External wall technological solutions for carbon zero kindergartens in Italy

For the construction of a carbon zero kindergartens, it is necessary to choose a proper technological solution for the external wall and the material to be used for the insulation layer in the early stages of the design process. Furthermore, in the context of “2030 climate & energy framework” and “2050 low-carbon economy”, from the beginning of the building design, it is fundamental to try to identify the elements that significantly influence energy performance to reduce building energy needs. The main aim of the presented study is to analyse five different technological solutions for an external wall combined with four different materials for the insulation layer. The solutions will be used in a new typological model for a kindergarten and analysed and compared with respect to both environmental impact and energy performance. Results point out that all the technological solutions proposed are valid alternatives to build a carbon-zero kindergarten in Italy. Furthermore, for completeness, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to understand the influence on energy demand of different factors such as, for instance, the type of wall technological solution, the thickness of insulation for wall and roof and the type of solar shading considering different climate zones in Italy.