Design methodologies to construct sustainable buildings, in the mediterranean area, based on the use of renewable resources integrated with the use of intelligent systems

The energy issue has a leading position in the economy and development, both nationally and globally, and there has been an increase in awareness that energy consumption must be gradually reduced. The European Union for example, from 2020, with the 2010/31/CE Directive requires member countries to construct new buildings to near-zero energy consumption (Nearly Zero Energy Building). To achieve these objectives it is essential to implement research methodologies for the development of scale construction and urban design which has, as its goal, the creation of energy efficient buildings. This work, through the analysis of case studies and experiments in the Mediterranean area, which put in place the bio-climatic design principles checked by means of computerized modelling, aims to develop a methodology which can be an useful tool for architectural and urban design of new settlements. These methodologies must be capable of achieving optimum use of the renewable resources in the site, such as sun and wind, limiting the use of equipment included in the project already planned for the winter heating and summer cooling. In any case, for this integrative function and subsidiary equipment, innovative solutions integrated into buildings capable of using as a fuel, the natural resource of solar energy, are expected to be used, so that the energy consumption of non renewable resources approaches zero. On the one hand, the study identifies the steps needed to project design with iterative method, whereas on the other, it allows you to derive general guidelines which apply to the design of buildings in the northern hemisphere, especially in the temperate climate. Particular attention has been paid to the elaboration of the climatic data that must be systematizes in order to build the record of the year climatic type. The study also demonstrates how the use of mobile automated shielding and the contribution of natural ventilation design elements are considered to be relevant and allow to achieve the strategic objectives. Different software have been used: “Energy Plus” simulations of indoor microclimate conditions, “Radiance” for simulations and control of indoor optimum brightness, and “Fire Dynamic Simulation” (used in this particular application) to simulate outdoor wind speed and the determination of the coefficients of pressure in the building. Using such software to complement the design phase, it was possible, through iteration, to get answers relative to the orientation, shape and volume, and façade relationships between the transparent and opaque surface of the single building, and in addition, for more buildings it shows their relative positioning. Not only does the study contribute to the systematization of the stages of design, bioclimatic, or environmental, but it also shows that in temperate climates characterized by alternation between warm and cold weather, to reach the objectives, it is preferable to implement design strategies able to predict an interaction monitored by indoor and outdoor automated systems.