“Fit to 55”: Financial Impacts of Italian Incentive Measures for the Efficiency of the Building Stock and the Revitalization of Fragile Areas

Abstract

Starting from the strategic initiative presented in 2020 by the European Commission and entitled “A wave of renovations for Europe: greening buildings, creating jobs and improving lives”, Member States are now committed to stepping up efforts to renovate their building stock, with the precise goal of achieving climate neutrality in 2050. With the aim of exploring the potential appeal of incentive measures, the paper started with some considerations on the use and ownership of the building stock in Italy, frequently with a lack of maintenance. The proposed method, set up in three successive steps, verifies (for a hypothetical owner) the procedural feasibility and the financial sustainability of a new recent measure of energy efficiency, the Superbonus 110%. The selected case study is a complex of three buildings, built between the sixties and seventies in response to the strong demand for second homes and located in a small mountain municipality in the North-West of Italy. The results showed that the intervention allows, on the one hand, energy efficiency and, on the other hand, the initial and long-term convenience for the owner. However, a common strategy is needed for such policies, which -if left to the actions of individuals- may counteract the current potential for territorial resilience that seems to stimulate, especially in fragile territories.