Defining representative building energy models

The energy need of buildings is strictly related to the local climate and to the construction characteristics (in particular the elements of the building envelope, the ratio between glazed and opaque façade, and orientation). In order to assess the energy performance of different building solutions characterising a large building stock, it can be useful to perform detailed simulation on reference building models. The results obtained can highlight critical issues that are useful for defining adequate policies for improving the built environment. The methodology for characterizing the building energy models, which could constitute a reference for other studies, is described in this chapter as applied in Italy. The set of detailed parameters defining the reference buildings could also be adopted for similar contexts in Southern Europe.