DESIGN CRITERIA FOR ZERO ENERGY SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSES IN MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE

The recent Italian legislation has significantly changed the requirements for the construction of nearly Zero Energy Buildings (n-ZEB). This study aims to define design criteria and solutions for realizing, in Mediterranean climate, a single-family house in compliance with the new requirements. The energy simulations conducted on a case-study located in Sicily, in climatic zone C, allow to conclude that it is possible to reach the n-ZEB standard by complying with the limits imposed from 2021 – in terms of thermal transmittance and energy production from renewable sources on site – and by adopting traditional bioclimatic solutions and current cost-effective technical solutions, such as the increase of the thermal capacity of the building envelope through massive walls and green roofs, the limitation of glazed surfaces facing west and north, the use of external sun-shading devices, the adoption of solar chimneys for passive cooling, the choice of light colors for external finishings, the recourse to high-efficiency heating and cooling systems