The integration of building services to ensure functionality and technical innovation in new buildings

By the year 2020 the new residential buildings in Europe will have to guarantee "nearly zero" energy consumption. This requires a new approach to building design and in particular to the selection, the development and the integration in the building body of the technical services in order to combine the achievement of the needed energy saving with the fulfilment of high standards of comfort, health and safety in the internal spaces. The paper deals with the issues of: design and integration of technical building systems in "Nearly Zero Energy Buildings" (NZEB), criteria for the selection, installation and functional coordination of the heating, cooling, ventilation, production of hot water and lighting systems in NZEB and also presents some innovative solutions and combinations of service systems that meet the criteria proposed.