Energy and environmental performance of trullo stone building. An experimental and numerical survey

The aim of this study is to assess the hygrothermal performance of stone-roofed buildings named "Trulli", a rural buildings type. The study was carried out on a trullo built in the late nineteenth century in Selva di Fasano (Brindisi, Italy), at an elevation of about 400 m. Acquisition of hygrothermal parameters by means of in situ measurements was carried out. Subsequently, the building was modelled in DesignBuilder in order to simulate the performance on a longer period of the year and in different occupancy conditions. Experimental measurements of indoor and outdoor parameters were used for validating the numerical model. In summer, the indoor conditions were comfortable either without HVAC system. In winter, the indoor temperatures were too low for human comfort. The numerical simulation has produced an estimation of the heating power necessary to ensure indoor comfort condition. From the study carried out in the Trullo's spontaneous regime, a thermoregulatory action of the building envelope is evident. The thermal inertia resulting from the considerable masonry mass, built with locally extracted hard limestone, allows the attenuation and phase lag of the significant variations in outdoor temperature.