ID:
510055
Duration (hours):
45
CFU:
6
SSD:
FISICA TECNICA AMBIENTALE
Year:
2025
Overview
Date/time interval
Secondo Semestre (02/03/2026 - 12/06/2026)
Syllabus
Course Objectives
The course aims to provide a systematic and applied understanding of physical quantities and energy processes governing the thermal behavior of buildings. Students will be guided in acquiring the fundamental knowledge related to heat transfer phenomena, energy transformations, psychrometry, and the principles of hygrothermal comfort, with continuous references to the construction sector. The course gives special attention on the understanding of the fundamental principles of building physics, which are considered essential for effectively attending the subsequent “Energy Certification Laboratory”. The latter, designed with a structure similar to professional training courses for energy certification, requires prior mastery of foundational concepts that this course helps to consolidate. By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Analyze energy and mass balances in enclosed environments and building components.
• Calculate thermal transmittance and estimate heat flows under steady-state conditions.
• Assess hygrometric phenomena and thermal comfort conditions.
• Use the acquired concepts as a methodological basis for approaching applications presented in the “Energy Certification Laboratory”.
• Analyze energy and mass balances in enclosed environments and building components.
• Calculate thermal transmittance and estimate heat flows under steady-state conditions.
• Assess hygrometric phenomena and thermal comfort conditions.
• Use the acquired concepts as a methodological basis for approaching applications presented in the “Energy Certification Laboratory”.
Course Prerequisites
To successfully attend the course, it is useful to have a basic knowledge of the core principles of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and key physical quantities (e.g., air temperature, relative humidity, and pressure). Students are expected to demonstrate competence in algebraic calculations and in the formulation and interpretation of elementary quantitative relationships among physical variables. To support the consolidation of prerequisite knowledge, a curated selection of preparatory materials will be available on the course platform.
Teaching Methods
The course combines lectures, interactive tests, and practical applications. Classroom lessons include theoretical explanations, discussions, and guided exercises.
Assessment Methods
Learning will be evaluated through a oral examination to assess the understanding of key course concepts and the ability to apply them to real-world situations. Additionally, intermediate assessments and group discussions may be conducted throughout the course to monitor student progress on specific topics. The final grade considers also the activities carried out during the course.
Texts
Handouts and teaching materials made available by the instructors via the KIRO platform.
Contents
The course is divided into three main thematic units:
Part 1. Thermodynamics and energy balance of the building
This first part of the course covers the fundamental concepts of thermodynamics as applied to buildings and the environment. The goal is to provide the foundational knowledge needed to understand the energy processes affecting the thermophysical behavior of buildings. Key topics are:
• Thermodynamic system (intensive and extensive properties, buoyancy forces, energy flows within a system).
• Energy and work (specific heat, thermodynamic transformations, practical applications based on the First Law of Thermodynamics).
• Ideal gases (ideal gas law, thermal properties of perfect gases, calculation of their response to variations in pressure, volume, and temperature).
Part 2. Heat transfer in building components
The second part of the course explains the mechanisms of heat transfer and the modes of thermal energy transfer in buildings, with a focus on the energy performance of building components. Students will gain skills in calculating thermal transmittance and assessing the thermal behavior of building envelopes under various operational conditions. Key topics are:
• Heat transfer mechanisms (conduction, convection, and radiation).
• Physical parameters for assessing the energy performance of the building envelope (thermal transmittance, thermal phase shift, thermal attenuation, solar factor, spectral selectivity index, and light and energy transmission).
• Thermal properties of construction materials (thermal insulation, roofs, walls, etc.) to optimize energy efficiency in different climatic conditions.
• Energy efficiency of the technologies for the opaque (e.g., external insulation, ventilated walls, green walls, green roofs, etc.) and transparent (e.g., integrated window systems, TIMs, etc.) building envelope.
• Practical exercises for the calculation of the thermal transmittance of various building components (walls, roofs, windows).
Part 3. Psychrometry and environmental comfort
The third part of the course focuses on thermo-hygrometry and indoor comfort. Students will acquire skills in humidity management, thermal comfort, and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Key topics are:
• Psychrometry and properties of humid air (e.g., relative humidity, humidity ratio, enthalpy, and wet-bulb temperature).
• Thermal comfort and IAQ, analyzing thermal comfort parameters (e.g., operative temperature, air velocity, and relative humidity), factors affecting local thermal discomfort, and strategies to improve IAQ.
• Hygrometric balance in a room, with a focus on surface and interstitial condensation phenomena.
Part 1. Thermodynamics and energy balance of the building
This first part of the course covers the fundamental concepts of thermodynamics as applied to buildings and the environment. The goal is to provide the foundational knowledge needed to understand the energy processes affecting the thermophysical behavior of buildings. Key topics are:
• Thermodynamic system (intensive and extensive properties, buoyancy forces, energy flows within a system).
• Energy and work (specific heat, thermodynamic transformations, practical applications based on the First Law of Thermodynamics).
• Ideal gases (ideal gas law, thermal properties of perfect gases, calculation of their response to variations in pressure, volume, and temperature).
Part 2. Heat transfer in building components
The second part of the course explains the mechanisms of heat transfer and the modes of thermal energy transfer in buildings, with a focus on the energy performance of building components. Students will gain skills in calculating thermal transmittance and assessing the thermal behavior of building envelopes under various operational conditions. Key topics are:
• Heat transfer mechanisms (conduction, convection, and radiation).
• Physical parameters for assessing the energy performance of the building envelope (thermal transmittance, thermal phase shift, thermal attenuation, solar factor, spectral selectivity index, and light and energy transmission).
• Thermal properties of construction materials (thermal insulation, roofs, walls, etc.) to optimize energy efficiency in different climatic conditions.
• Energy efficiency of the technologies for the opaque (e.g., external insulation, ventilated walls, green walls, green roofs, etc.) and transparent (e.g., integrated window systems, TIMs, etc.) building envelope.
• Practical exercises for the calculation of the thermal transmittance of various building components (walls, roofs, windows).
Part 3. Psychrometry and environmental comfort
The third part of the course focuses on thermo-hygrometry and indoor comfort. Students will acquire skills in humidity management, thermal comfort, and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Key topics are:
• Psychrometry and properties of humid air (e.g., relative humidity, humidity ratio, enthalpy, and wet-bulb temperature).
• Thermal comfort and IAQ, analyzing thermal comfort parameters (e.g., operative temperature, air velocity, and relative humidity), factors affecting local thermal discomfort, and strategies to improve IAQ.
• Hygrometric balance in a room, with a focus on surface and interstitial condensation phenomena.
Course Language
Italian
Degrees
Degrees
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES FOR CONSTRUCTIONS, ENVIRONMENT AND TERRITORY
Bachelor’s Degree
3 years
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