Strategie per nZEB “salutari”

The use of super-insulated and airtight building envelope, by considerably reducing the transmission of heat, air and moisture fluxes, affects the internal environmental conditions not only from a thermal point of view but also from the hygrometric one, with an increased risk of finishing deterioration, mould formation and possible impact on the inhabitants’ health, if the interior conditions are not properly managed. It is therefore appropriate to reflect on the real requirements of a nearly Zero Energy Building in a warm and temperate climate like the Italian one, which is more and more moving towards extreme and unexpected climatic conditions, and to go beyond the now traditional concepts of nZEB spread elsewhere in Europe. This paper aims to provide a cue for reflection on the importance of reconciling the requirements of energy saving and emissions reduction with a proper indoor air quality in buildings and on assuming consistent and balanced design criteria for the realization of an envelope that is really able to control and mitigate the effects of the internal and external environmental conditions, taking into account the ways of use of the building and the occupants’ lifestyle.