Andrea Giachetta

Solar Building Systems for the Mediterranean Region: Research Outputs Between Italy and France

This paper comes from previous investigations carried out by the authors, in France and Italy, and from a cross border cooperation projects based on the joint collaboration between the University of Corsica Pascal Paoli and the University of Genoa. The authors focus on the enhancement of passive solar systems and thermal solar systems, with particular attention to their operation/efficiency and their architectural integration. The exchange between Italian and French experiences, especially between regions with similar climate, can enhance solar building strategies, in accordance with the new European energy standards as well as the Mediterranean climate, the traditional construction technologies and users’ needs.

Project for a renewable energy research centre

In Liguria, where sustainable approaches to the design, construction and management of buildings enjoy scant currency, the idea of a company from Milan (FERA s.r.l.) setting up a research centre for studies into renewable energy resources, could well open up very interesting development opportunities. The project includes: environmental rehabilitation (restoration) projects; strategies for the protection of water resources and waste management systems; passive and active solar systems (solar thermal and experiments with thermodynamic solar energy); hyperinsulation systems, passive cooling of buildings; use of natural materials; bio-climatic use of vegetation. The author describes the project content within the context of the multidisciplinary work that has gone into it.