Search Results (33)

Global warming is influencing marine dynamics, with marine heat waves (MHWs) threatening the survival of several species. After observing mussels’ massive mortality for three consecutive years (2022–2024) along the Italian Mid-Adriatic Coast, the present study aimed to evaluate, from an ecological and molecular perspective, the evolution of the health state of the Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) population facing the effects of summer heatwave in 2024, in situ. Three MHWs were recorded over the summer, with the second being 41 days long and having temperatures higher than 30 °C. In both sites considered (at the Tronto River mouth and the Frana San Nicola) inside the Piceno coast, the mussel beds experienced a clear decrease in individual density from April (the reference month) to August, with the total mortality recorded in September. The transcriptional levels of the molecular biomarkers analyzed during this time span revealed a state of heat stress with HSP70 (heat shock protein 70) and HSP90 (heat shock protein 90) upregulated in July and August. The apoptotic signal measured through the branchial transcript quantification of p53 and caspase 3 is less clear. The occurrence of MHWs is reshaping the local macrozoobenthonic community structure: the permanent mussel beds that characterized the intertidal and shallow submerged reef along the Mid-Adriatic coast are shifting to a temporary population that renovates yearly. Full article

Energy efficiency and CO₂ emission reduction are key objectives related to climate change mitigation, sustainable development, and energy resource management. In the Nordic context, energy consumption trends in both the residential and industrial sectors are closely linked to European Union policies, technological innovation, and real estate investments. In recent decades, the development and renovation of the real estate sector has become one of the most important factors determining changes in energy consumption, especially in residential buildings, which remain among the largest energy consumers and polluters. In this context, countries’ efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions and increase energy efficiency are inseparable from the real estate sector’s contribution to these processes, by promoting investments in building modernization and energy-saving technologies. However, the real estate sector remains a complex area where economic interests need to be reconciled with environmental objectives, especially in the context of EU strategies such as the Renovation Wave and the Energy Efficiency Directive. This article examines the links between real estate investment, energy efficiency, and CO₂ emission reduction, based on quantitative analysis, to assess how the development of the real estate sector and EU policy measures affect sustainable development in Northern Europe. This study uses advanced quantitative methods, including a panel regression model, which helps better reveal the long-term dependencies between investment, energy consumption, and emissions dynamics. This article highlights the importance of the real estate sector in implementing sustainability policies and suggests strategic solutions that can help reconcile economic and environmental priorities. Full article

In the European Green Deal and Renovation Wave framework, cities should be more self-sufficient and sustainable, promoting investment in the regeneration and maintenance of the built and natural heritage. The New European Bauhaus reinforces this vision, promoting the value of beauty as a product of environmental harmony/sustainability and participation. Many cities are already working to improve infrastructure and public services, with the aim of creating better socio-economic and environmental conditions in urbanised areas. At the same time, they aim to increase and relocate attractiveness and competitiveness to less densified rural areas, and to reduce overcrowding problems in cities. The aim is to propose a virtuous model of circular regeneration, by identifying virtuous strategies of the regeneration of rural villages capable of aligning the transformation of the built environment with climate objectives, social cohesion and local economy strengthening, and the integration of historical and identity values. Rural villages in marginal areas are left behind places. They require new economic development strategies, grounded in a circular bio-economy model for reducing/avoiding spiraled down processes. The application of European evaluation criteria to the main topic literature background allowed for the construction of a virtuous practices observatory about regenerated rural villages, which is elaborated using registry, systemic, and analytical/analysis forms. From the ex-post evaluation analysis of the case studies, it was possible to identify a number of dimensions/clusters in which investment is being made today for the regeneration of rural villages. By reasoning on the investment clusters, it was possible to identify a circular regeneration model for rural villages, transferable to other realities in order to implement the broader vision of circular settlement development. The “Rural Village Regeneration Model” represents an operational tool for regional transformation, suitable for reactivating lost connections between rural villages and larger towns in functional areas, characterised by greater self-sufficiency and exploration of the potential of digital tools to improve services, connections, infrastructure, and cooperation. Full article

Buildings account for a significant share of global energy consumption and carbon emissions, making deep renovations essential for climate mitigation. Renovation passports (RPs) are an emerging concept still in the early stages of development, designed to provide structured step-by-step renovation roadmaps that prevent lock-in effects and optimise energy performance over time. However, their large-scale adoption in the European Union (EU) remains limited due to technical, financial, behavioural, and policy challenges. This study conducts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to identify key strategies for the successful development and large-scale implementation of RPs in EU. A total of 217 research articles from Scopus and ScienceDirect, along with 99 EU policy documents and 16 Building Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) reports, were analysed to assess the technical, financial, behavioural, and policy dimensions of RP adoption. Our findings highlight the role of digital tools like Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital building logbooks (DBLs), and one-stop shops (OSSs) in improving RP usability and accessibility. Financial barriers, such as high upfront costs and fragmented funding, require harmonised incentives, green loans, and energy performance contracting. Behavioural factors, including homeowner awareness, trust in renovation services, and decision-making complexity, also influence RP adoption. This study underscores the need for stronger policy integration between RPs and energy performance certificates (EPCs), improved financial instruments, and enhanced stakeholder engagement. By addressing these gaps, this research provides actionable recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of RPs and contribute to the EU’s Renovation Wave strategy and broader climate neutrality objectives. Full article

The European Union aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, prioritizing energy efficiency particularly in the building sector. Despite significant policies, such as the EU Green Deal and Renovation Wave initiative, the rate of deep energy renovations remains insufficient, with only 0.2% annually versus the 3% required. Multiple barriers hinder the progress of deep energy renovations (DERs), including fragmentation among stakeholders, the limited coordination of RDI (Research, Development, and Innovation) efforts, and a lack of systemic approaches. The objective of this paper is to illustrate a holistic methodological approach for enhancing the DER market uptake based on transition pathways theory (TPT) and is designed to drive structural evolution in DER markets aimed at overcoming their main current constraints. To this end, five key transition pathways are outlined—namely institutionalization, clusterization, capitalization, digitalization, and exploitation—and are conceived for fostering coordination, integration, promotion, and efficient scaling of innovations along the whole DER value chain. This approach was tested in seven EU building market ecosystems under the H2020 re-MODULEES project, aimed at developing a market activation platform conceived as a digital enabler for next-generation One-Stop Shops (OSSs). This project yielded practical evidence on the potentiality of the TPT frame to strengthen and empower local ecosystems through stakeholders’ engagement and cooperation. The findings suggest that the TPT-based approach tested in re-MODULEES can effectively address structural challenges in diverse DER renovation markets, and for this reason, it may be also tested and extended in other ecosystems across Europe in order to be validated as a strategic approach at the EU level for facilitating the transition to low-carbon buildings. Full article

The article analyzes long-term renovation strategies in EU member countries using the F-TOPSIS method, focusing on chosen criteria such as CO₂ emission reductions, renovation rates, energy savings, investment requirements, and overall strategy quality. High-performing countries, such as Finland and Spain, demonstrate the importance of clear targets, robust planning, and substantial financial commitments. In contrast, several countries show gaps in strategic detail or ambition, highlighting challenges in achieving EU climate neutrality goals. The methodology underscores the effectiveness of multi-criteria decision-making tools in assessing complex renovation strategies. The findings emphasize the need for harmonized metrics and innovative approaches, such as digital tools like building renovation passports. Full article

The paper deals with the evaluation of the quality of Cu-Al-AlMg3 structural transition joints (STJ) made by explosion welding proposed for the renovation of galvanizer hangers. The three-layer joint consisted of electrolytic copper with a thickness of 25 mm, 2 mm of aluminium represented by the AW1050 alloy, and 25 mm of the EN AW 575 aluminium alloy. Light microscopy analysis confirmed the wavy pattern of both interfaces of the welded joint and significant plastic deformation in close proximity to the waves. Microhardness measurement revealed a partial strain hardening of the AW5754 copper-aluminium alloy near the interface and a significant increase in microhardness in the vortex zone of waves, reaching a value of up to 863 HV 0.025. Microcracks were also observed in these places. The intermetallic phase Al₂Cu was identified in the vortex zones by XRD analysis. As a continuous layer of intermetallic phase was not observed in the interface of the welded joint, it is possible to consider the used welding parameters as appropriate. A semi-quantitative EDX analysis revealed a diversity of chemical composition in the vortex zones, which does not correspond to the phase composition based on the equilibrium binary Al-Cu diagram due to non-equilibrium conditions in the formation of the welded joint interface. The bond strength of three-layer welded joint evaluated by the strength test ranged from 151 to 171 MPa, which represented approximately a two-fold increase in comparison to the ultimate tensile strength of alloy AW1050, while the failure occurred in all samples at the AW1050-AW5754 alloy interface. Full article

The global energy crisis has spurred increased investments in energy efficiency and clean energy initiatives; however, the results have fallen short of expected effectiveness. Concurrently, population growth and urbanisation drive a persistent surge in energy demands, especially within the residential sector, significant to overall building energy consumption. Current research focuses on residents’ responses to one-shot investments for energy efficiency or clean sources. The renovation wave, involving a massive number of existing buildings, calls for the mobilisation of huge investments that can be hard to afford in the short run. Sustainable behavioural change is complementarily rising as a key asset for maximising the overall estimated energy saving potential. Despite significant efforts to analyse household energy use and promote behavioural transformations, the literature remains gaping about future users, particularly the younger generation, as future leaders of sustainable development who exhibit a more responsible approach towards climate-related issues but also a strong dependency on digital-based solutions, which may influence energy use patterns and living habits, also impacting relations among peers and overall societal sustainability and energy efficiency. This article proposes a systematic literature review to analyse the variables affecting young people’s energy behaviour at home. The aim is to investigate the engines and gaps between strategies or tools for behaviour change and the expected effects, then find potential methods to address that barrier to identify a more promising approach, encouraging the younger generation to translate towards more sustainable energy behaviours. Full article

The public housing stock, called social housing, in Italy was developed between the 1950s and the 1980s. As of today, the first residential developments are almost nearing their end-of-life age and are in need of urgent and intensive renovation. The European Commission, with the Renovation Wave, has set a goal of doubling the rate of building renovation over the next 10 years, reducing emissions, improving energy performance, and promoting decarburization. Renovation interventions, including structural, functional, energy, and plant upgrading interventions, etc., are to be preferred over integral demolition and reconstruction interventions, which have significant repercussions in terms of managerial and social discomfort. The case studies examined concern renovation interventions aimed at energy efficiency, functional adaptation of housing, as well as façade restyling. The design variants analyzed were evaluated in terms of CO_2e emissions, according to life cycle inventory (LCI) and Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) approaches. This approach has a twofold purpose: to propose design guidelines, with low CO_2e emissions, through hypotheses of variants in the case studies, and to propose, to the economic operators, economically advantageous bidding scenarios in the procurement process. Full article

This paper introduces a novel modular retrofitting solution to enhance the energy efficiency and seismic resilience of building façades, particularly within the Portuguese context. In the context of Europe’s “Renovation Wave” strategy, and as a product of the nationally funded ZeroSkin+ project, the proposed renovation solution addresses the urgent need for sustainable building renovations to help mitigate climate change and meet European climate neutrality goals by 2050. Unlike traditional methods that often rely on non-eco-friendly materials without integrating seismic and thermal performances, the renovation solution leverages fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing technology to introduce a dual-layered panel system. This system features a durable, UV-resistant PET-G thermoplastic outer layer and a cork interior to ensure additional thermal insulation. The integrated renovation solution shows a 42% improvement in seismic reinforcement’s out-of-plane capacity and achieves U-values as low as 0.30 W/m²·K, exceeding Portugal’s thermal efficiency standards (0.35 to 0.50 W/m²·K). The proposed renovation solution also embraces circular economy principles, emphasising waste reduction and recyclability. Full article

In 2020, domestic buildings represented 27% of the energy consumption in the European Union. The EC Renovation Wave concluded that the annual renovation rate should be doubled, from 1% to 2%, over the next decade in order to meet the 2030 energy efficiency targets. Funding programs are being implemented at national and European levels to accelerate this process. These aim to prioritize large-scale interventions and the most efficient energy conservation measures by including strict performance targets as eligibility conditions. However, these programs are coordinated by local authorities, and they struggle to generate reliable energy estimates for large areas, not least predict potential savings at both aggregated and individual levels. This paper presents a bespoke energy retrofit analysis methodology based on urban building energy modelling, which is defined and calibrated with the Energy Performance Certificate Database. We apply this method to the case study Barrio das Flores. The model adopts a hybrid approach, defining and simulating representative typologies to extrapolate the results to the whole district according to each dwelling’s specific parameters. This methodology will be used to predict the potential energy savings in the study area and support the grant application for the funding renovation program. Full article

The Renovation Wave for Europe initiative aspires to materialize the progressive greening of 85–95% of the continental older building stock as part of the European Green Deal objectives to reduce emissions and energy use. To realistically predict the energy performance even for a single apartment building is a difficult problem. This is because an apartment unit is inherently a customized construction which is subject to year-round occupant use. We use a standardized energy consumption response approach to accelerate the setting-up of the problem in pertinent energy engineering terms. Nationally instituted Energy Performance Certification databases provide validated energy consumption information by taking into account an apartment unit’s specific shell characteristics along with its installed electromechanical system configuration. Such a pre-engineered framework facilitates the effect evaluation of any proposed modifications on the energy performance of a building. Treating a vast building stock requires a mass-customization approach. Therefore, a lean-and-green, industrial-level problem-solving strategy is pursued. The TEE-KENAK Energy Certification database platform is used to parametrize a real standalone apartment. A supersaturated mini dataset was planned and collected to screen as many as 24 controlling factors, which included apartment shell layout details in association with the electromechanical systems arrangements. Main effects plots, best-subsets partial least squares, and entropic (Shannon) mutual information predictions—supplemented with optimal shrinkage estimations—formed the recommended profiler toolset. Four leading modifications were found to be statistically significant: (1) the thermal insulation of the roof, (2) the gas-sourced heating systems, (3) the automatic control category type ‘A’, and (4) the thermal insulation of the walls. The optimal profiling delivered an energy consumption projection of 110.4 kWh/m² (energy status ‘B’) for the apartment—an almost 20% reduction in energy consumption while also achieving upgrading from the original ‘C’ energy status. The proposed approach may aid energy engineers to make general empirical screening predictions in an expedient manner by simultaneously considering the apartment unit’s structural configuration as well as its installed electromechanical systems arrangement. Full article

The Renovation Wave for Europe highlighted the role of the public building stock for which Directive 2012/27/EU has set an annual renewal rate of 3%, which should rise to reach the goal of decarbonization by 2050. In this paper, the energy retrofit of an educational building—at the academic level—in Southern Italy was investigated. The aim was to evaluate the incentive share, which could accelerate the energy efficiency process, to achieve a cost-effective nZEB. The results show that the highest incentive rate is required for interventions on the opaque building envelope, which are also those that allow the least energy savings. An incentive rate of about 45% for the energy efficiency of the transparent envelope is necessary to reduce the payback time by about 7 years. The efficiency of the plants and the installation of a PV system are energetically and economically convenient even without forms of economic incentive. Finally, if the building is brought to high energy standards—a primary energy saving of 46% and energy class A3—an incentive rate of 40% is required to repay the intervention in about 10 years. Full article

In 2018, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) introduced Building Renovation Passports (BRP) to enable buildings to scale energy performance through a Scheduled Renovations Roadmap (SRR). The Digital Building Logbook (DBL) was introduced in 2021 as a repository of relevant building data to facilitate informed decision-making and information sharing among stakeholders. In Spain, both tools (DBL + SRR) have been studied separately in an incipient way. However, the interconnection of data in the tools come from the same document base. Evidence suggests that when building information is used in isolation, its value is diluted without stakeholder awareness. In this paper, we move towards unifying both tools (DBL+SRR) in a single comprehensive tool called the Libro del Edificio Electrónico (LdE-e), with the aim of producing a single building database to drive multi-building renovations. For this purpose, the data fields of existing building information, assessment and management tools in Spain were studied in detail and reinterpreted in a new interconnected data structure. To evaluate the formulation of the LdE-e proposal, 11 semi-structured interviews were held with a panel of 13 experts specialized in real estate, building and energy efficiency. After these sessions, the LdE-e was reformulated, and the model was strengthened by analyzing vectors such as governance, management, usability, data flows, stakeholders and the impact of including new technologies such as BIM and blockchain. The results suggest that the LdE-e would improve control of the operation and maintenance of (new or existing) buildings, the programming of renovation actions based on deficits identified in technical inspections, and other aspects. Full article

According to the European Commission, the Digital Building Logbook (DBL) is a repository of all of the relevant data of a building. It was first introduced at the European scale in the Renovation Wave strategy and was first defined in the proposal for the recast of the energy performance of buildings Directive in December 2021. The European DBL has not been implemented yet, since a common model does not yet exist. Even though great efforts are being made to establish it, some relevant issues need to be addressed first. One of them is the identification of data sources that will feed the DBL. Existing digital data sources have already been explored in some countries and they have been found to be insufficient. In this paper, new digital data sources suitable for the logbook are identified, and their contribution in terms of indicators and interoperability is analysed. The analysis shows that these sources have great potential to contribute to the DBL, because they bring the possibility to collect a great amount of real data on buildings. However, the main barrier for these tools to be incorporated into the DBL is that their linkage still requires further research. Full article