Climate change is providing progressively harsher boundary conditions, posing strong challenges both to the traditional, climate aware, construction traditions and to the new construction archetypes which became prevalent under perceived abundance and low cost of energy, materials and environmental “space”, conditions that are rapidly vanishing. This research will develop innovative applications of passive principles adapted to the new climate and urbanization conditions, with e.g. the inclusion of new materials (able to provide daytime net radiation to the sky and sub-air temperature under sunshine), new comfort models based on ASHRAE Global Comfort Database II, a new generation of climate weather files designed to represent local weather in 2050 and 2080 climate scenarios. Some of the developed improvements will be tested in case study buildings in Africa and Europe, taking profit of the research network initiated within the EU funded project “Africa-Europe Bioclimatic Buildings for XXI Century” (https://www.abc21.eu/), coordinated by Prof. L. Pagliano and Prof. S. Erba. A monitoring campaign will allow to corroborate the results of simulations and to fine-tune the control strategies of the passive elements and their synergy with local renewable generation. Local materials (bio and geo-sourced) will be integrated into the analysis, thanks to the connection to a network of manufacturers and ongoing efforts towards certification of physical parameters.

The ideal candidate should have good foundations in building physics and control methods, being acquainted with measurement procedures in buildings, being able of critical and evolutive use of building simulation. Good knowledge of English language, interest in scientific communication both at conferences and via peer reviewed journal papers.

end-use Efficiency Research Group (www.eERG.polimi.it), active since 1996 under the direction of Prof. Pagliano, collaborates with a number of European Universities and international research bodies.eERG has participated in, promoted and directed more than 50 research projects and studies funded by e.g. European Union, Regional Governments, Energy Companies, on various aspects of buildings monitoring, analysis and simulationm and comfort surveys. We participated and currently participate in activities under the International Energy Agency, such as: IEA ECBCS Annex 5; IEA EBC Annex 58; IEA SHC Task 40 / ECBCS Annex 52 - "Towards Net Zero Energy Solar Buildings"; IEA Annex 83 PED