Transformation of a historical building into a Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB)

The European Commission strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate-neutral economy by 2050 outlines main strategic blocks to maximise the benefits of energy efficiency, including zero emission buildings and to maximise the deployment of renewables and the use of electricity to fully decarbonise Europe’s energy supply. The following EU Climate Target Plan 2030 underlines, once again and even more urgently than in 2050, the strong need to build a modern, sustainable and resilient Europe, and this high objective means cleaner air, more energy security and more energy-efficient buildings. Looking at these European directives, Italy has signed the PNIEC, with whom intends to pursue an indicative target of reducing consumption by 2030 equal to 43% of primary energy and 39.7% of final energy compared to the PRIMES 2007 reference scenario. To achieve this goal, particular attention is paid to the existing buildings such as Palazzo De Simone. This historical building, built in the eighteenth century on a project by the architect Raguzzini, located in Benevento (BN), is now home to four different uses: the De Simone Theatre, the De Simone Chapel, a faculty of the University of Sannio and the Conservatory of Benevento. Starting from an extensive historical research, as well as from a series of non-destructive in-situ surveys and environmental measurements, it has been possible to create a satisfactory analysis framework. Later, the design objectives have been identified and, starting from these, design strategies and solutions have been formulated. It has been decided to act at a global level with a conservative restoration in compliance with the constraints imposed by the Superintendence, and at a specific level first on the building envelope, leaving the systems unchanged, then on the systems, leaving the envelope unchanged. Finally, crossing the results, the transformation of the historical building in a nZEB has been obtained, in compliance with the legislative constraints imposed by the national regulations.