A Decision Support Tool to Assess the Energy Renovation Performance Through a Timber-Based Solution for Concrete-Framed Buildings

Gianpiero Evola (), Michele Torrisi, Vincenzo Costanzo, Marilena Lazzaro, Diego Arnone and Giuseppe Margani
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Gianpiero Evola: Department of Electrical Electronic and Computer Engineering (DIEEI), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
Michele Torrisi: Department of Electrical Electronic and Computer Engineering (DIEEI), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
Vincenzo Costanzo: Department of Electrical Electronic and Computer Engineering (DIEEI), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy
Marilena Lazzaro: Area Sistemi Informativi di Ateneo, Università di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze Ed.11, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Diego Arnone: Engineering Ingegneria Informatica Spa, Viale Regione Siciliana 7275, 90146 Palermo, Italy
Giuseppe Margani: Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture (DICAr), University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 64, 95123 Catania, Italy

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-27

Abstract: The present paper describes a novel and user-friendly Decision Support System (e-DSS) designed to assist technicians in the preliminary design stage of a building renovation process based on the solutions developed in the innovation project e-SAFE, funded by the EU under the H2020 program. The e-DSS is engineered to rapidly assess key performance indicators, including energy performance before and after renovation, reduction in CO 2 emission for space heating, space cooling, and DHW preparation, seismic upgrade feasibility, expected costs, and payback time. To demonstrate its capabilities, the e-DSS was applied to an existing public housing building in Catania, southern Italy. The predicted thermal energy needs for space heating and cooling were compared to the results from detailed simulations using a professional-grade software tool, for both as-built condition and a proposed renovation generated by the e-DSS itself. The discrepancies identified through this comparison will inform the refinement of the e-DSS algorithms to increase their accuracy and reliability. More generally, this paper recommends suitable algorithms that can be effectively employed in the development of simplified decision-making tools specifically tailored for building professionals operating in the early phase of building renovation projects.

Keywords: energy renovation; decision support system; thermal insulation; timber-based solution (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: 2025
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