Solar Energy-Driven Design for a Building Demonstrator through the Restoration of Ruins in Bova (RC)

The energy transition pathway requires integrated decarbonization strategies based on renewable energy production and storage, oriented towards “zero” emission models in line with European directives. These strategies can be implemented across multiple scales through an energy-driven urban design approach that combines adaptive design principles with the organizational framework of Renewable Energy Communities, aiming to meet energy demand within adaptable, decentralized, and resilient spatial configuration. This study applies a Pre-Design workflow to the restoration of disused buildings and ruins in the historic center of Bova (RC), reconfigured as a technological demonstrator and productive node within a local REC. The novelty lies in the integrating heritage renovation with parametric and microclimatic modeling to transform abandoned cultural assets into active energy infrastructure, bridging the gap between conservation and climate-neutral innovation. The workflow integrates advanced digital tools for contextual analysis, enabling optimized energy design scenarios that reduce carbon emissions and maximize renewable energy generation, while adapting solutions to the specific microclimatic and morphological conditions of the urban cluster. The proposed approach incorporates passive and active technologies into a replicable model which, beyond architectural rehabilitation, includes experimental implementation within Positive Energy Districts at a supra-local scale. Adoption of this model can play a decisive role in accelerating climate-neutral pathways, while preserving cultural and identity capital, and fostering innovation that delivers substantial gains in efficiency, environmental quality, and functional integration within hybrid “historic-energy” clusters. By positioning heritage buildings as energy-positive demonstrators, the study provides a transferable methodology that extends the role of cultural heritage from passive conservation to proactive climate action.