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In order to reach the ambitious decarbonizing goals set by the European Union for 2030, deep renovation of the existing European building stock is a key issue. Within this context, the recently funded H2020 project “e-SAFE” is investigating market-ready wooden envelope renovation solutions for non-historic buildings, which encompass both energy and seismic improvement. The research carried out in the project aims at developing, testing and demonstrating these solutions on a real pilot. More specifically, this paper presents preliminary analyses to verify that the solutions satisfy the requisites set by the national regulations in force in most European countries, in terms of hygrothermal and acoustic performance. The analysis, carried out following relevant technical European Standards and based on calculations, considers different climate conditions and existing wall structures, selected amongst those most commonly adopted in Europe. The results show that the addition of a Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) layer with some wooden-based insulation on the outer side allows reaching very good thermal and acoustic performance. However, interstitial condensation may occur in cold climates under high indoor humidity values. This aspect deserves further investigation accounting for the transient behavior of the walls and all vapor transport mechanisms.
Gianpiero Evola; Vincenzo Costanzo; Luigi Marletta. Hygrothermal and Acoustic Performance of Two Innovative Envelope Renovation Solutions Developed in the e-SAFE Project. Energies 2021, 14, 4006 .
AMA StyleGianpiero Evola, Vincenzo Costanzo, Luigi Marletta. Hygrothermal and Acoustic Performance of Two Innovative Envelope Renovation Solutions Developed in the e-SAFE Project. Energies. 2021; 14 (13):4006.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGianpiero Evola; Vincenzo Costanzo; Luigi Marletta. 2021. "Hygrothermal and Acoustic Performance of Two Innovative Envelope Renovation Solutions Developed in the e-SAFE Project." Energies 14, no. 13: 4006.
This paper discusses the potential effectiveness of different green-based strategies for the mitigation of the Urban Heat Island effect and the consequent thermal discomfort in a crowded urban area located close to Catania, Southern Italy. The proposed mitigation solutions rely on the introduction of greenery systems either at a building scale or at an urban scale, namely: (i) green walls, (ii) green roofs and (iii) introduction of trees and urban vegetation at street level. The study relies on numerical simulations performed through ENVI-met, and aims to quantify the reduction in the outdoor air temperature and the outdoor Mean Radiant Temperature, as well as the variation in the wind speed and the relative humidity. The simulations refer to a 200 m square urban area, but the selected strategies just apply to a series of buildings in a smaller area located in the middle of the entire simulation domain. The results of the simulations suggest that the two solutions applied at the building scale do not introduce visible mitigation effects at the street level (that is to say at a height of 1.5 m above the street surface). On the contrary, significant improvements are observed with the extensive use of different species of trees along the streets and in the squares: indeed, the outdoor air temperature decreases by around 0.5 ℃ or even 1 ℃ at street level compared with the current state, especially in the hottest hours of the day. However, further simulations with ENVI-met suggest that green roofs and green walls are very effective to mitigate the indoor climate in summer. Hence, a suitable combination of the three proposed solutions is the most interesting approach for addressing both indoor and outdoor comfort issues.
Gianpiero Evola; Francesco Nocera; Vincenzo Costanzo; Maurizio Detommaso; Serena Bonaccorso; Luigi Marletta. Greenery Systems for the Mitigation of the Urban Heat Island: A Simulation Experience for Southern Italy. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 2021, 427 -438.
AMA StyleGianpiero Evola, Francesco Nocera, Vincenzo Costanzo, Maurizio Detommaso, Serena Bonaccorso, Luigi Marletta. Greenery Systems for the Mitigation of the Urban Heat Island: A Simulation Experience for Southern Italy. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering. 2021; ():427-438.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGianpiero Evola; Francesco Nocera; Vincenzo Costanzo; Maurizio Detommaso; Serena Bonaccorso; Luigi Marletta. 2021. "Greenery Systems for the Mitigation of the Urban Heat Island: A Simulation Experience for Southern Italy." Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering , no. : 427-438.
In Italy, as in many other European countries, a large part of the real estate was built before the issue of restrictive regulations regarding seismic resistance and energy efficiency. Consequently, most existing buildings show inadequate structural and energy performance. However, although a combined renovation is highly recommended, and despite relevant tax incentives which are currently available, the building retrofit market is still struggling to take off. In fact, the lack of information and/or awareness of the involved parties and the consequent difficulty for condominiums to approve the retrofit works are often insuperable obstacles. A Decision Support System (DSS) may help in evaluating and comparing different combined renovation scenarios, thus promoting the regeneration of the building stock. This study presents a new methodology for the selection of the optimal building renovation scenario through a DSS, which is conceived as a tool to allow a quick, simple and effective identification of the best retrofit strategy, based on a priority scale (e.g., costs and duration of intervention, disruption to the occupants, environmental sustainability, energy savings, thermal comfort, structural safety). For this purpose, the DSS calculates suitable performance indices and relative costs. Finally, the system proposes a ranking of the best combined retrofit scenarios. This research study is still ongoing and next steps will deal with the calibration of the proposed methodology.
Antonio Artino; Riccardo Caponetto; Gianpiero Evola; Giuseppe Margani; Edoardo Marino; Emanuele Murgano. Decision Support System for the Sustainable Seismic and Energy Renovation of Buildings: Methodological Layout. Sustainability 2020, 12, 10273 .
AMA StyleAntonio Artino, Riccardo Caponetto, Gianpiero Evola, Giuseppe Margani, Edoardo Marino, Emanuele Murgano. Decision Support System for the Sustainable Seismic and Energy Renovation of Buildings: Methodological Layout. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (24):10273.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntonio Artino; Riccardo Caponetto; Gianpiero Evola; Giuseppe Margani; Edoardo Marino; Emanuele Murgano. 2020. "Decision Support System for the Sustainable Seismic and Energy Renovation of Buildings: Methodological Layout." Sustainability 12, no. 24: 10273.
Building energy simulations are normally run through Typical Weather Years (TWYs) that reflect the average trend of local long-term weather data. This paper presents a research aimed at generating updated typical weather files for the city of Catania (Italy), based on 18 years of records (2002–2019) from a local weather station. The paper reports on the statistical analysis of the main recorded variables, and discusses the difference with the data included in a weather file currently available for the same location based on measurements taken before the 1970s but still used in dynamic energy simulation tools. The discussion also includes a further weather file, made available by the Italian Thermotechnical Committee (CTI) in 2015 and built upon the data registered by the same weather station but covering a much shorter period. Three new TWYs are then developed starting from the recent data, according to well-established procedures reported by ASHRAE and ISO standards. The paper discusses the influence of the updated TWYs on the results of building energy simulations for a typical residential building, showing that the cooling and heating demand can differ by 50% or even 65% from the simulations based on the outdated weather file.
Vincenzo Costanzo; Gianpiero Evola; Marco Filippo Infantone; Luigi Marletta. Updated Typical Weather Years for the Energy Simulation of Buildings in Mediterranean Climate. A Case Study for Sicily. Energies 2020, 13, 4115 .
AMA StyleVincenzo Costanzo, Gianpiero Evola, Marco Filippo Infantone, Luigi Marletta. Updated Typical Weather Years for the Energy Simulation of Buildings in Mediterranean Climate. A Case Study for Sicily. Energies. 2020; 13 (16):4115.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVincenzo Costanzo; Gianpiero Evola; Marco Filippo Infantone; Luigi Marletta. 2020. "Updated Typical Weather Years for the Energy Simulation of Buildings in Mediterranean Climate. A Case Study for Sicily." Energies 13, no. 16: 4115.
In seismic European countries most of the residential building stock is highly energy-intensive and earthquake-prone because it was built before the enforcement of the most recent energy and seismic codes. Furthermore, this stock often shows a low architectural quality due to poor maintenance and/or construction and design deficiencies: for all these reasons, it needs deep renovation, but the use of common energy and seismic upgrading techniques is often unsustainable in terms of costs, work duration, and occupants’ disturbance. Therefore, new integrated, affordable, fast, and low-disruptive renovation actions are strongly needed. This study proposes an innovative energy, seismic, and architectural renovation solution for reinforced concrete (RC) framed buildings, based on the addition of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels to the outer walls, in combination with wooden-framed panels. The two panels integrate insulation and cladding materials in order to improve the energy performance and the architectural image of the renovated building. Moreover, the CLT panels are connected to the existing RC frame through innovative seismic energy dissipation devices. In case of an earthquake, these devices in combination with the CLT panels reduce the drift demand of the building, preventing or reducing structural damages and consequent repair costs. In particular, this paper investigates the technical feasibility, the energy efficiency, and the architectural enhancement of the proposed retrofitting system. To this purpose, dynamic thermal simulations were conducted on a typical multi-story residential building from the 1960s, located in Catania, Italy. The results indicated that this retrofitting technique considerably improved the energy performance of the selected building, with a reduction of the global energy demand up to nearly 60%. The presented study is part of a larger research project aimed at also investigating, in a further stage, the seismic performance achievable by the above-mentioned renovation solution.
Giuseppe Margani; Gianpiero Evola; Carola Tardo; Edoardo Michele Marino. Energy, Seismic, and Architectural Renovation of RC Framed Buildings with Prefabricated Timber Panels. Sustainability 2020, 12, 4845 .
AMA StyleGiuseppe Margani, Gianpiero Evola, Carola Tardo, Edoardo Michele Marino. Energy, Seismic, and Architectural Renovation of RC Framed Buildings with Prefabricated Timber Panels. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (12):4845.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGiuseppe Margani; Gianpiero Evola; Carola Tardo; Edoardo Michele Marino. 2020. "Energy, Seismic, and Architectural Renovation of RC Framed Buildings with Prefabricated Timber Panels." Sustainability 12, no. 12: 4845.
Noise pollution is one of the main environmental stressors in urban areas. In particular, strong noise pollution can be experienced at nighttime in downtown areas with intense anthropic activities: here, dwellers may suffer from disturbance to their rest, which induces stress and – in turn – adverse effects on health.Usually, local authorities implement actions to tackle noise pollution, e.g. limiting the time allowed for outdoor events. However, these measures are often inadequate because the noise annoyance comes directly by the shouting of people spending time outdoors till late night.In this framework, this study proposes a procedure to optimize the shape of customized lightweight transparent noise screens that can be applied to façades in order to reduce noise disturbance in urban canyons. The case study of the “movida” area in the downtown of Marina di Ragusa (Southern Italy) is discussed to test the applicability of the proposed procedure.The results of this analysis allow defining the shape and the size of the noise screens that minimize the noise annoyance perceived by residents. The proposed mitigation approach can be applied in cities affected by significant noise pollution.
Antonio Gagliano; Francesco Nocera; Andrea Cicero; Luigi Marletta; Gianpiero Evola. Mitigation of environmental noise in urban streets through lightweight transparent screens. Noise Mapping 2020, 7, 57 -73.
AMA StyleAntonio Gagliano, Francesco Nocera, Andrea Cicero, Luigi Marletta, Gianpiero Evola. Mitigation of environmental noise in urban streets through lightweight transparent screens. Noise Mapping. 2020; 7 (1):57-73.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntonio Gagliano; Francesco Nocera; Andrea Cicero; Luigi Marletta; Gianpiero Evola. 2020. "Mitigation of environmental noise in urban streets through lightweight transparent screens." Noise Mapping 7, no. 1: 57-73.
In the energy simulation of buildings there has been little focus on their impact on the microclimate; simulation tools have usually dealt either with building or with outdoor simulation, and only recently these aspects are being interconnected. Within this framework, the paper describes a novel simulation workflow developed in the Grasshopper environment, where the Ladybug Tools are used to model the mutual relations amongst urban microclimate, building energy performance and outdoor thermal comfort. With reference to an urban canyon located in Catania, Southern Italy, the workflow – by coupling the indoor and the outdoor thermal field – provides both the dynamic thermal load of the buildings overlooking the canyon and the parameters needed to measure the outdoor comfort perceived by pedestrians. In comparison to other existing approaches, this workflow offers significant flexibility and makes it possible to perform a parametric investigation of the effects of different design solutions on both the indoor and the outdoor environment. The outdoor Mean Radiant Temperature calculated through the model is compared to on-site measurements performed with a black globe thermometer during two different days in the summer. The comparison suggests good agreement in the shaded areas of the canyon, but a non-negligible overestimation in sunlit areas. These results have driven the authors to a critical insight into the algorithms implanted in the Ladybug Tools, and have helped to highlight some critical issues that will be further investigated in upcoming research.
Gianpiero Evola; Vincenzo Costanzo; Cristina Magrì; Giuseppe Margani; Luigi Marletta; Emanuele Naboni. A novel comprehensive workflow for modelling outdoor thermal comfort and energy demand in urban canyons: Results and critical issues. Energy and Buildings 2020, 216, 109946 .
AMA StyleGianpiero Evola, Vincenzo Costanzo, Cristina Magrì, Giuseppe Margani, Luigi Marletta, Emanuele Naboni. A novel comprehensive workflow for modelling outdoor thermal comfort and energy demand in urban canyons: Results and critical issues. Energy and Buildings. 2020; 216 ():109946.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGianpiero Evola; Vincenzo Costanzo; Cristina Magrì; Giuseppe Margani; Luigi Marletta; Emanuele Naboni. 2020. "A novel comprehensive workflow for modelling outdoor thermal comfort and energy demand in urban canyons: Results and critical issues." Energy and Buildings 216, no. : 109946.
In the last years many buildings in Europe have undergone energy retrofit, in order to improve their performance and reduce the energy needs. In most cases, retrofit solutions were based on the application of insulating materials either to the outside walls or to the roof. Such a practice, which undoubtedly improves the winter performance, can also induce non-negligible drawbacks in summer and in other warm months, mostly due to solar gains. The aim of this paper is to study the consequences of a typical retrofit solution, aiming to get the “nZEB” label, on summer thermal comfort. The study is based on dynamic simulations carried out with EnergyPlus on a public residential building, located in the city of Catania, Southern Italy. The analysis is repeated for various values of the insulation thickness, to be applied to the outer face of the external walls. Besides, nighttime ventilation is scheduled in summer at various opening rates of the windows, with the aim to reduce overheating. The results of the simulations may help designers to find the right balance between insulation needs and summer thermal comfort for the retrofit of existing residential buildings.
Gianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta; Federica Avola. Energy Savings and Summer Thermal Comfort for Retrofitted Buildings: A Complex Balance. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes 2019, 281 -293.
AMA StyleGianpiero Evola, Luigi Marletta, Federica Avola. Energy Savings and Summer Thermal Comfort for Retrofitted Buildings: A Complex Balance. Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes. 2019; ():281-293.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta; Federica Avola. 2019. "Energy Savings and Summer Thermal Comfort for Retrofitted Buildings: A Complex Balance." Blockchain Technology and Innovations in Business Processes , no. : 281-293.
This paper investigates the performance of timber-framed walls insulated with straw bales, and compares them with similar walls containing expanded polystyrene (EPS) instead of straw bales. First, thermal conductivity, initial water content, and density of the straw bales were experimentally measured in a laboratory set-up, and the dependence of the thermal conductivity of the dry material on temperature was described. Then, the two insulation solutions were compared by looking at their steady and periodic thermal transmittance, decrement factor, phase shift, internal areal heat capacity and surface mass. Finally, the acoustic performance of both wall typologies was analyzed by means of in situ measurements in two-story buildings built in Southern Italy. The weighted apparent sound reduction index for the partition wall between two houses and the weighted standardized level difference for the façades were assessed based on ISO Standard 16283. The results indicate that the dry straw bales have an average thermal conductivity of k = 0.0573 W/(m·K), and their density is around 80 kg/m3. In addition, straw bale walls have good steady thermal performance, but they still lack sufficient thermal inertia, as witnessed by the low phase shift and the high periodic thermal transmittance. Finally, according to the on-site measurements, the results underline that the acoustic performance of the straw bale walls is far better than the walls adopting traditional EPS insulation. Overall, the straw bales investigated are a promising natural and sustainable solution for thermal and sound insulation of buildings.
Stefano Cascone; Gianpiero Evola; Antonio Gagliano; Gaetano Sciuto; Chiara Baroetto Parisi. Laboratory and In-Situ Measurements for Thermal and Acoustic Performance of Straw Bales. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5592 .
AMA StyleStefano Cascone, Gianpiero Evola, Antonio Gagliano, Gaetano Sciuto, Chiara Baroetto Parisi. Laboratory and In-Situ Measurements for Thermal and Acoustic Performance of Straw Bales. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (20):5592.
Chicago/Turabian StyleStefano Cascone; Gianpiero Evola; Antonio Gagliano; Gaetano Sciuto; Chiara Baroetto Parisi. 2019. "Laboratory and In-Situ Measurements for Thermal and Acoustic Performance of Straw Bales." Sustainability 11, no. 20: 5592.
All around the world, a huge amount of buildings have been built before the enforcement of specific codes for seismic resistance and energy efficiency. Particularly in Italy, over 74% of residential buildings were constructed before 1980, when only 25% of the territory was classified as seismic, and nearly 86% were built before 1991, when the first restrictive regulation on energy efficiency was issued. This means that most buildings need both seismic and energy renovation actions to improve their sustainability level. The proposed combined retrofit strategy for reinforced concrete framed buildings is based on the replacement of the external layer of double-leaf infill walls, made of hollow bricks, with high-performing AAC blocks: this solution can be implemented by operating mainly from the outside of the building, thus reducing occupants’ disruption during retrofitting. The generally neglected structural contribution of masonry infill panels is here considered using a recently developed macro-element modeling approach. The results suggest that, from a structural viewpoint, the proposed intervention involves the highest improvement at the damage limitation limit state, while lower upgrades are recorded at life safety limit state and near-collapse limit state. In regards to the energy issues, the energy demand can be reduced by 10% and 4% for heating and cooling, respectively, just by replacing the outer layer of blocks; further savings can be achieved through the application of a supplementary insulation layer.
Antonio Artino; Gianpiero Evola; Giuseppe Margani; Edoardo Marino. Seismic and Energy Retrofit of Apartment Buildings through Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks Infill Walls. Sustainability 2019, 11, 3939 .
AMA StyleAntonio Artino, Gianpiero Evola, Giuseppe Margani, Edoardo Marino. Seismic and Energy Retrofit of Apartment Buildings through Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks Infill Walls. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (14):3939.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAntonio Artino; Gianpiero Evola; Giuseppe Margani; Edoardo Marino. 2019. "Seismic and Energy Retrofit of Apartment Buildings through Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks Infill Walls." Sustainability 11, no. 14: 3939.
The performance of space heating and cooling systems in buildings is usually measured by applying the first law of thermodynamics, which makes it possible to quantify the energy losses of the single components and to measure their energy conversion efficiency. However, this common approach does not properly consider that different forms of energy have different potentials to produce useful work, the latter being a function of the temperature at which energy is made available. As a result, it is not possible to properly address how the “quality” of energy is exploited or conserved in the different processes. On the contrary, the second law of thermodynamics is able to do that by introducing the concept of exergy: This is the maximum amount of work that can be produced through an ideal reversible process evolving until a full condition of equilibrium with the environment is attained. Exergy is; thus, a possible way to measure the “quality” of an energy flow or an energy source. This perspective is particularly relevant when dealing with buildings and their energy conversion systems, which usually deliver thermal energy at a temperature level that is close to the environmental temperature. This means that the users require “low-quality” energy; notwithstanding, this energy comes from the depletion of “high-quality” energy sources, such as fossil fuels and electricity. The exergy analysis helps with identifying such irrational use of the energy sources, which cannot come to light from the energy analysis. In this paper, a literature review identifies methods and metrics commonly used to carry out the exergy analysis of buildings and their energy technologies, while also underlining discrepancies and open methodological issues. Then, the review discusses the main lessons learned from selected works, providing significant advice about the rational use of energy in buildings as well as the most effective technological solutions.
Gianpiero Evola; Vincenzo Costanzo; Luigi Marletta. Exergy Analysis of Energy Systems in Buildings. Buildings 2018, 8, 180 .
AMA StyleGianpiero Evola, Vincenzo Costanzo, Luigi Marletta. Exergy Analysis of Energy Systems in Buildings. Buildings. 2018; 8 (12):180.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGianpiero Evola; Vincenzo Costanzo; Luigi Marletta. 2018. "Exergy Analysis of Energy Systems in Buildings." Buildings 8, no. 12: 180.
Gianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta; Damiano Cimino. Weather data morphing to improve building energy modeling in an urban context. Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems 2018, 5, 211 -216.
AMA StyleGianpiero Evola, Luigi Marletta, Damiano Cimino. Weather data morphing to improve building energy modeling in an urban context. Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems. 2018; 5 (3):211-216.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta; Damiano Cimino. 2018. "Weather data morphing to improve building energy modeling in an urban context." Mathematical Modelling of Engineering Problems 5, no. 3: 211-216.
The incorporation of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) into the opaque envelope of lightweight buildings is a good solution to compensate for the small thermal inertia, which usually entails pronounced overheating and high space cooling load in summer. However, the position and the thickness of the PCMs, as well as their thermal properties, must be attentively selected in order to ensure their effective operation. This paper shows a comprehensive investigation about the effectiveness of a commercial PCM, available in the form of mats, when installed within drywall partition systems in air-conditioned lightweight office buildings. The study is based on dynamic simulations carried out with EnergyPlus on a typical office building, with the aim to calculate the indoor operative temperature and the cooling load under thermostatic control. The performance for the base case (without PCM) is then compared with the case where PCM mats with various thickness and melting temperature are applied. The analysis is repeated in three different locations, ranging from Southern Europe (Rome, Italy), Continental Europe (Wien, Austria) and Northern Europe (London, UK). The results of the simulations highlight that in lightweight air-conditioned office buildings PCMs contribute to attenuate the inside surface temperature peak by around 0.5 °C, while also reducing the peak cooling load by 10% or even 15%, depending on the PCM thickness and on the outdoor climate. The conclusions may help designers to make the correct choices in terms of thickness of the PCMs, scheduled rate of nighttime ventilation and value of the peak melting temperature.
Vincenzo Costanzo; Gianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta; Francesco Nocera. The effectiveness of phase change materials in relation to summer thermal comfort in air-conditioned office buildings. Building Simulation 2018, 11, 1145 -1161.
AMA StyleVincenzo Costanzo, Gianpiero Evola, Luigi Marletta, Francesco Nocera. The effectiveness of phase change materials in relation to summer thermal comfort in air-conditioned office buildings. Building Simulation. 2018; 11 (6):1145-1161.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVincenzo Costanzo; Gianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta; Francesco Nocera. 2018. "The effectiveness of phase change materials in relation to summer thermal comfort in air-conditioned office buildings." Building Simulation 11, no. 6: 1145-1161.
This paper aims at promoting the use of Climate Based Daylight Modelling (CBDM) and related state-of-the-art metrics by discussing a range of design options to improve daylight fruition in rooms with different orientation, shape, function, and furniture of an elementary school that is located in the Mediterranean climate of Agira (Italy). The local climatic conditions, with clear skies for most of the year, require the integration of different shading and re-directing systems with the existing envelope and rooms’ layout. Results show that the dynamic modelling is a powerful and ‘creative’ tool in the designer’s hands, which helps to inform about the choice of the most appropriate technological solutions and on their architectural integration. Comparison with mostly used static daylight metrics, such as the average Daylight Factor (aDF) and the Uniformity Ratio (UR), reveals a contrast with what would be suggested if considering these metrics alone, as prescribed by the Italian legislation. These outcomes rebate the need of performing more accurate and dynamic daylight simulations using recorded (i.e., varying) rather than fixed sky conditions to correctly inform the design process.
Vincenzo Costanzo; Gianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta; Fabiana Pistone Nascone. Application of Climate Based Daylight Modelling to the Refurbishment of a School Building in Sicily. Sustainability 2018, 10, 2653 .
AMA StyleVincenzo Costanzo, Gianpiero Evola, Luigi Marletta, Fabiana Pistone Nascone. Application of Climate Based Daylight Modelling to the Refurbishment of a School Building in Sicily. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (8):2653.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVincenzo Costanzo; Gianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta; Fabiana Pistone Nascone. 2018. "Application of Climate Based Daylight Modelling to the Refurbishment of a School Building in Sicily." Sustainability 10, no. 8: 2653.
The energy performance of energy systems in buildings is commonly studied by applying the First Law of Thermodynamics, which allows to quantify the energy losses and to measure the energy conversion efficiency of the single components. However, different forms of energy have different potential to produce useful work, mainly depending on the temperature at which they are available. For this reason, the Second Law of Thermodynamics should also be considered, leading to the definition of exergy as the maximum amount of work that can be produced, through an ideal reversible process evolving until equilibrium with the environment, by a system or an energy flow available at a certain temperature. Exergy is thus a way to measure the “quality” of an energy flow. This approach is particularly relevant in building applications, where thermal energy is usually exploited at low temperature. This means that the users consume “low-quality” energy, even when this is made available by the depletion of “high-quality” energy sources, such as fuels and electricity. The exergy analysis helps identifying such irrationalities, that cannot emerge from energy analysis. The main scope of this paper is to lay sound methodological bases for the exergy analysis of energy uses in buildings. For this purpose, a literature review has allowed to identify methods and metrics commonly used for the exergy analysis, while also highlighting discrepancies and open methodological issues. Moreover, the main lessons learned from this literature review, regarding the rational use of energy in buildings, are discussed.
Luigi Marletta; Gianpiero Evola; Lamberto Tronchin; Kristian Fabbri. Exergy Analysis of Energy Systems in Buildings. 2018 IEEE International Conference on Environment and Electrical Engineering and 2018 IEEE Industrial and Commercial Power Systems Europe (EEEIC / I&CPS Europe) 2018, 1 -6.
AMA StyleLuigi Marletta, Gianpiero Evola, Lamberto Tronchin, Kristian Fabbri. Exergy Analysis of Energy Systems in Buildings. 2018 IEEE International Conference on Environment and Electrical Engineering and 2018 IEEE Industrial and Commercial Power Systems Europe (EEEIC / I&CPS Europe). 2018; ():1-6.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuigi Marletta; Gianpiero Evola; Lamberto Tronchin; Kristian Fabbri. 2018. "Exergy Analysis of Energy Systems in Buildings." 2018 IEEE International Conference on Environment and Electrical Engineering and 2018 IEEE Industrial and Commercial Power Systems Europe (EEEIC / I&CPS Europe) , no. : 1-6.
Gianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta; Sukumar Natarajan; Elisabettà Maria Patanè. Thermal inertia of heavyweight traditional buildings: experimental measurements and simulated scenarios. Energy Procedia 2017, 133, 42 -52.
AMA StyleGianpiero Evola, Luigi Marletta, Sukumar Natarajan, Elisabettà Maria Patanè. Thermal inertia of heavyweight traditional buildings: experimental measurements and simulated scenarios. Energy Procedia. 2017; 133 ():42-52.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta; Sukumar Natarajan; Elisabettà Maria Patanè. 2017. "Thermal inertia of heavyweight traditional buildings: experimental measurements and simulated scenarios." Energy Procedia 133, no. : 42-52.
Gianpiero Evola; Federica Gullo; Luigi Marletta. The role of shading devices to improve thermal and visual comfort in existing glazed buildings. Energy Procedia 2017, 134, 346 -355.
AMA StyleGianpiero Evola, Federica Gullo, Luigi Marletta. The role of shading devices to improve thermal and visual comfort in existing glazed buildings. Energy Procedia. 2017; 134 ():346-355.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGianpiero Evola; Federica Gullo; Luigi Marletta. 2017. "The role of shading devices to improve thermal and visual comfort in existing glazed buildings." Energy Procedia 134, no. : 346-355.
Francesco Nocera; Antonio Gagliano; Gianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta; Alice Faraci. The Kyoto Rotation Fund as a policy tool for climate change mitigation: The case study of an Italian school. International Journal of Heat and Technology 2017, 35, 1 .
AMA StyleFrancesco Nocera, Antonio Gagliano, Gianpiero Evola, Luigi Marletta, Alice Faraci. The Kyoto Rotation Fund as a policy tool for climate change mitigation: The case study of an Italian school. International Journal of Heat and Technology. 2017; 35 (Special 1):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFrancesco Nocera; Antonio Gagliano; Gianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta; Alice Faraci. 2017. "The Kyoto Rotation Fund as a policy tool for climate change mitigation: The case study of an Italian school." International Journal of Heat and Technology 35, no. Special 1: 1.
Around 30% of the European building stock was built before 1950, when no regulations about energy efficiency were in force. Since only a small part of them has been renovated by now, the energy performance of this building stock is on average quite poor, resulting in a significant impact on the energy balance of European countries, as confirmed by data published by ISTAT (Italian National Statistical Institute). However, energy retrofit in historic edifices is a quite demanding issue as any intervention must take into account the need to preserve existing building materials and appearances while also allowing reversibility and low invasiveness. As an example, in these buildings it is not possible to apply an ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite System), since this would alter the historic and architectural value of the façade. On the other hand, internal insulation would have the drawback of reducing the net useful floor area, which also implies a loss of economic value. Moreover, internal insulation may induce overheating risks and mold formation. In this paper, all these issues are investigated with reference to an existing historic building located in southern Italy, showing that a retrofit strategy aimed at energy savings and cost-effectiveness is still possible if suitable materials and solutions are adopted.
Simona Cirami; Gianpiero Evola; Antonio Gagliano; Giuseppe Margani. Thermal and Economic Analysis of Renovation Strategies for a Historic Building in Mediterranean Area. Buildings 2017, 7, 60 .
AMA StyleSimona Cirami, Gianpiero Evola, Antonio Gagliano, Giuseppe Margani. Thermal and Economic Analysis of Renovation Strategies for a Historic Building in Mediterranean Area. Buildings. 2017; 7 (4):60.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSimona Cirami; Gianpiero Evola; Antonio Gagliano; Giuseppe Margani. 2017. "Thermal and Economic Analysis of Renovation Strategies for a Historic Building in Mediterranean Area." Buildings 7, no. 4: 60.
The study of daylight conditions within educational buildings has been a topic of interest since the nineteenth century in western countries, and European ones in particular. Although it has been argued that providing a view outside—or even using daylight instead of more stable and manageable artificial light—could reduce students’ performance without providing a pleasant and healthy environment, nowadays it seems that a large consensus upon the need to design well daylit spaces is being reached. This paper reviews how the research community has tackled the task of understanding and solving the complex relationships amongst local climate, users’ needs and design constraints in school buildings by showing the different approaches used and technological solutions suggested. The reported case studies, based either on experimental measurements or on simulations, highlight the need of a comprehensive approach to the topic to fully understand the non-trivial requirements of a daylit educational environment.
Vincenzo Costanzo; Gianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta. A Review of Daylighting Strategies in Schools: State of the Art and Expected Future Trends. Buildings 2017, 7, 41 .
AMA StyleVincenzo Costanzo, Gianpiero Evola, Luigi Marletta. A Review of Daylighting Strategies in Schools: State of the Art and Expected Future Trends. Buildings. 2017; 7 (4):41.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVincenzo Costanzo; Gianpiero Evola; Luigi Marletta. 2017. "A Review of Daylighting Strategies in Schools: State of the Art and Expected Future Trends." Buildings 7, no. 4: 41.