How Venice, Italy Can Cut Carbon Emissions from Social Housing

A Berkeley Lab building energy tool points to potential heating energy savings of 67%. A new study led by Berkeley Lab found the potential for significant energy savings via building efficiency improvements in the historic city of Venice, Italy. (Credit: tunart/iStock) - By Christina Nunez Research using software developed at Berkeley Lab recently pinpointed actions that could help the historic canal city of Venice, Italy slash energy use and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The study , which was recently published in the journal, Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, looked at how upgrades to existing housing (also known as retrofits) could have an impact on emissions and energy use. This question is particularly important in Europe, given that more than half the residential buildings on the continent were constructed before 1981. In Italy, pre-1981 construction makes up 74% of homes. So the opportunity for efficiency improvements is significant, but lack of space and a large number of historic buildings complicates the process.