Linking Sustainable Development Goals with Thermal Comfort and Lighting Conditions in Educational Environments

Abstract

The present paper deals with a wide range of issues related to the environmental quality in learning spaces, such as thermal and visual comfort, as well as energy efficiency. All of these issues fall under the umbrella of the UN Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Upon reviewing publications of past studies, interviews were conducted and questionnaires were distributed in public high schools in the province of Alicante, located in the Southeast of Spain. Sixteen high schools were selected for the interviews. Fifteen in the city of Elche, which is the total amount of the high schools in the city. One additional high school that was considered important for this research was included in the study due to the characteristics of the building design, excessively exposed to weather conditions. Significant differences were observed between schools built before 2000 and those built after that date. The latter, surprisingly, not more thermally and visually comfortable or energy efficient. The knowledge gained from our investigation will be of great benefit for architects, designers, engineers, school planners and principals in order to establish stronger connections between infrastructures and SDGs. A chart linking recommendations with specific SDGs is also included in this study.