The Tuscan-Emilian Apennines park renews its headquarters

"We must be the first to set a good example":the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines Park Authority has improved the energy efficiency of its headquarters with a redevelopment project for 190 thousand euros

FIVIZZANO (Massa Carrara) – In the heart of the environment it protects and enhances, the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines Park Authority is preparing to improve the energy efficiency of its headquarters too.The building, of approximately 900 square metres, is located in Sassalbo in the municipality of Fivizzano (in the province of Massa-Carrara) at an altitude of 860 meters above sea level and has been in operation for over three years.Now it is ready to move from an energy class G to a class D, at the conclusion of an ambitious redevelopment project financed with 190,000 euros by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, with the resources of the "Parks for the climate" program.In particular, a series of targeted interventions are being concluded on the property.

First of all, to reduce heat losses, all the fixtures in the building are replaced (about 60 meters in total) with more performing solutions.The new windows and doors will guarantee consumption savings of at least 20% compared to those currently present.The most significant change though replacing the old boiler powered by LPG with a new heat pump powered by solar energy produced by photovoltaic panels.This intervention will drastically reduce annual expenses, which for fuel amount to around 1,000 euros and for electricity around 3,600 euros.Indeed heat consumption will be eliminated and electric ones for heating will go to 31.32 MWh/year, compared to the previous 134 MWh obtained with LPG.The saving is equal to 10.7 tonnes less oil equivalent and a reduction of 32 tonnes of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere per year.

Furthermore, to ensure sustainable energy supply, a photovoltaic system with a peak power equal to double the current capacity is being replaced.This, together with a storage system, will allow the building to become self-sufficient from an energy point of view, reducing dependence on the electricity grid.Finally, a roof pitch, with a surface area of ​​170 square metres, will be thermally insulated, further contributing to reducing heat losses.The works will lead to a significant reduction in operating costs and a notable improvement in the environmental impact of the building.They also confirm the strong commitment to sustainability and environmental protection, fundamental values ​​for the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines Park Authority.

Giuseppe Vignali, director of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines Park Authority, comments:“In the strategy to combat and adapt to climate change we believe that we must begin to set a good example first, intervening on our buildings and our vehicles in the direction of sustainable mobility, and then extending the good practices to the buildings of other entities and even private ones, and more generally throughout the vast area of ​​the UNESCO Biosphere".An area in which, Vignali always recalls, “we have achieved
a loan of 4 million which gave rise to 78 new projects (one for each municipality of Mab) all oriented towards these sustainability and climate adaptation objectives on which the Park Authority focuses its commitment".

As part of "Parks for the Climate", the program of the Ministry of the Environment which finances interventions aimed at mitigating and adapting to climate change to be carried out in the territories of the national parks, that of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines has nominated in the three years 41 projects are planned - 2019, 2020 and 2021 - obtaining total funding of 10.1 million (the last completed project was the redevelopment of the Lagoni refuge presented last August).In detail: a project is aimed at restoring the hydrological regime of some Apennine peat bogs, giving them back their ability to accumulate carbon and conserve biodiversity.

Another 14 projects are planned for improve the energy efficiency of the Park's buildings, with a total financing of 3.7 million.These interventions concern windows, walls, heating and lighting systems, including the modernization of the Cerreto Laghi ice rink in the province of Reggio Emilia.
Eleven projects then concern the sustainable mobility, with a total investment of 3.1 million.These projects include the creation of exchange areas with electric charging points for vehicles and bicycles, as well as the creation of cycle paths within the Park.And again:two projects are related to the purchase of electric vehicles, with a total investment of 480,000 euros, including three buses to transport students from different locations in the Apennines to schools and ten projects aim to make the park's forests more resilient to climate change and to improve the sustainable management of forest resources (also generating sustainability credits) with a loan of 2.2 million.Finally, three projects are dedicated to fighting forest fires, with total funding of 430,000 euros.