Requalification, the eco-sustainable solution to create new workplaces

Last 21st June in Florence there was the convention of “Contracts and bank flows for the energy efficiency of buildings”, organized on the occasion of the Energy Day by Federcasa and the Foundation for the Sustainable Development.

The convention was focused primarily on the topic of the energy requalification of buildings in Italy, which is an issue really important for the Country, both from the environment health point of view and from the investments one, as it would create many and important new workplaces, really expected in this period. First of all it has been discussed the issue that concerns the funding system which regards the interventions for the energy requalification of the existing buildings, both public and private ones, in the perspective of the realization of the European norms about this matter and particularly of the Epbd2, Energy performance building directory (Eu 31/2010).

The requalification of the existing buildings consists first of all  in the substitution of the old doors and windows with some pvc or aluminum ones, then with interventions for the caulking of the structures -to make them more isolated from the external- and moreover with the generation of hot water through a solar energy system which thanks to solar panels can create hot water for sanitary use, thanks to a modern condensing boiler.

In Italy there are still two main elements which limit prominently the development of a requalification plan on an “European” level, which means according to the requalification model of the whole building- comprehending therefore both walls and implants- according to what established by the Epc: first of all there are poor tools to ask for economic incentives, both from finance companies and banks, able to speed the limits connected to the long periods of time necessary in Italy to reach a ROI (for public buildings the time is even fifteen years). Moreover Italy misses the technical ascertain know-how, necessary to schedule the replicability –nearly the mass-production- of the interventions for energy requalification and therefore of the doors and windows substitution, caulking of the walls, installation of solar panels and of geothermal implants.

Just the Epc could solve the lack of borrowings in Italy: it is indeed characterized by the hiring of  Esco (Energy Saving Company) operators, which guarantee to the owner, whether it is a private citizen or a public body, the total achievement of the energy targets scheduled in the contractual phase; the guarantee given by Esco acts indeed as a real warranty even for banks, exactly as if it would be for a stand-by letter of credit.

Considering that in the next 10 years the amount of investments from this point of view, with an adequate bank flow, could reach 17.5 billion of Euros, there would be created around 30.000 new workplaces.