|
Francesco Maria CONTINI
Personale tecnico amministrativo Direzione Tecnica, Facility Management e Sostenibilità
|
Home |
Pubblicazioni
2017
- Improvement of thermal comfort and energy efficiency in historical and monumental buildings by means of localized heating based on non-invasive electric radiant panels
[Articolo su rivista]
Lodi, Chiara; Magli, Susanna; Contini, Francesco Maria; Muscio, Alberto; Tartarini, Paolo
abstract
Energy efficiency and thermal comfort in historic buildings are very often hampered by preservation
needs. This issue is particularly relevant for historical and monumental buildings, which currently represent
a large part of the historic buildings stock in Europe. For such protected buildings most of the available
retrofitting solutions are not feasible and alternatives have to be investigated to guarantee their
usability potential. The purpose of this study is therefore to present a methodology to evaluate the potential
of electric radiant panels as retrofitting solutions for historical and monumental buildings, focusing
on thermal comfort and energy saving potential when compared with conventional fossil-fuel-based
heating systems. In fact, the non-invasiveness and flexibility of electrical panels make them one of the
few feasible solutions for protected buildings.
An original methodology is developed to evaluate the performance of such localized heating systems;
the methodology is based on a dynamic simulation model, calibrated with temperature measurements,
which takes into account the geometry and technical characteristics of electrical radiant panels and
allows different control strategies to be compared. The methodology is applied to a relevant Italian historical
building. The results show that the panels, despite their well-known low-exergy efficiency, may
become a viable and attractive solution for historical buildings without undermining their preservation
requirements. Apart from significantly increasing thermal comfort, electric radiant panels may also allow
annual heating energy savings up to 70% for the selected building.
2017
- University energy planning for reducing energy consumption and GHG emissions: The case study of a university campus in Italy
[Articolo su rivista]
Lodi, Chiara; Malaguti, Vania; Contini, Francesco Maria; Sala, Luigi; Muscio, Alberto; Tartarini, Paolo
abstract
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.
2016
- Dynamic analysis of the heat released by tertiary buildings and the effects of urban heat island mitigation strategies
[Articolo su rivista]
Magli, Susanna; Lodi, Chiara; Contini, Francesco Maria; Muscio, Alberto; Tartarini, Paolo
abstract
This study presents a comprehensive approach for calculating buildings' energy contribution to the formation of urban heat island (UHI). For this purpose, the heat released by building envelope and HVAC system has been taken into account, while longwave radiation to the sky has been excluded from the calculation, as it is not so relevant to the UHI effect. Several strategies to minimize the UHI phenomenon and their effects on the heat released have been considered along the whole-year period. An existing educational building has been selected as case study. The selected building is considered representative for a wide range of tertiary buildings with an intermittent operation mode. Results have been obtained by dynamic simulation models, which have been validated with measured indoor air temperature data. Despite a moderate reduction of the energy contribution to the UHI effect during winter, which is commonly considered unfavorable, the effectiveness of cool coating application in reducing the heat released during summer has been clearly demonstrated. On the other hand, it was found that a higher level of envelope insulation is not yielding a significant reduction of the heat released, especially during summer.