The issue of energy efficiency is inextricably linked to national and international energy and environmental policy issues for the coming decades. The recent European Directive on Energy Efficiency 2012/27, which integrates Directive 2010/31 on the energy performance of buildings, clearly expresses how the Union’s objectives will be implemented in the name of energy efficiency. The same legislation suggests that Member States should also work to overcome barriers to the achievement of these objectives. This document summarizes the research activities carried out by RSE in this area during the reference period.
The activities presented follow the entire energy chain, from production to use, as proposed by the legislation, in a twofold direction: on the one hand, support activities have been carried out for the political decision-makers (Ministry of Economic Development, AEEG, local bodies, etc.), also involving other stakeholders (Confindustria, trade associations, etc.), in order to facilitate the transposition and full implementation of energy and environmental policies and the achievement of the objectives set at international level. On the other hand, a number of research projects have been selected to develop new efficient technologies in various sectors, from energy production to end-use in the civil and tertiary sectors.
The results are therefore presented in the report using the following framework:

•On the one hand, the results of the technical studies used to support political decision-makers in their decisions are reported. In this context, for example, the analysis of the national building stock according to the different typologies in order to identify targets and margins for improving energy efficiency in the civil and tertiary, private and public sectors, the evaluation of energy districts, the sustainability of smart end uses, the evaluation of the environmental benefits induced by energy savings through life cycle analysis, the measurement of the positive impact on air quality of scenarios with and without energy efficiency measures.

•On the other hand, studies are presented on new efficient energy production devices (e.g. development of conceptual schemes favoring the integration of renewable energies, energy production by microbial cells), their efficient use in various sectors, civil, residential and tertiary (studies on geothermal heat pumps, development of new roofs with nanostructured materials to minimize the need for summer air conditioning of buildings), and industrial (development of components for the quality control of the construction of building cladding), and industrial (development of components for efficient microturbines powered by fossil or renewable fuels, new technologies for the production of industrial gases, study of new types of LEDs developed using nanostructured coatings that increase efficiency).