Case Study: Model for the analysis of social housing properties and their refurbishment

Short Description

The project intent to raise the attention on the energy saving potential in Emilia Romagna Region, on its foreseen impact on the economy and therefore to the need of refurbish of the housing stock and promote relative measures. It aims to boost the greening of our regional economy.

For this reason a group of expert developed the model for the analysis of social housing properties, estimating the energy saving potential, providing cost effective refurbishment scenarios and the expected payback time.

These are the main steps:

- energetic diagnosis of the regional housing stock
- definition of intervention scenarios on different cost/effective levels
- preparing refurbishment plan and calculation of potential impact on regional economy

Key Elements

Main Results

1) A model to asses energy saving potential in the housing stock.

2) Definition of cost effective intervention scenarios:

- a primary interventions on plant requalification

A programme of primary intervention on plants (installation of thermostatic valves, reflecting/insulating panels behind radiators, fitting of distribution and emission systems, high energy efficiency hot-water heater or condensation ones, heat accounting, new gasket in fixtures) in all 58.395 flats.

Total investment cost: about 131.000.000 €

Medium return time: about 7 years.

- a secondary level of interventions on energetic retrofitting of buildings’ envelope

A programme of minimum interventions in all 58.395 flats to reach a D or C energetic class (sufficient). This programme is the total of primary interventions and part of secondary interventions (useful fee to obtain D or C energetic class).

Total investment cost: about 568.000.000 €

Medium return time: about 19 years

A programme of global interventions on envelope and

plants. This programme is useful to obtain A or B

energetic class in all 58.395 flats.

Total investment cost: 709.000.000 €

Medium return time: about 22 years

Lessons learned

There is a great energy efficiency potential unexploited and already primary intervention could lead at a good performance of energy savings with payback time in circa 7 years. The secondary effect of the operations of refurbishment is the positive impact in terms of jobs creation and on economy at regional level.

The weak point is the lack financing models to realize these hypothetical interventions.