Enhancement of Thermal Comfort and Energy Performance of Educational Buildings in the Warm Season: The Case Study of Two Public Schools in Bolzano, Italy

Angelica El Hokayem, Giovanni Pernigotto () and Andrea Gasparella
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Angelica El Hokayem: Faculty of Engineering, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Giovanni Pernigotto: Faculty of Engineering, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Andrea Gasparella: Faculty of Engineering, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-20

Abstract: Most educational buildings in the north of Italy, whether of dated or recent construction, were designed to comply with the thermal comfort and energy performance requirements set for the heating season due to limited use in the summer months. In the latest years, however, with greater frequency, school buildings have been used to host indoor summer activities, and, due to the warm temperature conditions and heat waves, indoor thermal discomfort is often experienced, with negative impacts on occupants’ task performance. Consequently, the need to guarantee adequate indoor thermal comfort in schools in the warm season is becoming a growing concern for local public authorities. In this context, this work examines a set of strategies for the enhancement of the energy performance and indoor thermal comfort of public school buildings in the cooling season. Thus, two case study public school buildings of dated and recent construction located in Bolzano, Italy, were analyzed and compared. This study shows the potential of passive and semi-passive measures in improving indoor thermal comfort in the spring–summer months and the limit beyond which mechanical cooling and ventilation systems are required to ensure adequate levels of indoor environmental quality and task performance in the warmest months.

Keywords: building energy performance; passive cooling strategies; night free cooling; thermal comfort; air-conditioning and mechanical ventilation; public school buildings (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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