Measured Indoor Environmental Data in a Retrofitted Multiapartment Building to Assess Energy Flexibility and Thermal Safety during Winter Power Outages

The article describes detailed measurements of indoor environmental parameters in a multiapartment housing block located in Milan, Italy, which has recently undergone a deep energy retrofit and is used as a thermal battery during the winter season. Two datasets are provided: one refers to a series of experimental tests conducted by the authors in an unoccupied flat, in which the thermal capacity of the building mass is exploited to act as an energy storage. The dataset reports, with a time step of 10 min, measurements of air temperature, globe temperature and surface temperatures in the analyzed room and data characterizing the adjacent spaces and the outdoor conditions. The second set of data refers to the air temperature monitoring carried out continuously in all the apartments of the apartment block, and hence also during two unplanned heating power outages. The analyzed data show the role of deep renovations in extending the time over which a building can remain in the thermal comfort range after an energy interruption and thus highlight the potential role of retrofitted buildings in delivering energy flexibility services to related stakeholders, such as the occupants, the building manager, the grid operator, and others. Furthermore, the dataset can be used to calibrate an energy simulation model to investigate different demand-side flexibility strategies and evaluate thermal safety under extreme weather events

The effect of weather datasets on building energy simulation outputs

Results of dynamic energy simulations of buildings are affected by many uncertainties, which are the main reason of the performance gap registered between simulated and operational performance. They depend mostly on the incorrect modelling of building components and their properties, the inadequate characterization of operational schedules, the limitations in the simulation algorithms used by energy simulation software, the quality and reliability of data contained in weather files. The first three limiting factors are somehow under the control and capacity of the person in charge of the simulation, that, nevertheless, may not always be able to get detailed building specifications to identify the correct set-points and schedules, or to choose an alternative simulation software. The information contained in weather datasets are, however, completely out of the control of the person in charge of the simulation that may only assume them as a boundary condition. Unfortunately, not all the weather databases show the same level of data accuracy; moreover, they may refer to a climate that substantially changed in the last decades. The effects on building energy simulation results, played by different weather files referred to the city of Milan, is showed and discussed, highlighting the substantial performance difference depending on them

Focus on soluble salts transport phenomena: the study cases of Leonardo mural paintings at Sala delle Asse (Milan)

The program of investigations on “Sala delle Asse”, which hosts a monochrome landscape attributed to Leonardo, in the Sforza Castle in Milan recently concluded the first step. Results of the analytical tests for the characterization of materials and their damages showed the high diffusion and concentration of nitrates and sulphates on the surface of the monochrome at the edge with the restoration mortars, on the right side of the north-western wall. On the base of the scientific literature and laboratory tests, the researchers identified a threshold of RH above which deliquescence of salts could easily occur. Microclimatic monitoring results informed that during the most humid days in spring, summer and fall, RH trespasses this threshold, with a frequency of about 30 events/year. After an accurate analysis of air temperature (T °C) and relative humidity (RH) resulted that the exterior changes especially affect the interior climate at some summer conditions as middle-high speed of wind and, especially, its direction due to some cracks and holes in the north western exterior wall of the hall

A high performance home in the Mediterranean climate: From the design principle to actual measurements

Experience developed in the northern European countries led, in the last decades, to standard and shared procedures for the design and construction of passive houses and similar high performance buildings. These approaches are specifically developed for cold climates, therefore cannot be directly applied to the Mediterranean climate, where substantially different climatic conditions must be challenged. The design and early monitoring of a customized zero energy house, located in Sicily, is proposed as an exemplary case study for the future generation of high performance and nearly-zero energy buildings in the Mediterranean area. The key role played by the control of heat gains, and the correct use of thermal mass is highlighted, showing similarities and differences with passive houses built in the North Europe. The measurements of energy and environmental performance of the building show the effectiveness of the response of the adopted design approach to the specific climatic conditions

Addressing the challenges of public housing retrofits

European directives are pushing EU member states to promote energy retrofits of their building stocks. Nevertheless, building renovation stagnates due to many issues, including financial, informational, behavioral, educational and other challenges. All of these increase for the public housing sector, where specific problems such as fuel poverty and social exclusion sum up to common problems such as the tenant-landlord dilemma. On the other hand, public housing represents an important asset for local governments, both in terms of economic and social value. By improving the quality of life and the economic resilience of inhabitant of public housing, local authorities may obtain long-term returns for social inclusion, and citizens' wellbeing. Following this perspective, the municipalities of Milan and Lisbon committed, within the larger framework of the EU funded Sharing Cities project, to promote the renovation of some pilot public housing estates. The design process, the objectives, the expected outcomes and the monitoring and assessment process are described in the paper, trying to highlight the potential benefit for tenants, local governments and, in the long run, for the whole society.

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