Optimization of building energy performance by means of multi-scale analysis – Lessons learned from case studies

tThe sustainability of the built environment largely depends on its energy and environmental perform-ances. The overall objective, across the different phases of the building life cycle, is to improve buildingand system performances in terms of economics, comfort, environmental impact and durability.Several modelling methodologies have been developed in order to evaluate the energy performanceof buildings. Generally, every modelling methodology responds effectively to some specific tasks, butthere exists a lack of integration in particular with respect to the cross-disciplinary role of data. Given themulti-scale and multi-objective nature of the problem of optimization of the energy and environmentalperformances of the built environment, an appropriate synthesis and integration process in modellingmethodologies has to be identified, addressing realistically the uncertainties inherently present in mod-elling strategies.Visualization and data analysis techniques are successfully used in a wide variety of applications, bothin theoretical and applied domains, but questions remains about their robustness, efficiency and appli-cability to the problems introduced before. The paper aims to analyze critically these topics by meansof case studies, showing a possible path to create a multi-scale methodology able to synthesize all therelevant aspects.