SOLUTION PROPOSED

An effective, sustainable and low-cost answer to cities and buildings overheating is using building “passive cooling” technologies, which allow to reduce the temperatures of buildings envelope (roofs and walls) and consequently of the surrounding air (thus limiting Urban Heat Island), rather than increase energy demands from artificial cooling. Among building passive cooling solutions, the use of Ventilated and Permeable Roofs (VPR) is the most sustainable
and promising strategy.

The “HEROTILES” developed under previous LIFE HEROTILE project even have an improved cooling ability compared to another roof technologies. However, several policies/legislative/awareness barriers need to be addressed to properly spread the Ventilated and Permeable Roofs and the “HEROTILE-based roof” (HBR), depending on two main factors:

  1. the lack of a consolidated legislative framework for building passive cooling technologies and especially Ventilated and Permeable Roofs ;
  2. the lack of awareness on the positive impact of VPR on UHI, indoor comfort and energy savings, by building stakeholders, users, policy makers and public administrations.
ROOF SuperHero

The climate and environmental benefits of LIFE SUPERHERO

LIFE SUPERHERO promotes innovative building passive cooling concept and aims to diffuse the use of the Ventilated and Permeable Roofs and HEROTILE-based roof in existing and new buildings, through a strong strategy based on 4 parallel action pillars:

Standards and regulations proposal

The production of a standardised air permeability test method, the proposal of updating buildings green rating systems and public procurement including VPR environmental benefits, the proposal of improving existing CEN standards in order to include VPR into building energy calculation.

Best Practice with municipalities

To develop guidelines on proper roof renovation strategies to be used as climate solutions. HBR will be installed on two buildings in Reggio
Emilia, demonstrating its easy and cost-effective realization, while entailing high energy and environmental performance.

Development of a superhero software tool

A decision support tool for building consultants and public administrations, to assess life-cycle environmental and economic benefits of VPR and HBR, in order to select the best design solutions for their projects and climate plans.

Industrial replicability and transferability

This action will set the basis for a strong market penetration of VPR and HBR, thus amplifying the climate impacts obtained by the project, and will involve all partners, especially the tile & brick industries and associations.