Energy Performance and Economic Feasibility Study of Historical Building in the City of Matera, Southern Italy

Gianluca Rospi, Nicola Cardinale and Elisabetta Negro
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Gianluca Rospi: Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Nicola Cardinale: Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy
Elisabetta Negro: Department of European and Mediterranean Cultures, University of Basilicata, 85100 Potenza, Italy

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 12, 1-18

Abstract: In this paper a careful energy audit and an energy restoration of some historical buildings was performed. In particular, three cultural heritages buildings situated in the city of Matera in Southern Italy were analysed. To analyse these buildings, an integrated approach based on measurements in situ and on dynamic energy simulations was used. Then, some energy efficiency actions were performed, safeguarding the authenticity value of these structures. The thermal conductance, the indoor temperature and the energy consumption were measured in situ and then the numerical virtual model was created by the Energy Plus code (Energy Plus is free, open-source, and cross-platform developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s and Building Technologies Office) (U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Technologies Office (BTO), Washington, DC, USA). The numerical model was validated by using the Inequality Coefficient (IC) and then different parametric energy analyses were performed. The paper analysed different energy improvements and a techno-economic feasibility study was performed for each improvement. This analysis was conducted in dynamic regime by using the Energy-Plus code. In these buildings the thermal system improvements have a better payback time than envelope improvements. Two different thermal system improvements were analysed: the absorption heat pump with thermostatic valves and the compression heat pump with fan coil unit. Moreover, the replacement of present lighting with LED technologies has a payback time near one year.

Keywords: energy dynamic simulation; historical buildings; energy improvements; numerical computer model; economic feasibility study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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