Case Study: nZEC - New construction of 12 dwellings in Via Pratolini, Castelfranco, Italy (UNDER MONITORING)

Name of organisation: APES - Azienda Pisana Edilizia Sociale

Stage of development: completed

Year of finalization: 2012

Type of project: construction

Area: urban

Scale: individual buildings

Type of building: Apartment in a block of more than ten stories

Number of units/dwellings: 12

Tenure: social rental

Street: Via Pratolini

Postcode: 31033

City: Castelfranco

Region/ County: Tuscany

Country: Italy

Last Update: 20.04.2015

Project Management Monitoring Work with Residents Thermal Insulation Windows and Shading Heating and Hot Water Ventilation

Short Description

Castelfranco di Sotto is located in Lower Valdarno, on the north bank of the Arno. The town of Castelfranco di Sotto is largely characterized by rolling hills and woodland, also including the prestigious Cerbaie. The most southern part of the municipality, where the capital is situated on the plain in the valley of the Arno. The context in which the building is located is in an area of urban expansion.


Key Elements

Project Management

Objective 1) Raise awareness in the users to the responsible use of the system:

Actions taken:

  • Distribution of leaflets for the proper and ideal use of plants to limit consumption.
  • Creating a forum through direct lines, meetings, and online platforms with similar goals.
  • Organization of meetings and thematic days on the behaviour aimed at energy savings.


Objective 2) Evaluate any discrepancies between the project and the set in motion of the system aimed at the correction of "errors" on the use and planning:

Actions taken:

  • Monitoring water consumption and heating for the first 6 at the end of which there will be a draft report.
  • Distribution to users of questionnaires designed to assess the degree of user satisfaction with the efficiency of the system and the energy savings achieved.


Work with Residents

During the project will be carried out awareness campaigns through regular meetings on energy conservation, use of renewable energy and resources as described above. During the allocation of housing were provided information leaflets regarding the correct management of the heating system.

During 'access to' accommodation has been provided a users’ support either with regard to housing accompaniment or in the explanation of the optimal use of the plants aimed at saving energy. Such service was offered both to the individual family, and to groups of users.

Sensitization of users about the environmental sustainability issues related to the recycling of waste through information brochures, and meetings.


Thermal Insulation

The infill masonry brick. The introduction of a coat expanded polystyrene in slabs thermo tablets has led to a thermal transmittance of 0.35 W / mqK, while in coverage are achieved transmittances of 0.36 W / mqK thanks to thicknesses of up to 9 cm.


Windows and Shading

Pvc windows with double glazing transmittance of 1.6 W / mqK.


Ventilation

Natural

Heating and Hot Water

The building will be equipped with a heating system connected to the closed compartment (collector) with a counter for each apartment that will read the energy consumption for heating of the environments and the production of domestic hot water.

The production of hot water for heating and for the ACS will be made by the three cascade boilers placed in the thermal power plant. The production of domestic hot water will be made ​​with a plant in flat plate solar collectors placed on the flat roof. The system was sized to cover approximately 60% (average value over the year, with peaks of 95% in the summer phase) of annual ACS utilities.

The cold water will be pre-mixed in a kettle of 2000 l centralised and installed in the compartment of the central heating plant, with double coil, one connected to the solar system, the other connected to the boiler fuelled by natural gas that will integrate the heat produced by the collectors to keep the water inside the kettle always at about 60 ° C. Exiting the collector will be installed a mixing valve that will bring the water to a temperature of 40-45 ° C (operating temperature for sanitary use).

The distribution of the ACS and space heating in the apartments will be horizontal, with vertical columns of distribution that will be included in a special shaft made ​​in the area of the stairwell, compartment that will serve all floors. For the individual apartments, the distribution of the ACS will be branched type, while the distribution of heat to the dispensing terminals will be collector. The sanitary cold water will instead be supplied to the building through a shared counter for supplying water to the central water storage.


Monitoring

Click here to access the monitoring data on the HIVE Database!


Main Results

The data acquisition of the project was related to the use of energy for heating through heat metering.


Lessons learned

Ongoing evaluation of the lessons on consumption confirmed and discharged those on the effectiveness of an integrated project concerning the optimal choices to be made during the design phase in terms of installations / architectural choices / thermal properties of the building envelope.


Additional Information

Ms Anna Maria Pozzo
Federcasa - The Italian Federation of Public Housing Providers
E-mail: a.pozzo@federcasa.it
Web: www.federcasa.it


Source: http://www.powerhouseeurope.eu/nc/cases_resources/case_studies/single_view/?tx_phecasestudies_pi3%5Bid%5D=223&tx_phecasestudies_pi3%5Bdisplaytype%5D=overview&cHash=