Ancient Use of Natural Geothermal Resources: Analysis of Natural Cooling of 16th Century Villas in Costozza (Italy) as a Reference for Modern Buildings

Abstract

The geothermal cooling system of six 16th century villas in Costozza (Vicenza, Italy) is analysed and modelled using computational fluid dynamics and referring to in-field monitoring data. The system passively cools the villas in summertime by means of underground ducts connected to the caves present in the nearby hills. It still perfectly works in Villa Aeolia, which is analysed here in more detail. The outcomes permit us to better understand the functioning conditions and to improve the conservation of the villas as a whole. Furthermore, the ancient cooling system can be used as a reference for how geothermal renewable resources can be used to improve indoor comfort and limit energy consumption in modern buildings in a temperate climate. A macroscopic analysis of the global airflow system as well as a detailed analysis of Villa Aeolia are developed. All results are validated with analytical methods, numerical methods, and with past experimental records. The system can provide fresh airflow rates that cool the walls of the room and maintain the temperature below 20 ° C even on hot summer days. An advantage is that the system works in a self-adaptive way, the airflow increases when the outdoor temperature increases. This self-adjustment allows us to compare the cooling system to a modern environmental control system.

Non-destructive techniques (NDT) for the diagnosis of heritage buildings: Traditional procedures and futures perspectives

“…This represented an enhancement in the computation of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) for the evaluation of the preventive state of the historical building and the bioclimatic conditions. Dias Pereira et al [189] affirmed that the renewable energy integration in heritage buildings could be challenging, since the lack of space is often a constraint in the projects of refurbishment [188,190,191]. In the case of BIPV systems (Building Integrated Photovoltaic), the integration of them in heritage buildings depends on: the state of the roof, visual impact and preservation of the structures [192].…”

A Large-Diameter Earth–Air Heat Exchanger (EAHX) Built for Standalone Office Room Cooling: Monitoring Results for Hot and Dry Summer Conditions

“…However, large tunnel specifications and operating conditions are different from those of EAHXs used for building cooling. Studies using EAHXs as pure passive (no fans) cooling systems [22,23] or associating EAHXs with solar chimneys [24] also tend to use larger pipe diametersrequired to minimize pressure losses-however, most of these studies present numerical rather than monitoring results. This paper addresses this gap in the research literature and uses monitoring data to assess the standalone cooling capacity of a large-diameter EAHX delivering a nominal 8000 m 3 /h flowrate of cooled air to an office building in a region with hot and dry summers.…”

Facility Energy Management Application of HBIM for Historical Low-Carbon Communities: Design, Modelling and Operation Control of Geothermal Energy Retrofit in a Real Italian Case Study

“…Similarly, Lo Basso et al [10] assessed the applicability of small-scale hybrid energy systems, for the generation of high temperature heat and electricity, designed to be compatible with historic building constraints. On the other hand, Ferrucci and Peron [11] analyzed the operational performance of an ancient cooling system based on the passive exploitation of geothermal cooling from underground ducts as reference for novel geothermal renewable energy systems. Geothermal systems, indeed, such as ground source heat pumps, have a high potential for the energy retrofitting of historical buildings [12], especially in rural areas when buildings have usually adjacent external areas [13].…”