The impact of the energy performance improvement of historic buildings on the environmental sustainability

The historic buildings represent an important part of the built environment. The possibility to reuse spaces that represent the local cultural heritage plays an important role in maintaining the identity of a population and its traditions. The steps to be faced for smart renovation of historic buildings and recent constructions are not the same, as in the first case artistic and architectural constraints have to be respected. The most classic intervention technologies are not always applicable and different solutions must be taken into consideration, to be less invasive and not to disturb the constructive materials, the shapes and lines harmony of the existing structures. In this context, the sustainability of the energy renovation solutions is analysed, verifying if they lead jointly to good rating both in the energy performance and in the environmental sustainability certification. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.