Lecturer: Anna Magrini  

Course name: Building energy performance
Course code: 062206
Degree course: Ingegneria Elettrica
Disciplinary field of science: ING-IND/11
L'insegnamento è caratterizzante per: Ingegneria Elettrica
The course relates to: Ingegneria Elettrica
University credits: CFU 5
Course website: n.d.

Specific course objectives

The course aims to provide students knowledge on the thermal behavior of buildings under steady and unsteady conditions and on systems used to maintain indoor microclimate ensuring the environmental comfort. It covers an area of interest in both HVAC systems and building design. The concepts are useful to both technical training in the field of rational use of energy and in the field of building design. Special attention will be focused on energy consumption of buildings in summer and winter and the influence of architectural design on comfort conditions and energy consumption.

Course programme

Outdoor environment and building energy performance
Interaction between outdoor climatic conditions and building energy performance Heat loss, transmittance, thermal bridges. Characteristics of opaque surfaces - windows. Calculation methods. Low energy building design. Passive house. Thermal storage materials, reduction of solar radiation by low-e glass, solar screens. Refurbishment of existing buildings to reduce energy consumption. Analysis of the cost-benefits best choiches.

Moist air
Main features of humid air and representation in the graphs.

Hygrothermal problems of buildings
Building envelope surface condensation, temperature factor, interstitial condensation and method of Glaser. Design criteria to prevent degradation. Numerical applications. Examples of calculations of moisture surface conditions to prevent surface damage, temperature factor, interstitial condensation and method of Glaser.

Confort and environmental quality
Human heat balance, Fanger equation, PMV and PPD. Air quality, Ventilation. Production of pollutants in the indoor air, air quality acceptability.

Heating systems
Overview. Heating energy demand, simplified thermal balance, boiler types. Heating system energy production, distribution and accumulation system, auxiliary components. Hot water. Condensing boilers. Heat pumps. Heat recovery. District heating and biomass boilers Integration with hot water from renewable sources, use of geothermal heat pumps.

Assessment of the energy performance of buildings
National legislation and standards. UNI / TS 11300-1: 2008. Description of the procedure for calculating the energy performance of buildings. Input data, zoning rules and boundary conditions. Parameters for calculating the heat balance of the building (internal and solar inputs, heat transfer, ventilation). Dynamic parameters. Simplified determination of thermal parameters of the building envelope. UNI / TS 11300-2: 2008. From the heating requirements to the primary energy needs. Plant subsystems. Using tables. Verification of energy performance for winter heating. Techniques for reducing energy consumption of plants Application of the most recent regulations. Use of high-efficiency heat pumps, use of renewable energy for heating and air conditioning. Natural an mechanical ventilation.

Software applications
Software for assessing the energy performance of buildings and energy certification. Implementation projects of new buildings and renovation of existing buildings assessments required by UNI TS 11300. The procedures for calculating regional energy certification. Intervention methods to reduce energy use and building envelope systems. Calculation of the potential reduction of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.

Course entry requirements

Basic knowledge of chemistry and elementary mathematical tools, derivatives and integrals, basic knowledge of Physics, knowledge of thermodynamics and heat transfer provided by Technical Physics

Course structure and teaching

Lectures (hours/year in lecture theatre): 20
Practical class (hours/year in lecture theatre): 35
Practicals / Workshops (hours/year in lecture theatre): 0

Suggested reading materials

G. Alfano, M. Filippi, E. Sacchi. Impianti di climatizzazione per l'edilizia. Dal progetto al collaudo. Elsevier, 1997.

ASHRAE Handbook Fundamentals. ASHRAE.

ASHRAE Handbook - HVAC Applications. ASHRAE.

ASHRAE Handbook - Refrigeration. ASHRAE.

A.Magrini, D.Ena. Tecnologie solari attive e passive. EPC Libri 2002.

A.Magrini,L.Cattani, L.Magnani, P.Zampiero. Prestazioni energetiche degli edifici residenziali - Esempi di calcolo secondo la norma UNI TS 11300. EPC Libri 2009.

Testing and exams

To access the examination some exercises on the energy performance of buildings are requested (linked with the exercises already played during Technical Physics, thermohygrometric verification of a wall, thermal bridges, dynamic characteristics of the walls, computing systems, solar collectors systems design). Information on development and delivery of the exercises are provided in the first lessons and are available from the teacher. The esamination will be conducted with a written test and an oral discussion.