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The last release of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2018/844/EU stated that smart buildings will play a crucial role in the future energy systems. Consequently, the Directive introduced the Smart Readiness Indicator in order to provide a common framework to highlight the value of building smartness across Europe. The methodology for the calculation of the Smart Readiness Indicator is currently under development and therefore not yet officially adopted at the European Union level. In this context, the current research analyzed the second public release of the proposed methodology, discussing the feasibility of its implementation and the obtained results through a practical application. Specifically, the methodology was applied to a nearly zero-energy office building located in Italy, and the evaluation was carried out in parallel by two different expert groups composed by researchers and technical building systems specialists. With the aim of analyzing the impact of subjective evaluations on the calculated indicator, a two-step assessment was adopted: in a first phase the two groups worked separately, and only in a second phase they were allowed to compare results, discuss discrepancies and identify the difficulties in applying the methodology. As the main outcome of this research, a set of recommendations are presented for an effective broad implementation of the Smart Readiness Indicator, able to increase the relevance of its evaluation and effectiveness, as well as to enhance the comparability of smart readiness of buildings through the definition of benchmarks and to integrate with other measurable key indicators, especially concerning energy flexibility.

With a low rate of new building construction and an insufficient rate of existing building renovation, there is the need to step up the pace of building renovation with ambitious performance targets to achieve European Union (EU) climate change policies for 2050. However, innovative technologies, including, but not limiting to, plug and play (PnP) prefabricated facades, information and communications technology (ICT)-support for building management systems (BMS), the integration of renewable energy systems (RES), building information model (BIM) and building performance simulation models (BPSM), advanced heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), advanced geomatics, 3D-printing, and smart connectors, cannot alone solve the problem of low renovation rates of existing buildings in Europe that is hindering reaching of EU-wide targets. A workshop was held at the Sustainable Place Conference 2018 to present, with an integrative approach, the experiences from four H2020 innovation actions, i.e., 4RinEU, P2ENDURE, Pro-GET-OnE, and MORE-CONNECT, which were united by their central aims of improving building energy performance through deep renovation practices. This article presents the outcomes of the joint workshop and interactive discussion, by focusing on technical, financial, and social added values, barriers and challenges, in the context of the building renovation processes tackled by the four projects. Conclusive remarks converge on the identification of open questions to address future innovation opportunities, as well as some recommendations to be used at a policy level and/or in future implementation projects.

Towards a carbon-neutral society, the building sector has a pivotal role with still a great potential for improvement. A new generation of buildings is rising but, to set a more ambitious shift in the paradigm and to fully justify the additional efforts (technological and economic) needed to fill the gap between net zero and plus energy performances, it is essential to consider not only the direct effects, but also all the indirect impacts. However, research conducted in the last decade solely focuses on the direct effects, mainly energy savings, while the indirect impacts neither have a clear identity nor terminology and a defined list of the impacts and methodologies for their quantification is still missing. With these premises, a systematic literature review on the current state of the art was performed in this work, with the aim of (i) investigating the heterogeneous terminology used for such indirect effects, (ii) identifying a final potential list of impacts both at the household and at the community level and (iii) their macro-categorizations, and (iv) exploring the current implemented methodologies and indicators for an economic quantification. As a final result of the analysis, the authors propose a unique terminology for addressing the indirect effects of high-performance buildings. This paper sets the needed basis and common ground for future research in this field, meant to economically quantify the indirect effects in the building sector.

The current energy system is dealing with an increasing share of renewable energy that, because of its intermittent availability, can affect the effectiveness of the energy supply. To cope with the problem, buildings need to become energy flexible. According to the definition given by IEA EBC Annex 67, energy flexibility is the ability of a building to manage its demand and generation according to local climate conditions, user needs and grid requirements. Users of energy-flexible buildings play a crucial role for an effective implementation, thus user acceptance and proper behaviour are important factors. In order to understand the current level of awareness on the topic and the general acceptance of the users, this paper presents the results of a large-scale survey distributed in the office buildings of the Province of Bolzano (Italy). This study investigates the information, experience, beliefs, and desires of the building users (i.e., office employees) with concepts and technologies dealing with energy flexibility, such as smart grids, smart appliances, and smart meters. This study identifies (i) the main socio-demographic characteristics associated to the information and desires about energy flexibility in office buildings, and (ii) the main conditions of social acceptance of flexible energy usages. Although this work is focused on a specific user type (i.e., office workers in the Province of Bolzano) and the results cannot be generalized, the analysis offers an interesting insight on the user perspectives and acceptance on energy flexibility and can be easily replicated. The results can be used at local level to provide insights for policies and strategies to encourage building users to be more flexible.

The building sector contributes significantly to energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, with many buildings being energy inefficient. In response, the European Green Deal promotes improving energy efficiency to support decarbonization goals. However, managing energy consumption and integrating data from multiple sources presents challenges, especially for large building portfolios. This study introduces a novel methodology designed to optimize energy renovation strategies, balancing technical, financial, and maintenance considerations. The methodology is implemented in CERPlan 1.0, a web-based decision-support platform that combines data on building energy performance, renovation costs, and maintenance needs. Through simulations, CERPlan 1.0 helps decision-makers prioritize retrofit interventions based on economic criteria while leveraging synergies between energy improvements and regular maintenance. Application of this methodology to real estate portfolios reveals opportunities to enhance cost-effectiveness and energy savings. The results show that integrating maintenance into renovation planning reduces payback times and allows for more comprehensive renovation strategies. The conclusions highlight CERPlan 1.0’s potential to improve decision-making, making building renovations more efficient and sustainable.

Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEBs) represent the backbone to achieve ambitious European goals in terms of energy efficiency and CO2 emissions reduction. As defined in the EPBD, by 31 December 2020, all of the new buildings will have to reach a target of nearly zero energy. This target encourages the adoption of innovative business models as well as the technology development in the building sector, aimed at reducing energy demand and exploiting local renewable energy sources (RES). Assessing the share of implementation and the performance of technologies in new or renovated nZEBs is strategic to identify the market trends and to define design guidelines with the most effective solutions according to the context. In this regard, this paper analyses the construction features of a set of nZEBs, collected in 17 European countries within the EU IEE ZEBRA2020 project, with a special focus on the influence of the boundary conditions on the technologies adopted. The results show a general high insulation level of the envelope and recurrent specific technologies in the Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) system (i.e., heat pumps and mechanical ventilation), while the climatic conditions do not drive significantly the design approach and the nZEB features.

Laser cutting processes entail the cutting of metal sheets by the emission of a laser source that melts the material along defined paths, potentially generating incidental metal nanoparticles (IMNPs). These particles have been associated with genotoxicity, oxidative stress, and pro-inflammatory responses. However, quantitative data on IMNP emissions remain limited. This study assessed IMNP emissions from CO2 and fiber laser cutting through two monitoring days at a high-precision metalworking facility in Italy. The first day dealt with environmental monitoring, while the second included both personal and environmental monitoring. Personal sampling consistently indicated elevated particle number concentrations and lung-deposited surface area, with average values reaching up to five times the background level (161,960 n/cm3) and peak concentrations as high as 2,781,962 particles/cm3. Environmental concentrations increased significantly only during CO2 stainless steel cutting (95,670 n/cm3). Depending on the process, 73–89% of the emitted particles were <300 nm, with substantial enrichment in the nanoparticle fraction. Emission profiles varied by laser source, metal, and sheet thickness, with the highest concentrations recorded during CO2-laser cutting of stainless steel. These findings provide preliminary evidence of occupational exposure to IMNPs during laser cutting and highlight the need for systematic exposure assessments to quantify the potential occupational health risk.

Background/Objectives: Lung cancer (LC) remains one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide, with both environmental and occupational exposures contributing to its incidence. While oncogene-addicted tumors—defined by single driver mutations—have garnered attention due to their therapeutic implications, less is known about the mutational landscape of tumors potentially arising from occupational exposure to carcinogens. This real-life observational study aimed to assess whether previous occupational exposure to lung carcinogens correlates with distinct LC phenotypes, particularly non-oncogene-addicted (nOA) profiles. Methods: A total of 199 LC patients were enrolled across two specialized oncology centers in Northern Italy between 2021 and 2023. Each participant underwent detailed occupational history taking and molecular characterization using next-generation sequencing. Patients were stratified into nonexposed (NE), low exposed (LE), and high exposed (HE) to carcinogens for lung based on standardized questionnaires and sector-specific assessments. Results: No significant differences were found in histological subtypes across exposure groups. However, people with adenocarcinoma and high occupational exposure to lung carcinogens were more frequently characterized by a nOA phenotype compared to those with low occupational exposure. Logistic regression models—adjusted for age, sex, and smoking habits—confirmed that HE patients had a significantly higher likelihood of developing nOA tumors (OR = 3.07; 95% CI: 1.16–8.11; p = 0.023). This association persisted after adjusting for smoking habits Exposures occurring 5–10 years before diagnosis seemed to be associated with an increased nOA profile. Conclusions: These findings suggest that high levels of exposure to occupational carcinogens impact LC phenotypes. Indeed, these phenotypes are more complex to treat and show the worst prognosis. Assessing the occupational exposure to lung carcinogens during work may offer prognostic insights and support the request for more adequate compensation for the patients. Further studies are warranted to validate these results and to explain the mechanisms that produce the differences observed in LC phenotypes in people with high exposure to occupational carcinogens.

This retrospective observational study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on occupational accident rates by analyzing over 500,000 Emergency Department (ED) visits from 2014 to 2022 in a Northern Italian city. Work-related injuries comprised 3.6% of total ED visits, with significant gender disparities, particularly in commuting accidents among women. During the pandemic’s initial wave, the overall ED visits decreased by 41%, while work-related injuries saw a 60% reduction. Post-pandemic, ED visits began returning to pre-pandemic levels, reflecting the healthcare system’s adaptability. Notably, high-intensity admissions requiring intensive care remained relatively stable throughout the pandemic, suggesting that individuals with urgent medical needs continued to seek care at the ED, demonstrating the healthcare system’s resilience in handling critical cases. This study highlights the complex relationship between the pandemic and workplace safety, emphasizing the need for further research to fully understand COVID-19’s impact on healthcare services.

ObjectiveThe national project BEST (Big data and deep learning in health surveillance for occupational cancer), financed by the Italian Institute for Safety at Work, aims to improve prevention practices in occupational medicine. Among all, the revamp and update of the literature matrix (LM), developed within the OCcupational CAncer Monitoring project, is presented. LM is a consolidated repository of scientific research, from national and international peer-reviewed journals, highlighting correlations between cancer sites and different occupational sectors. Rather than a literature review, LM enhances the understanding of occupational hazards and assist general practitioners and public health physicians in identifying potential cases of occupational neoplasms with robust scientific evidence, accessible and clear information. This work presents the methodology and state of progress of the LM update.Materials and MethodsThe collection of studies for LM was conducted through PubMed, employing a validated search string for the selection of relevant contents. Results from cohorts, cross-sectional and case-control studies, and meta-analyses published between 2010 and 2024 were considered. Moreover, only studies accounting for statistical estimates greater than 1.00 and with the lower value of the 95% CI greater than 1.00 were included.ResultsCurrently, 4 neoplastic sites were analyzed. A total of 1129 articles were examined, of which 145 were included in the matrix: 68 for the bladder, 50 for the hematopoietic and lymphoid system, 20 for the larynx and 7 for the nasopharynx. LM presents for each study the key information including the increased risk of each cancer site for any occupational sector (i.e. SMR, OR, RR).ConclusionsLM will be available on a website and will support the practitioners in recognizing occupational cancer. Stated the relevance of the tool and the effort for keeping it updated, as future development LM will be integrated with AI to support the source analysis.FundingNational Institute for Insurance against Accidents at Work (INAIL) within the BEST project (Grant: INAIL, ID 56/2022).