ENERGY EFFICIENT BUILDINGS AND TECHNICAL SYSTEMS DESIGN

The Course aims to provide the technical and scientific bases to assess the Energy Performance of buildings and their thermal systems, as well as the fundamental elements for the design of the thermal systems. To this end, the Course describes the most recent technologies for the energy efficiency of buildings and thermal systems, and the related design methodologies. The Course also presents the main techniques for active and passive heating of buildings, with particular reference to solar technologies, and the issues of Indoor Air Quality and Thermal Comfort. The acquired knowledge will allow the students to address the Energy Performance Certification of a building provided with thermal systems, and to perform energy renovation projects that comply with the strict performance requirements imposed by the recent regulations, while also accessing the available fiscal incentives.

The laboratory module (44 hours) aims to provide the practical foundations necessary for the sustainable design of buildings and their thermal systems through the use of suitable software tools for simulating the energy performance of buildings, certified by the most recent European and Italian regulations.

The expected learning outcomes are consistent with the Dublin indicators. In particular:

Knowledge and understanding: the students will learn the detailed operation of thermal plants and energy production from renewable sources. They will also learn about the physical parameters that influence the energy performance of the building envelope, understanding their relationship with possible design choices.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: the students will learn to integrate the acquired knowledge into the tecnical design of the building, with the aim of designing energy-efficient buildings and systems in line with legal requirements. They will also learn how to translate the building's energy design into documents and technical reports to certify its performance.

Making judgements: the knowledge acquired, and its concrete application to a design case study, will allow students to independently develop the energy design of a building and the certification of its performance.

Communication skills: thanks to the knowledge acquired, students will be able to interact clearly and effectively with other specialists involved in the design of buildings and systems.

Learning skills: students will be able to independently update themselves on the evolution of sector legislation, as well as to adapt their skills to various work sectors.

Energy performance of the opaque envelope - Thermal bridges: detailed calculation and correction – Hygrometric checks and corresponding design solutions – Green roofs and “cool” roofs - Energy performance of the transparent envelope and shading systems - Natural ventilation and indoor air quality - Controlled mechanical ventilation systems (VMC): components and sizing principles - Thermal comfort: regulatory obligations and evaluation methods - Calculation of the winter thermal load -  Building integrated photovoltaic systems: operation and sizing principles - Condensing boilers and heat pumps: selection and sizing criteria - Radiators, fan coil units and radiant floors: operation and sizing principles - Sizing of fluid distribution  networks – Control logic of thermal systems, and their efficiency  - Solar thermal systems: schemes and sizing principles - Energy certification of buildings: current legislation - Energy Performance Certificate (APE) – Fiscal incentives for the energy efficiency of buildings and systems 

"Laboratory" module (44 hours)

The project work concerns the energy renovation of an existing building chosen by the students and will make use of certified Italian software tools for the thermal and energy analysis of buildings. The project work will be conducted in small groups of 2-3 students each and will cover the following aspects:

• Functional and geometric characterization of the building
• Definition of the main thermal features of the glazed and opaque envelope, including thermal bridges
• Identification of the available HVAC systems and water systems
• Characterization of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors features (if any)
• Energy Performance Certificate
• Proposal of an energy retrofit solutions, and corresponding verification by law
  
• Proposal of PV system installation

"Contribution of the Course to the objectives of Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development”

The course contributes to raising awareness and training students on the issues and technologies that underpin Goal 7 (Affordable and clean energy), Goal 12 (Responsible consumption and production) and Goal 13 (Fight against climate change).

The students can also refer to the following books to deepen some topics:

1. V. RAISA, Teoria e tecnica della ventilazione. Ed. Delfino, 2010
2. G. ALFANO, F.R. D’AMBROSIO, G. RICCIO, La valutazione delle condizioni termoigrometriche negli ambienti di lavoro: confort e sicurezza. Ed. CUEN, 1997
3. F. GROPPI, G. ZUCCARO, Impianti solari fotovoltaici a norme CEI. Ed. Delfino, 2010
4. A. BRIGANTI, Manuale di climatizzazione. Ed. Tecniche Nuove (Cap. 7, 8, 9)
5. N. ASTE, F. GROPPI, Impianti solari termici. Manuale per ingegneri, architetti, installatori. Ed. Delfino, 2007.

To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students may request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on educational objectives and specific needs. Students can also contact the CInAP (Centro per l’integrazione Attiva e Partecipata — Servizi per le Disabilità e/o i DSA) referring teacher within their department (https://www.cinap.unict.it/content/referenti).

• Legal checks regarding the energy performance of buildings: Decree 26/06/2015
• Calculation of the transmittance for a thermal bridge
• Energy balance of a roof
• Hygrometric checks according to Decree 26/06/2015
• Calculation of the thermal transmittance for the fixtures
• Legal checks on mobile shading devices
• Characteristic parameters of photovoltaic modules
• Energy requirements associated with ventilation
• Features of the mechanical ventilation systems
• Estimation of the electricity production in a photovoltaic system
• Sizing of a radiator
• Operation of a fan coil 
  
• Sizing of a radiant floor
• Sizing of a hot water pipe
• Calculation of the overall efficiency of a heating system
• Components of a solar thermal system
• Calculation of non-renewable primary energy use
• Conditions for obtaining tax incentives
• Discussion of the design choices concerning the composition of the opaque and transparent building envelope
• Discussion of plant design choices
• Results of hygrometric and energy checks required by law
• Integration of renewable energy sources within an existing building