The significant imbalance of nZEB energy need for heating and cooling in Italian climatic zones

Abstract Building energy performance requirements aiming at the nZEB target have been recently established by the national legislation. In Italy, the requirements are verified through the notional reference building, whose U-values are reduced in two steps: up to 2018 and since 2019 for public buildings, and up to 2020 and since 2021 for all other buildings. This might cause a reduction of the heating need but an increase of the cooling need. The objective of the study is to investigate in which conditions and extent a significant imbalance of the energy needs occurs. Different building types and climatic zones are considered.