Un software per la valutazione delle prestazioni del tetto ventilato

The article introduces the final results of a research on the ventilated roof, developed inside the LIFE “Climate Change Adaptation” European project financing. During the three year of research investigating the behaviour and the performances of the air movement in a vented pitched roof, the team from the University of Ferrara has manage to achieve a software named SENSAPIRO able to predict and quantify the benefits of this technical solution in terms of energy saving (Wh/m2) for indoor cooling during Summer season for different types of roof, with different characteristics and locations. SENSAPIRO does not replace other computing codes used for thermalfluid-dynamic analyses of building components, but offers a simplified evaluation for direct and preliminary comparison of different roof types. In addition to the performances of pitched roofs made using Portuguese roof tiles, Marseillaise roof tiles and metal slabs on flat roofs, SENSAPIRO is also used to evaluate the two types of Portuguese and Marseillaise roof tiles developed in the HEROTILE project, which increase undertile ventilation and reduce the energy consumption for air-conditioning in attic rooms. The software is a freeware, and can be freely downloaded from the office project website (www.lifeherotile.eu), the websites of the project partners and other related websites.