NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS AIMED AT MAXIMISING ENERGY SAVING AND THERMAL COMFORT IN PASSIVE BUILDINGS AND GREEN CITIES: ONLINE INFORMATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Abstract
The paper presents documents aimed at increasing knowledge and awareness of solutions, mostly nature-based, for saving energy while maintaining thermal comfort in our homes and cities. Such documents consist of text, images, graphs and videos; they can be downloaded for free from the internet and can be used by the teacher with the method felt as the most appropriate. A correct orientation of the building, thanks to the changing solar position during the year, results in a lower exposure to solar radiation in summer, and a favourable exposure to warming solar rays in winter. A compact shape of the building results in a reduced surface area to volume ratio, which minimises both thermal transfers and amount of materials used in the construction. Compactness may also improve earthquake resistance. The thermal insulation of the building often provides important benefits in both winter and summer. An accurate selection of the materials is important, since they may differ greatly from one another in embodied energy, and capacity to be reused or recycled. Plants surrounding a building, if carefully positioned, may contribute to improving the thermal comfort of the occupants. Considering the projected climate change and the heat island effect, actions aimed at maintaining thermal comfort in the streets of our cities may appear as necessary. In this regard, trees, vegetated roofs, green façades and pergolas, especially if well maintained, may provide the necessary cooling benefits in cities affected by global warming.
Questo articolo presenta documenti volti ad aumentare conoscenza e consapevolezza su tecniche naturali per risparmiare energia mantenendo il comfort termico nelle nostre case e città. Tali documenti consistono in testi, immagini, grafici e video; sono scaricabili gratuitamente da internet e possono essere utilizzati dall'insegnante con il metodo ritenuto più opportuno. Grazie al variare della posizione del sole con le stagioni, un corretto orientamento dell'edificio permette di avere sia una minore esposizione all'irraggiamento solare in estate, sia una maggiore esposizione ai raggi in inverno. Una forma compatta dell'edificio si traduce in un ridotto rapporto tra superficie e volume; grazie a ciò sono ridotti al minimo sia la quantità di materiali utilizzati nella costruzione, sia i trasferimenti termici. A proposito di questi ultimi, l'isolamento termico dell'edificio può offrire importanti benefici sia in inverno che in estate. Un'accurata selezione dei materiali è importante, poiché possono differire notevolmente tra loro per quantità di energia incorporata e possibilità di essere riutilizzati o riciclati. Le piante che circondano un edificio, se ben posizionate, possono contribuire a migliorare il comfort termico degli occupanti. Considerando il cambiamento climatico previsto e l'effetto isola urbana di calore, possono apparire necessarie azioni mirate al mantenimento del comfort termico anche nelle strade delle nostre città. A questo proposito, alberi, tetti a giardino, edifici con facciate e pergole verdi, possono raffrescare città esposte al riscaldamento globale.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejsss.v8i3.1414
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