Holistic investigation for historical heritage revitalization through an innovative geothermal system

Italy's architectural heritage boasts numerous historic buildings, which are an integral part of the country's cultural fabric and public assets. However, these structures inevitably deteriorate over time and require various types of intervention, particularly to mitigate energy dissipation. Yet, retrofitting historic buildings poses a challenge as preserving their historical features requires non-invasive strategies. To address this challenge, the present study introduces the incorporation of an innovative geothermal system tailored for the energy retrofit of an Italian historic building. This innovative system respects the building's landscape and constraints due to the archeological status of the building. It consists of a hybrid heat pump connected to a gas boiler, interfacing with a geothermal field to leverage it as either a heat source or sink. An in-depth analysis of this system was conducted, first in a specialized laboratory to assess its performance and then following its installation inside the historic building, thus interfacing it with a historical context and a real geothermal field. Notably, the comparative evaluation of the Coefficient of Performance (COP) between laboratory simulations and real-world deployment revealed striking similarity, affirming the system's consistent performance across contexts. Moreover, for a comprehensive analysis of the system, a techno-economic evaluation was carried out, which highlighted the many advantages of this installation.