ENERGY PERFORMANCE CONTRACTS (EPCS): A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE ENERGY RETROFITTING OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS IN THE ITALIAN CONTEXT

In recent years, public-private partnerships have increasingly been adopted in the cultural heritage sector due to the lack of both public funding and the managerial expertise required to ensure long-term conservation and valorization. Cross-disciplinary collaborations make possible the acquisition of new resources, both in terms of financial support and skills. Interactional expertise and negotiations also promote the sharing of best practices and the development of innovative processes. In this context, the paper focuses on the Energy Performance Contract (EPC), a contractual model fostering public-private cooperation to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings in the context of built heritage by presenting the main legislative framework, various EPC models, and their implementation in Italy through several case studies.