Current practices and open issues on the whole-building dynamic simulation of historical buildings: A review of the literature case studies

Whole-building dynamic simulation has been increasingly adopted as a tool to non-invasively investigate possible strategies to improve energy efficiency, thermal comfort, and conservation of historical buildings. Several critical assumptions are needed to cope with insufficient input data and limitations in simulation models, therefore the modelling approaches implemented by researchers are inhomogeneous and customised for each case study. A review of the literature was conducted to collect common patterns and replicable solutions, based on the case studies reported in scientific journals published between 2011 and 2022. The discussion covers all the key stages in the simulation process, from information gathering to the analysis of the target outcomes, highlighting current practices and open issues. The resulting informative panorama and technical discussion are intended to assist scholars and specialists in approaching the dynamic simulation of historical buildings as well as stimulating a debate toward standardisation and consolidation of a robust scientific community in the field.