Reduction of energy consumption in educational buildings, and primarily in University buildings, is nowadays a relevant issue. The evaluation of the energy performance of these buildings is complex due to the variability in their construction age and their intermittent and wide variety of uses. In addition, these buildings are often characterized by a scarce availability of energy end use data, which makes challenging to benchmark energy performance and to inform energy policy decisions. To tackle this problem, this paper explores the use of simple indicators linking low-frequency available energy consumption data to variables measuring building characteristics and weather conditions. The use of such indicators is accompanied by detailed ad-hoc energy audits, including activities in the area of building management systems and dynamic energy simulation. The case study chosen is the Italian University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, which recently developed a Sustainability Plan targeting reductions in GHG emissions to 2020 and identified a framework for investment over the next 5 years to meet University targets. The results of the study shows that simple performance indicators can provide a first insight into the buildings energy performance and identify critical buildings that require detailed analysis. The results of the energy audits support the decision of actions to reduce heating and cooling energy consumption while maintaining acceptable thermal comfort for occupants.

Aim of this work is to define a dynamic model developed in the Trnsys software environment where a biomass boiler and two micro-CHP gasifiers are considered as heat source for a detached house. The selected case study is a detached house of about 240 m 2 near Bologna, Northern Italy, where the HVAC system is currently equipped with a diesel oil boiler with 40 kW of thermal power. The building is connected to a farm and the total electrical consumption is about 13850 kWh/year. The thermal energy demand was calculated and validated in Trnsys using measured diesel oil consumption data. Two different retrofitting solutions for the heating system have been investigated: biomass boiler and micro-CHP gasifiers. Results show the capability to use biomass boiler and micro-scale gasifiers as heat source for the building with a wood consumption of 23 and 86 ton/year respectively. The gasifier electricity production is greater than the electrical demand and an extra energy of 64800 kWh/year is injected into the grid. The cost-benefits economical assessment of these retrofitting solutions is reported considering subsidies for renewable energy production.

Italy and Europe have a significant amount of historical heritage buildings that mark their cultural and social foundations and need to be protected. The majority of these buildings have poor energy performance and significant energy consumption. The particularity of this type of buildings is the high thermal inertia given by the thickness of the massive walls, which should be taken into account when designing and controlling the thermal system. The purpose of this study is therefore to present a methodology to evaluate the effect of thermal inertia and propose a solution of heating system control that takes into account this aspect. The building chosen as case study is the Ducal Palace of Modena, one of the most emblematic and important historical buildings of Italy. The Palace is located in the city of Modena, in northern Italy and the building is currently home of the oldest military academy of Italy. The results show that the use of a heating system control that takes into account the thermal inertia of the building improves comfort and allows reducing energy consumption.