Renewable energy sources technologies in the built environment: a new operating scenery in Italy

The European 2020 goals have led to an updating of Italian national and regional rules, aimed to speed up the process of development of renewable energy source technologies in the whole country. The new rules have been based on some strategic action lines, such as the regional burden sharing of national 2020 goals, the promotion of economic and/or fiscal incentives, the simplification of the procedures for the works permission, etc.. A leading role in energy strategies has been assigned to the micro-production of energy from renewable sources. This involves the issue of the R.E.S. technologies integration in built environment, referring to the Italian territory, which is characterized by a widespread presence of ancient towns and landscapes with a great cultural and environmental importance. The paper presents some of the outcomes of a national funded research on the renewable energy sources technologies integration into “sensible” built environments. The new model of process, as it comes from the new national and regional procedural guide lines and from other current regulations, is described and analyzed. Then, the main theoretical and practical problems are put in evidence, regarding both the latent conflict between energy saving and cultural elements preservation goals; and the change of the roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders involved in the process (people, local administrators, “national trust” bodies, building owners, designers, producers). Finally, it brings out the need to offset the process of deregulation of the minor works in "sensitive" areas by means of an extensive range of strategies and actions, aimed to increase the stakeholders' education, involving and empowerment; in order to effectively pursue the maximum exploitation of the potential renewable energy, ensuring at the same time the protection of the areas of intervention.