Pilots - Italy
Italian Pilot
The main buildings that are part of the SUPER-i Italian pilot are called Boito and Montasio. All the relevant details are presented below including the general description of the interventions, a more detailed technical analysis, a study of the environmental benefits associated with the energy efficiency interventions and a detailed financial evaluation of the various Public Private Partnership (PPP) contracts with a specific recommendation on the best contract that could be used to finance such investments.
- General description (Boito and Montasio)
- Technical Analysis (Boito and Montasio)
- Environmental Analysis (Boito and Montasio)
- Financial Analysis(Boito and Montasio)
General Description of the Pilot and Interventions
Boito
The Italian pilot comprises two social housing developments in the Adriatic port of Trieste; Boito – built in 1951 which will be entirely rebuilt – and Montasio, built in 1976, which will be extensively renovated. The former is a complex of 8 buildings, each holding 4 small apartments (31 to 36 m2) in each of 4 floors, making a total of 128 units. It included no heating or electrical systems at the time of its construction, though some units have retrofitted gas heaters. The renovations will entirely remake the buildings to include larger, more energy efficient buildings that meet current standards, and will restore nearly green spaces.
Two of the the current 4 storey towers at Boito, each floor holds 4 small apartments
Montasio
Montasio comprises 20 towers joined into 3 complexes, holding a total of 251 units. Tower exteriors are made of reinforced concrete, internal walls and roofs are made of concrete and brick. Hot water for space heating is generated by 3 large gas boilers that produce 3.5MWth in the basement in one of the complexes, domestic hot water is produced by ~1.2kW boilers in the individual apartments..
Montasio: 3 Complexes of 20 towers include 251 apartments
Gas boilers produce 3.5MWth for space heating, which is distributed to the apartments through the pipes above
At Montasio, the current heating infrastructure is to be replaced with high performance condensing gas boilers, and heat exchangers that reclaim waste heat will be installed. Additional insulation will be added that will reduce the U-values of external walls, and walls between heated and unheated parts of the building (basements, stairwells etc) to below 0.45W/m2K. The windows will also be replaced, reducing their U-value to below 1.3.W/m2K.
The climate of Trieste is relatively mild; freezing temperatures are rare in winter, and summer highs over 30°C are uncommon. Significant space heating demand is required though, with average temperatures below 15°C for around half the year.
Monthly temperatures in Trieste, 1971 – 2011
Technical Description and Interventions
Boito
Detailed building plans for the development at Boito had not been developed at the time of writing; therefore we have modelled the energy savings associated with maintaining thermal comfort (at or above 15.5°C) for the 8 buildings of the current design profile, using typical values for the original materials (indicative values taken from CIBSE data) and geometry, and currently high-performance materials; each new tower will comprise 8, rather than 16, units, but the external geometry is modelled as unchanged.
| Description of walls | Description of windows | Description of roof | Description of floor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Original (and U-value) |
Stone in basement, hollow bricks in upper walls
1.34 |
Wood frames
3.64 |
Hipped, tiled
1.64 |
brick and concrete, 16 cm deep
1.34 |
|
New Specification
(and U-value) |
Cavity insulated walls
0.45 |
Double or triple glazing
1 |
Gable roof with substantial insulation
0.45 |
Thicker, better insulated floor
0.45 |
Summary of Renovations
Here we summarise the modelled benefits of the renovations suggested by the housing associations, as well as additional potential upgrades not initially proposed by the HAs.
Boito
Boito will be substantially redeveloped, making it difficult to draw comparisons between the current and new buildings.
| Proposed interventions | Rating | Description |
|---|---|---|
 |
7 |
The new buildings will be fitted with double or triple glazing, which is likely to reduce the heat loss through the windows by a factor of 3 or greater, based on the description of the current stock. |
 |
7 |
As above, the walls of the new buildings will be designed to a much higher standard than those built in 1951. The building will be thermally insulated using 100mm insulating panels, applied externally to the walls (with a coat type system) and laid on the floor on the mezzanine, in the inter-floors and in the attic with panels of different thickness in relation to the insulation required. Building to current build standards is expected to reduce the heat loss through the building fabric by a factor of 2-3 |
 |
7 |
Again, we estimate the thermal performance of the new roof to improve on the performance of the old version by a factor of 3 or greater. |
We have also modelled two upgrade options not included in the ATER proposal; using heat pumps to generate space heat and hot water for the towers, and adding photovoltaic (PV) panels to the roofs to generate electricity to be used on site.
| Proposed interventions | Rating | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Installing heat pumps |
8 |
Development proposes to supply heat using gas boilers, low carbon HP would reduce the emissions significantly |
|
Addition of PV panels to building roofs |
6 |
Not clear whether rooftop PV will be included, but the IT grid is only 40% renewable. The solar resource is good in Trieste, though details to do precise modelling of the yield of a given panel, and to calculate how much generation would be used by residents and how much exported to the grid, are not currently available. |
Environmental Impact Assesment
CO2 emissions avoided considering the energy efficiency interventions for the Italian pilot.
Montasio
At Montasio, the focus is on insulating the exterior walls to improve the U-values, replacing the windows, and upgrading the heating system. The latter will continue to use gas, so that the emissions intensity will be unchanged, though less heat will be used overall. Insufficient details of the new heating system were provided to assess the economic case for it, but the impact of the first two upgrades is calculated below.
| Description of walls | Description of windows | Description of roof | Description of floor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Original (and U-value) |
Concrete frame, infilled with blocks, plastered on the inside and tiled with terracotta tiles. Total thickness is 45cm. |
Double glazed, aluminium frames |
Pitched roof, the attic is not heated. |
Concrete floor with bricks above. |
|
1.68 |
2.55 |
1.69 |
1.25 |
|
|
New Specification
(and U-value) |
Insulation added to bring U-value to below 0.45 |
Contemporary double or triple glazing |
Insulation added to bring U-value to below 0.45 |
Insulation added to bring U-value to below 0.45 |
|
0.45 |
1.00 |
0.45 |
0.45 |
At Montasio, the focus is on insulating the exterior walls to improve the U-values, replacing the windows, and upgrading the heating system. The latter will continue to use gas, so that the emissions intensity will be unchanged, though less heat will be used overall. Insufficient details of the new heating system were provided to assess the economic case for it, but the impact of the first two upgrades is calculated below.
Summary of Renovations
Montasio
The fabric at Montasio will be retained, with cladding added to the exterior walls and the windows replaced with high-performance modern versions.
| Planned interventions | LCA | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8 |
The U-value of the windows is expected to be improved by a factor of greater than 2, making units cheaper to heat and more comfortable. |
|
|
8 |
Comprehensive improvements to the building fabric are recommended due to planned substantial redevelopment. The new design standards are yet to be specified but their thermal performance should increase by a factor of graeter than 3.
|
|
|
8 |
The thermal performance of the walls and roofs should increase by a factor of greater than 3. Space heating bills in the renovated building should be less than half of the previous costs. |
| Planned interventions | SLCA | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8 |
The renovation of windows improves indoor air quality and increases natural light which can contribute to better health outcomes. It also minimises noise pollution produced by the highway that surrounds the building.
It may also enhance the visual appeal of buildings which can contribute to a sense of community pride and well-being. |
|
|
8 |
Solving moisture intrusion, mould growth, or air leakage, renovations can improve indoor air quality and reduce the risk of respiratory issues and allergies.
Reducing air leakage can result in improved energy efficiency. This helps reduce energy consumption and associated costs, making housing more affordable. Upgraded walls and roofs with enhanced acoustic properties can help reduce noise transmission from the external environment.
It also contributes to the visual appeal and overall aesthetics of the building, enhancing community pride and potentially increasing property values. |
We have also modelled two upgrade options not initially considered; using heat pumps to generate space heat and hot water for the towers, and adding photovoltaic (PV) panels to the roofs to generate electricity to be used on site.
| Planned interventions | LCA | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Installing heat pumps |
7 |
Development proposes to supply heat using gas boilers, low carbon HP would reduce the emissions significantly. |
|
Addition of PV panels to building roofs |
6 |
It is unclear whether rooftop PV will be included, but the IT grid is around 40% renewable, so significant emissions could be offset. |
| Planned interventions | SLCA | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Installing heat pumps |
6 |
Change of resident habits will be needed, residents may reject this measure. |
|
Addition of PV panels to building roofs |
6 |
Significant energy savings may be achieved on electricity bills, which could positively affect residents' budgets, depending on the ownership arrangements. Suitability for PV and funding models not clear at this stage.
|
Financial Analysis
In this section, we present the detailed cost – benefit analysis for each PPP contract. This analysis has been specifically tailored to the SUPER-i pilot buildings considering all the possible stakeholders involved.
