The contribution of the “Fisica Tecnica” Laboratory to the research on sustainable, energy-efficient, and comfortable buildings

The laboratory of Fisica Tecnica has a long lasting tradition of research activities developed in the fields of applied acoustics, indoor environment characterization, and thermo-hygrometric properties of materials. More recently the activities in these different fields converged on specific topics that, although often studied independently, all contribute to the research in the field of sustainable, energy-efficient, and comfortable building design. The paper outlines the researches of the group in this field: thermo-hygrometric and acoustic characterization of sustainable materials; study of PCM solutions for energy storage; use of numerical models to simulate fire dynamic, heat transfer, and acoustic problems; analysis of the interactions between technical services and buildings and their effect on energy efficiency and comfort; renewable energy; analysis of thermal, acoustic and visual comfort conditions in indoor environments, and their relation with energy optimization needs.