Comparative LCA of renovation of buildings towards the nearly Zero Energy Building

The building sector is one of the key sectors to achieve the 20/20/20 targets of the EU as there is the potential to lead to significant energy savings reducing the EU’s total energy consumption by 5-6% and lowering CO2 emissions by 5%. One powerful mechanism to apply principle and criteria of nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEB). This work, done in the framework of the agreement between the Italian Ministry of Economic development and ENEA on the “Research of electric system” (Ricerca di Sistema Elettrico), has the aim to evaluate the environmental impacts of the technological improvements needed for enhancing the performances of an average building to a nZEB (or at least in the direction of a nZEB), performing a comparative Life Cycle Assessment study. Data on building upgrading and energy consumption reduction come from a test case performed by Università degli Studi di Palermo.