Millions of Italian homes are in need of energy retrofitting work. So-called “leaky homes” could become the engine of economic recovery, especially for a construction sector that is too focused on new builds.
The average Italian spends between 1,500 and 2,000 euros a year on heating their home. This is an expense that could be significantly reduced through energy efficiency measures. These are the figures contained in the report Basta case colabrodo published by Legambiente. Yet, as the environmental association explains, it is not easy to find out how much energy one's home consumes for heating, even though this information should be a right enshrined in law. During the presentation in Rome of the new study campaign dedicated to the themes of energy efficiency in construction, Civico 5.0, un altro modo di vivere il condominio, the association released the following figures: in Italy, 82 per cent of buildings were constructed before the entry into force of energy efficiency regulations, and approximately 16.8 per cent of residential homes require conservation and improvement work — including from an energy standpoint, hence the term "leaky homes". By carrying out thermographic surveys over one year (2017) on ten residential apartment buildings in Rome, Potenza and Naples, built from the post-war period onwards, Legambiente found severe thermal losses through floors, inadequate window and door frames, and the perimeter walls of the buildings.
It has now been a long time since the legislative decree on energy efficiency was approved, which, among other things, provided for an Energy Efficiency Fund (already envisaged by a European directive two years earlier), which has finally arrived. The new decree on the National Energy Efficiency Fund entered into force in March 2018; the measure was published on 6 March in the Official Gazette. More than 180 million euros have been allocated for the implementation of energy-saving measures for businesses and public administrations. In many regions, however, there are still no adequate checks on buildings' energy class certificates. Energy certification is the document that is supposed to indicate how much energy a building wastes or saves. Yet, while the law requires that at least 2 per cent of issued certificates be checked (the province of Bolzano deserves a separate mention, as it requires checks on 100 per cent), according to Legambiente the monitoring body is often absent. It is even possible to purchase certifications online for as little as 30 euros. We are not talking about fraudulent certifications, but about unreliable ones, often carried out improperly or not in conformity with the regulations (which explains the low price of the offer). It is therefore advisable to turn to a reliable, specialised technician who has undergone proper training in the field.
An opportunity to become a building energy certifier — aimed at engineers, designers, architects, surveyors, draughtsmen, site managers and technicians looking for a solid specialisation in the field of environmental sustainability — is offered by Pedago, an online training provider, through its building energy certification course, which enables participants to broaden their skills and knowledge in the field of energy as applied to construction, in line with recent legislative provisions.
In Italy, at least 30 million homes are in need of retrofitting. This is a market yet to be fully explored. Today, work on existing properties is six times greater than new construction, with a total of two billion square metres to be retrofitted and a market worth six billion euros (Habitami data).
The energy retrofitting of Italy's building stock could lead to savings of up to 90 per cent in heat consumption, generating 500,000 jobs, according to the European climate foundation. By contrast, building on and consuming new land without any real housing need leads to abandonment, neglect and energy waste. Moreover, it also leads to a loss of property value: yet another reason to choose retrofitting combined with clean energy sources, such as renewables.