Green energy potential strategies combining architectural and plant system regeneration

The existing public-school building is one of the sectors that offers great opportunities for energy efficiency, green energy sustainable solutions, application of the existing advanced digital technologies aimed at energy consumption reduction, with consequent positive effects to the environment and CO2 emissions reduction. Our present research identified a method for the school buildings energy assessment, by means of simple input information connected to basic simulations. The main aim was to investigate the green energy potential of different regeneration proposals, combining architectural improvements with plant systems refurbishment and retrofitting. The building chosen as a case study which presents serial and widespread constructive and thermophysical features, allows to extend the validity of results obtained to similar cases and conditions. Results highlighted the importance of developing site-specific strategies and green energy solutions, to optimally adapt any intervention to the architectural, typological and plant characteristics of the school. All this have important social, cultural, economic consequences, as well as on children health and performance. The proposed systemic energy regeneration can be considered prototypal case, because if extended to a large number, it would entail an appreciable optimization of building and plant management and wider system control and organization for stockholders. The idea is that Municipalities and Public Administrations, of which most schools in Italy are holders, can use results as background knowledge for future project oriented to green energy transition, but also can use and apply results and information for specific tailored training.