Page 40 - European Energy Innovation - spring 2019 publication

40 Spring 2019 European Energy Innovation

HVAC TECHNOLOGIES

REHVA’s viewpoint
on the development of HVAC
technologies in Europe

By Stefano Paolo Corgnati (pictured), REHVA President, Vice-Rector for Research at Politecnico di
Torino (Italy), where he is Full Professor in Building Physics and member of the TEBE (Technology
Energy Building Environment) Research Group.
The HVAC sector is called
to play a crucial role in towards this much needed fast- performances towards a new era.
the main energy and paced change of paradigm. The role Indeed, the latest revision increasingly
environmental challenges of building sector in this regard is focus on Indoor Environment
to make energy efficiency desirable. Quality of buildings linked to energy

of the European Union. The definition That’s why the recent developments performance. Moreover, there is

of strategic actions in this domain of the HVAC focus on human-centred a clear focus on actual energy

can indeed facilitate the European design, which means a design to consumption and operational

transition towards a post-carbon maximize buildings occupants’ performance: the so called

society. The practical implementation wellbeing indoor, while decreasing “performance gap”, the difference

of the pillars of low energy buildings energy consumption. between calculated and actual

design - reduction of building energy use in buildings, must be

energy demand, increase of systems How to keep high comfort and high reduced. To do so, we need a better

energy efficiency and maximization indoor environmental quality levels understanding of how occupants’

of renewable energy sources use - by a new design and operational behaviour influence building energy

sets a trajectory that is completely approach for buildings based on “de- performance. To achieve this, the

coherent with the mission of a carbonization”: this is the ambitious digitalization of the building and

community living with a reduced target in the HVAC sector for the next the HVAC sector is a fundamental

need of carbon-based energies, down future. step. To capture the capability of

to zero. buildings becoming smart, the

The revised Energy Performance revised EPBD introduced the Smart

Wide and deep social acceptance of Building Directive embraces Readiness Indicator (SRI). Defining

of the zero-carbon concept is the this vision and suggests possible the SRI assessment methodology is a

biggest achievement Europe can get pathways to push building challenge, and the HVAC community

WHAT IS REHVA

REHVA, the Federation of European
HVAC Associations, founded in 1963,
joins European associations in the
field of building engineering services
representing more than 120.000
HVAC engineers and building
professionals in 27 European
countries. REHVA is the leading
independent professional HVAC organization in Europe dedicated to the
improvement of health, comfort and energy efficiency in all buildings and
communities. It encourages the development and application of both energy
efficiency and renewable energy technologies.

www.rehva.eu

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