A parametric method to assess the energy performance of historical urban settlements. Evaluation of the current energy performance and simulation of retrofit strategies for an Italian case study

Retrofit strategies at urban scale may play a strategic role in promoting the regeneration of existingtowns and revitalizing the local building market, particularly in case of historical urban settlementswhere economic/societal changes have been amplified by natural calamities, accelerating depopulationand depletion of the local productive network. The paper presents the results of a statistical analysis anda detailed energy calculations applied to a historical town, partially abandoned after the 2009 Italianearthquake. In order to identify suitable retrofit guidelines, a baseline energy performance of the wholetown was required. Given the use of the energy performance certificates (EPC) per each building wasnot feasible, a parametric approach was applied to the entire cluster to determine the town’s baselineconsumption and to test energy retrofit scenarios. This parametric energy calculation method, coherent tothe Italian National legislation, was calibrated thanks to a bottom-up approach, allowing the calculation ofthe building’s performance by surveying limited data, therefore easing the entire process and optimizingthe Municipality’s limited financial resources. The final results could allow the Municipality to endorseenergy policies to revitalize the whole town.