nZEB in some climates.

Courtyards are traditional construction models in Mediterranean cities. In this research, tempering performance of courtyards during a two-year field monitoring campaign in southern Spain was investigated. The main objective was to identify the thermal functions of inner courtyards, analyzing the aspect ratio (AR) and the influence of outdoor temperature to offer a perspective that contributes to the development of passive cooling strategies for urban housing. This investigation also reviewed these climate modifiers, in light of the average lifespan of a building, to establish thermal tempering guidelines to mitigate the effects of climate change. The results show that, although the AR is a determining factor in maximizing the courtyard tempering potential, other parameters such as diurnal temperature range (DTR) or maximum outdoor temperature (MOT) can significantly modify the influence of the AR. The study demonstrates these interactions verifying, for the climates studied, that courtyards with AR > 3 are appropriate solutions, especially in the warmest zones, enhancing microclimate management in summer. Results evince that courtyard maximum thermal performance is related to MOT increase. This factor is crucial to establish a tempering initial potential for a given courtyard. Apart from this, a complete daily cycle analysis through DTR confirms and clarifies this thermal buffer effect.

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