Energy Performance and Thermal Comfort Assessment of an Educational Building in Northern Italy: The Importance of Climatic Files in Energy Simulations

Abstract

Energy efficiency and thermal and acoustic comfort play crucial roles in the design and management of educational buildings. The literature underscores their influence on students’ and teachers’ well-being and productivity. Additionally, numerous works emphasise the growing environmental awareness among children attending sustainably designed or adapted buildings. In light of these considerations, the present study aims to evaluate the dynamic energy performance of a school located in Northern Italy, conceived as a Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB). The school integrates various technologies, intelligent systems, and renewable sources to reduce energy requirements. A second aspect under evaluation involves using both real and virtual anemometers to generate crucial weather data for energy simulations. Dynamic analyses often rely on traditional meteorological year (Typical Meteorological Year) datasets derived from outdated sources, leading to inaccuracies in representing current climatic conditions, especially in the case of results related to a specific period.