Course Program
Preliminary Concepts:
Recalls of thermodynamics (e.g., energy and mass balance for a building) and heat transfer (conduction, convection, radiation, combined mechanisms).
Regulatory Framework:
Overview of European legislation and its national implementation regarding building energy performance and energy efficiency (e.g., EPBD Recast, EED Recast, Minimum Requirements Decree).
Energy Diagnosis and Certification:
Energy assessment and certification of the building-system unit.
Building Thermophysics:
Definition of thermal conductivity in porous media and techniques for measuring the conductivity of building materials. Properties of insulating materials.
Steady-State Heat Transfer (1D):
Thermal transmittance (U-value) of opaque and transparent building elements. Brief introduction to in-situ measurement of thermal transmittance and use of thermographic surveys in buildings. Energy performance of windows and glazing systems. Horizontal and vertical thermal insulation.
Multidimensional Heat Transfer:
Bi-/three-dimensional heat flow through the opaque envelope: thermal bridges. Heat transfer toward the ground.
Dynamic Behavior and Thermal Inertia:
Transient heat transfer and the role of building thermal inertia.
Moist Air:
Basic definitions and transformations. Vapor diffusion in porous media (Fick’s law). Definition of vapor permeability, capillary rise coefficient, and porosity. Influence of moisture on thermophysical properties of materials. Introduction to moisture remediation. Hygrothermal verification.
Ventilation:
Natural and mechanical ventilation. Introduction to ventilated façades and double-skin façades.
