Energy audit for the requalification of hospitals a case study: the Polyclinic of Bari

The main objective of this research is to define an “expeditious " methodology for the energy diagnosis and its upgrading for complex buildings. In particular, we have studied hospitals, since they are characterized by the continuous evolution of therapy systems and protocols, levels of care, intended uses, equipment and specific requirements for thermo-hygrometric and indoor air quality. According to statistical data, about 75% of Italian hospital building assets were built before the 1,970s and show significant performance obsolescence, as confirmed by the high specific consumption shown by sector studies. The proposed method is based on the identification of clusters, referring to the set of indicators that most closely correlate energy performance with the various combinations of building-plant systems. The representativeness of the clusters identified in this way is validated by comparison with real consumption. Measured deviations help to calculate energy demand and choice of energy carrier as well as to optimize the analysis of different intervention scenarios. Specifically, the methodology was applied to a case study, the Pavilion of Medical Clinics of the General Hospital of Bari, for the evaluation of several energy upgrading interventions. The proposed method, together with information on life cycles and the global cost of possible interventions, represents an important decision support for the operating structures that manage complex and/or plant building assets.