Thermographic mapping of a complex vernacular settlement: the case study of Casalnuovo District within the Sassi of Matera (Italy)

The research focuses on an abandoned area within the Casalnuovo District, situated in the south of the city, probably the place of the future Demoethnoanthropological Museum. It is known today that the particular shape of the area is made up of settlements mainly in cave. Since the evaluation of the historical buildings conservation state using destructive techniques should be avoided to prevent the integrity of the cultural heritage, the development of non-destructive techniques is very important. For this reason, an appropriate cognitive apparatus has been set up for the entire technical process, first of all making use of infrared thermography

The influence of indoor microclimate on thermal comfort and conservation of artworks: the case study of the Cathedral of Matera (South Italy)

The Matera Cathedral was built in Apulian-Romanesque style in the thirteenth century on the highest spur of the “Civita” that divides “Sassi” district in two parts. The constructive material is the calcareous stone of the Vaglia, extracted from quarries in the area of Matera. The interior is Baroque and presents several artworks. The research had to evaluate the indoor microclimate during and after the restoration works, that also concern the installation of floor heating system to heat the indoor environments. Specifically, we have analyzed the thermal comfort and the effect that the artwork and construction materials inside the Cathedral of Matera have undergone

Numerical and experimental thermal analysis for the improvement of various types of windows frames and rolling-shutter boxes

Data provided by Italian Ministry of Environment say that in 5 years you consume, just for heating of an apartment, an amount of energy equal to that required for the all construction of the same apartment. The years come down to three if one includes other energy consumption. In terms of primary energy, the building-plant system is responsible for about 45 % of the national energy demand. The rolling-shutter box system, in most cases, is the first responsible for thermal dispersions and input of free heat coming from outside. In addition, the window frames have the obligation of the CE marking to be sold on the free European market. Among the basic requirements, the thermal transmittance is the parameter responsible for the energy performance. The research concerned the energy study of different window frames and rolling-shutter boxes through the use of finite element methodology and experiments in situ. This study was carried out on six different types of windows frames (PVC, wood, and wood-aluminium) and four different models of rolling shutters-boxes (all with structure made by expanded polystyrene). The experimental analysis allowed the comparison between the thermal transmittance values calculated according to the UNI EN ISO 10077-1/2 and measured in accordance with ISO 9869

Analysis of Energy Consumption of Different Typologies of School Buildings in the City of Matera (Southern Italy)

Abstract School buildings constitute an important part of the non-residential building stock, because students and teachers spend much time in these rooms. This paper presents the outcome of a study on the energy performance of five different school buildings located in Matera city (South Italy). The analysis is aimed at calculating the energy requirement in accord with UNI TS 11300, comparing the results with dynamic analyses (using the Energy Plus method) and the effective energy consumptions. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 649956. The analysis has confirmed the best precision of dynamic method respect the stationary one, with an error estimated of about the ten percent compared to the real consumptions. We also presented the energy auditing interventions for all schools and evaluate the incidence of the envelope and thermal system on energy consumptions

Beneficial Impacts on Environment and Society Through Smart Sustainable Maintenance of Public Real Estate

Healthy, sustainable, energy-efficient buildings are more valuable since the green movement. Air quality, lighting, acoustics, and thermal conditions affect IEQ. Indoor air quality affects resident health. Chemicals or organisms contaminate the air. This work contributes to the goal of renovating and decarbonizing existing public administration buildings in the regional territory by integrating technologies and advanced building-plant systems management policies. This work focuses on building-plant energy diagnosis, its principles, regulations, and application procedures, especially IEQ and thermo-hygrometric comfort measurement and evaluation protocols. It follows a discussion of LCA for energy diagnosis and smart indoor air quality management and maintenance, such as quantifying human activity's impact on the indoor environment or adapting a modeling methodology to identify critical parameters to be monitored and controlled by building-plant systems' integrated sensor and actuator architecture. The goal is to find connections between indoor and outdoor air quality, occupant behavior in public buildings (especially schools and universities), and short- and long-term BRI. The study compares smart building diagnostic methods and procedures to European standards. This may improve Public Building Administration Social-LCA standards

Italian Guidelines for Energy Performance of Cultural Heritage and Historical Buildings: The Case Study of the Sassi of Matera

Abstract The Sassi of Matera are a unique example in the world of rock settlements, developed from natural caves carved into the rock and molded into increasingly complex structures inside two large natural amphitheaters. Research focuses on the compatibility of the energy efficiency measures applied in Sassi buildings with the recent MiBACT guidelines on "Energy efficiency improvements in cultural heritage" and AiCARR guidelines on "Energy efficiency of historical buildings". The paper aims to analyze energy and environmental performance of different building typologies and monuments of the Sassi site

microclimate of territory of matera and the heat island effect

Abstract This work is focused on micro-climate analysis of the Matera town. We carried out several measurement campaigns of climate parameters in summer and winter season by measuring temperature and relative humidity. These analyses show that, in the historical center, the temperature values are greater than in areas with presence of vegetation. We analyzed the temperature and relative humidity trend of the last seven years. The average seasonal temperatures rise, due to an increased use of air conditioners, causes the growth of urban temperatures. The sparse vegetation present in the town center does not allow the dissipation of the latent heat

Sustainability Assessment Techniques and Potential Sustainability Accreditation Tools for Energy-Product Systems Modelling

The modelling of complex technological systems serves as the foundation for enhancing process performance, including sustainability features (triple-bottom line). The European Green Deal, proposed in 2019, aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and foster a resource-independent economy. Such a change must be carefully planned. Comprehensive sustainability protocols and guidelines are necessary to describe the standardized methodological procedure, the environmental certification procedures that allow market comparability and identification of the best solutions, the databases, the calculation tools and software, and the benchmark and target with which to make comparison. Policies and regulatory or incentive instruments promote the broad adoption of these approaches and ensure that policies reduce environmental, economic, and social impacts. This paper consists in an overview of sustainability assessment tools’ role in energy policy and short- and long-term modeling of more eco-friendly energy-product systems. Additionally, the paper explores these methods’ pros and cons in planning, analyzing, and optimizing energy/product systems, also according to the circular economy paradigm. All of these strategies aim to help the decision-maker make more consistent judgments by taking into consideration essential objective, such as end user or stakeholder demands, and minimizing subjective elements. An extensive listing of Sustainability accreditation and communication tools is provided. Sustainability assessment is an evaluation and optimization method that promotes sustainable development in all political planning and decision-making. It examines the social, economic, and environmental effects, finds conflicting goals, and recommends early optimization. Potentially, sustainability assessment should be integrated into the political planning process and depend on domain-specific research and assessments that currently exist or are planned, such as in combination with decision-making. Sustainability assessment is not designed to be an extra analytical tool. A sector-specific environmental or economic study from a strategic environmental analysis or regulatory effect analysis may be crucial to a sustainability assessment

Dynamic Modeling and Simulation of Buildings Energy Performance Based on Different Climatic Conditions

The aim of this work is the analysis, under dynamic conditions, of the energy performance of buildings based on different climatic conditions. Two school buildings, Liceo Classico “E. Duni” and Liceo Scientifico “D. Alighieri”, located in Matera, Italy, are considered. Furthermore, a strategy to improve the energy performance of the two school buildings is proposed by the installation of a co-trigeneration plant integrated with a solar plant. Such a plant is equipped with an absorption chiller to produce chilled fluid. The analysis under dynamic conditions has been performed by using a well-known simulation software, TRNSYS 17, and the results have been compared with those obtained under stationary conditions by employing a numerical solver, MC-11300, which is certified by the Italian Thermotechnical Committee. At first, the results obtained by considering the dynamic and stationary states and the experimental data measured in situ are compared by considering the actual buildings plants. Then, the energy performance of the two buildings is computed by considering three different climatic zones of Italy. Finally, a discussion of the advantages of the proposed requalification solution, which employs the trigeneration plant, is given

Morphofunctional Modification in Elderly Individuals Practicing Competitive Endurance Sport

To investigate the modification of body composition and level of aerobic capacity in older athletes practicing competitive sport for two years consecutively, 20 elderly male endurance athletes (A) were compared with twenty elderly male subjects who practiced moderate exercise (C). Body composition analysis, physical activity and maximal aerobic power (VO2max) were measured at the beginning of the study, after twelve months and after twenty-four months in both groups. We observed significant differences in group A: body fat was significantly lower in the subjects at the first and second year than at the beginning of the study; fat-free mass (FFM) was significantly higher in the subjects at the first and second year; VO2max in every measurements was significantly higher in the subjects at the at the first and second year than at beginning of the study. Our data suggest that it is possible, even in the elderly, to reach a good level of physical fitness with appropriate training protocols for competitive sport