Score - Sustainable Construction in Rural and Fragile Areas for Energy efficiency

The following guidelines come from a deep analysis of case studies, innovative products, norms and regulations, in relation to the local level. This analysis is summarized in a card that can be downloaded in italian language.  The guidelines come, further, from the comparisons with the local producers and from the focus group meetings too. For example, in the mentioned card is reported an interview with technicians of Ferrania Solis, the only ligurian producer of photovoltaic panels.  The photovoltaic technology is one of the most financed system of renewable energy in Italy and therefore is also one of the most employed (the ENEA report “Le fonti rinnovabili 2010” describes a strong expansion of the sector, especially from 2005, which place Italy at the third position of EU country considering the power installed).  The growing application has made this technology well known and has reduced the cultural resistance at its further diffusion.  This increase is linked with the interests of both the primary sector and the politics, especially toward the aspects of architectonical integration (ex. attached 4 e 2 del DM 5 May 2011), in this way, strong interest are related with the “thin film” system (amorphous silicon a-Si, copper indium selenium CIS) and that could reduce their prices.  For this reasons and for their good climatic condition, the MED countries represent a perfect geographic area for the diffusion of the photovoltaic system in the building trade.  If the financing policy go on without sudden interruptions, there are not particular obstructions at architectural integration in the new buildings.  Conversely, the architectural integration appear more difficult in the refit works in historical  or landscape context.  In relation with this aspect, at these days seem insufficient both the national/regional laws and the regulations made by the local administrations.  Sometimes the first but appreciable regulations appear vague (ex. City of Genoa), this entail a sort of gap and a series of bureaucratic resistances by the public servants that limit, delay or completely stop the application of photovoltaic in architecture.  Especially in relation with the refit works in historical  or landscape context, the regulation form should provide precise indication but flexible, like diagrams, tables or lists of criteria.  This indications should be precise but preferably by performance, that is to direct the project towards an architectonical integration of photovoltaic  compatible with the features of the context trying to avoid to lay down the law about materials, shapes, colors etc.

An important role to improve this regulations could come from registers of profession, trade association and producers. Finally is important to give attention to new possible case of application like harbours and agricultural buildings like in some of the case studies below.  Some of this indications coincide with the opinions of Ferrania Solis’s technicians gathered during an interesting interview; they underline:

• As a weak point, about the diffusion of photovoltaic in the ligurian region, they believe that norms and local regulation are too often unnecessarily complicated, muddled and out of proportion in relation to the different dimension of applications.
• As a possible solution, the proposal of a regional and local policy free from lobbies’ conditioning and more careful to define precise and clear rules, with a fair balance in relation to the different situations and applications size.

 Indication for the Bio-construction Action Plan

Pursuant to the guidelines written above, are here synthetically reported the criteria/examples for pilot projects to be financed in MED territory, in relation with the specific treated theme. These criteria/examples, together with the ones resulting from all the themes of eco-construction tool matrix, will make up a Bio-construction Action Plan for each partner countries.

• Projects able to study and promote solutions for the architectural integration of photovoltaic, both on farm constructions (e.g. greenhouses) and industrial areas like ports and harbours or road infrastructures (e.g. railways, highways etc.); these projects will be used to find areas where install photovoltaic systems for users (organized into purchase pool) who have trouble installing photovoltaic systems in city centers or in areas of high landscape value or multi-storey buildings.
• Projects for a reorganization of norms and regulations, especially at local level, aimed to provide indications based on performances, precise but flexible (like diagrams, tables or lists of criteria), particularly turned to face the issues of architectural integration of photovoltaic.
• Projects for productive innovation particularly turned to:  aesthetical quality (design of panels); new fastening solutions able to limit the risks for labours and consequently the safety costs; solutions able to mix other type of renewable energy (microgeneration).

 Possible criteria for MED bio-housing quality certificate

The internationally recognized green building certifications, normally give few indications about aesthetic quality of integrated photovoltaic systems. This happen for the most common italian certification systems, the “Protocollo Itaca”, the italian version of “Green Building Challenge” (made by a network of 25 countries) and the “LEED Italia”.  In “Protocollo Itaca” for residential buildings, for example, the index named “Criterio 1.5” (the percentage of the average annual electricity needs met by renewable energy) doesn’t care at all about the architectural integration but is just a valid parameter to reduce Energy consumption.  This kind of evaluation, even though complex, is faced by some local regulations (see attached in PDF italian card);  for example: Attached 4 and 2, DM 5 maggio 2011 - “IV Conto Energia”, or the abacus for the localization of panels, in relation to the zoning (e.g. historical centre, rural areas etc.), of the “Bio-eco sustainable building regulation” of some tuscan municipality. They are references to be considered as a possible criteria for a MED bio-housing quality certificate.

Case studies

• New cruise terminal - Costa Crociere, Savona;
• Double purpose greenhouse, CeRSAA, Albenga (SV);
• Passive house – Dionisi, Cogoleto (GE);
• Sustainable refit works of the district “Piazzale Moroni”, Savona;
• Refit work of the industrial building “Carfin s.r.l.” Genova;
• Refit work of historical buildings in rural context , Pegli, Camogli (GE).

Download PDF (Italian language)