Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 5.1
The regulatory
framework for the municipal
building codes and the energy
annex
A constant information activities and awareness among local stakeholders are
the enabling actions for implementing the above-cited changes by the adminis-
tration. One of the main operational tools is the municipal building code that can
be considered as a support tool for the design choices and performance verification
and that can be better suited to the local situation.
The analysis of the current regulatory framework concerning the energy effi-
ciency and the renewable energy production at European, at national and at
regional level in Italy is the first phase for the definition of the municipal building
code, see Fig.
5.1
.
In this way it is possible to clear out what are the constraining boundaries that
are currently ruling the energy efficiency in the building sector and how wide is the
leeway for the local administrations, for setting out local regulations aiming at
improving energy efficiency in buildings.
The Regional guidelines that will be described in this chapter aim at clearing
out the cited boundaries in order to limit the free interpretation of the current
regulatory framework and at the same time provide the basic structure of the
energy annex to the municipal building regulation that can be implemented by
each municipal administration as regulatory and addressing tool for the develop-
ment of the urban context.
To support the definition of some performance improvement actions referred to
the building envelope, some sectorial studies referring to the Passivhaus Standard
in southern Europe about the limitation of energy consumption due to summer
cooling, were taken as reference.
The proposed document, accounting for the existing regulatory framework and
clearing out the European and national objectives on the issue of energy efficiency,
will indicate the possible support measures that the administration can set out, will
focus on the main critical aspects of the building sector in Euromediterranean
countries and will give an indication for the issue of the energy annex to the
municipal building regulation.
It must be here specified that, since Sicily is non homogeneous in terms of
climatic zones (A, B, C, D, E) and construction features of the buildings in urban
contexts, the Guidelines will propose some gross numerical limits leaving to the
local administrations the specifications according to the specific climatic zone or
construction feature or other local needs.
