Master of Science courses

Energy management and automation in buildings

  • Course description: The course explores the methodologies and tools for the control and management of operational energy performance of the technical systems and technological components serving the building. A theoretical framework is provided on the current definitions and features of intelligent buildings, with reference to information technologies and infrastructures for the monitoring, management and control of energy systems and technological components. Elements of inverse energy modeling of buildings through machine learning techniques are provided by analyzing the main supervised and unsupervised methods of data analysis. The course provides knowledge on intelligent management and automation systems in buildings and on their effect on energy performance and indoor air quality. The lessons will focus on the main control and automation strategies for optimizing the building energy performance in operation with reference to different energy services (e.g., air conditioning, lighting, ventilation). The implications that energy management and automation in buildings have on energy networks are discussed, with reference to the opportunity of implementing demand response strategies and enhancing energy flexibility. The course includes practical exercises based on the analysis of actual monitoring building related data-sets aimed at estimating energy savings resulting from retrofit actions, the extraction of typological thermal and electrical load profiles, the identification and diagnosis of anomalies and energy inefficiencies, and the development of predictive models of building energy demand.

Figure: Extracts taken from the course project of the students Andrea Bessone and Giacomo Buscemi, A.Y. 2020/2021

  • Expected Learning Outcomes: The course is aimed at providing knowledge on the fundamentals and principles of technologies at the basis of intelligent energy management systems and automation in buildings. The student will learn the main management and automation strategies of the technical systems and technological components serving the building for the optimization of energy performance in operation and of indoor air quality. At the end of the course, the student will also be able to develop and implement inverse building energy models for the following applications:
    • estimation of energy savings resulting from requalification processes
    • extraction of thermal and electrical load profiles
    • identification and diagnosis of faults and energy anomalies
    • development of predictive models of energy demand
 

Energy transition and low carbon architecture B

  • Course description: The seminar aims to investigate some paradigms of the low energy and carbon built environment, as challenging and contemporary topics of environmental design and assessment; the goal is therefore to develop awareness of the most current theories, methods and operational tools, which can be adopted in subsequent teaching courses. The aim of the Architectural Technology is to explore the main topics that characterize the design and the assessment of micro-urban and building systems. Particular attention will be given to the relationships between morphological-settlement setting, languages of architecture, detailed design and material-constructive choices. The topics addressed in the initial part of the seminar are intended to develop students’ critical awareness through the illustration of the cultural models of environmental design that are present in the current debate. The teaching will deal with: environmental resources management at urban and district scale; active and passive technological systems for architecture and their integration into the architectural design; energy and environmental assessment methods and tools for sustainability related to the building life cycle stages. In a complementary way, the aim of the Building Physics is to help explore the tools and scientific bases for understanding the scenarios related to the energy transition processes at different scales, through the critical analysis of renewable and non-renewable energy sources, related technologies, and the evaluation of primary energy and polluting emissions through balance equations. The seminar will also explore the issues of energy sustainability in the building process assessment and environmental protocols, through the presentations of experts and the direct involvement of students. Moreover, the impact of digitalization processes in the energy management of buildings at different levels will be considered.
 

Final design studio (techniques for the built environment control)

  • Course description: The final atelier of design represents the latest multidisciplinary project experience of the student before the master's degree thesis. Therefore, the combination of solutions of the various disciplines that characterize the ateliers are designed to offer the student, on the one hand, the possibility of increasing the level of knowledge and understanding of issues relating to research topics of interest and study; and on the other hand, the possibility of developing a tutorial project preparatory to the organization of the dissertation.

Figure: Extract taken from the course project of the students Chiara Canavese, Laura Gallinati, Giulia Mancosu, A.Y. 2020/2021

  • Expected Learning Outcomes: The learning objectives expected mainly concern:
    • The theories and techniques of architectural design and urban planning;
    • The fundamentals, tools and methods of the disciplines related to architectural design in different ateliers;
    • Prefabrication systems and building process;
    • Eco-friendly materials for the building and the methods of analysis of the requirements of eco-friendliness;
    • Be able to face the moment of planning with a knowledge base on the theories and techniques of design;
    • Be able to carry out the project activities in an integrated and multi-disciplinary way;
    • Examine and analyse significant aspects of the project areas, even in the context of their historical urban and environmental background;
    • Be able to develop project ideas congruent with the prevailing character of the places under study;
    • Be able to interpret and solve complex problems from a multidisciplinary perspective, in particular the problems related to the transformation of the natural and built environment, and the quality of architecture in relation to the environment and to the sciences of building.
 

Collaborations in MS courses

Models and scenarios for energy planning

  • Course description: The course focuses on the modeling of the dynamics of energy systems and markets at different spatial scales and on medium-long terms under a complex set of constraints. This modeling is crucial today for the planning of sustainable energy strategies at regional, national and international level. The objective of the course is to provide the students the capability to discriminate between different models and scenarios for energy planning, as well as to develop their own simplified models, and to analyze and compare the results of complex energy models and different development scenarios. The course is inter-disciplinary in nature, being culturally located at the crossroads between economics and engineering.
  • Expected Learning Outcomes: After this course, the students will understand the rationale behind energy models at local/regional/world level, they will know the structure of the different models existing in the literature and will be able to distinguish and classify them. They will know the input needed for the different energy models (e.g. the MARKAL – TIMES models), with special attention to the main scenarios (business-as-usual, normative, explorative), and they will be able to properly comment and compare the relative outputs, and in particular the outlook of the main energy markets for the next few decades. The student will also know the main algorithms adopted for the solution of the constrained optimization problems hidden in the models, and be able to apply them in order to develop the model of a regional energy balance in small teams, empowering their capabilities to work in a group and improving their communication skills.
 

Energy Audit and certification of buildings

  • Course description: The course aims at deepening the energy refurbishment of existing buildings and the energy performance assessment. The course has a vocational training profile and its main objective is to provide students with a complete procedure for energy audit and certification of large buildings.
  • Expected Learning Outcomes: Knowledge and application of energy performance assessment methodologies for the existing buildings. Learning of the calculation methods to forecast the building energy demand for the different energy services (i.e. space heating, space cooling, ventilation, domestic hot water production, lighting, lifts and escalators). Analysis and processing of real energy consumption data of buildings. Technical and economic evaluation of energy retrofit actions. Ability to draw up an energy audit report and an energy performance certificate.
  • Lecturer in charge: Corrado Vincenzo 
  • Teaching assistants: Ballarini Ilaria, Bianco Mauthe Degerfeld Franz Giorgio Maria,  Capozzoli Alfonso, Lo Verso Valerio Roberto Maria