ENEA – National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development

Case History: Digitron Italia & ENEA – "Green Roofs" Project

Client

ENEA – National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development

Supplier

Digitron Italia Srl

Project Period

March 2023 – May 2025

Context and Project Objective

In the context of sustainable innovation and energy saving in urban areas, ENEA launched the experimental "Green Roofs" project, aimed at demonstrating the effectiveness of vegetation installed on building roofs in improving thermal insulation and reducing energy consumption.

To scientifically validate the benefits of green roofs, a high-precision meteorological monitoring network capable of collecting reliable environmental data, both on the surface of the grass cover and beneath the vegetation layer, is necessary.

Digitron Italia Solution

Digitron Italia provided ENEA with an integrated environmental monitoring and cloud data management system, comprising:

1. Supply of meteorological sensors

• Anemometers for measuring wind speed and direction

      

• Rain gauges for precipitation detection

      

• Temperature and humidity sensors for thermal analysis near the roof

      

• Pyranometers for solar radiation detection

      

• Substrate temperature probe to detect thermal behavior under the green cover

2. Data Acquisition and Transmission System    

• Weather stations for real-time data collection from installed sensors

      

• Wireless connection for automatic information sending to the cloud platform

3. Cloud Platform for Data Management   

• Secure storage of collected data

      

• Dedicated web interface for ENEA researchers, who can view, export, and compare data in real time

      

• Possibility of historical comparisons and creation of customized reports

Results and Benefits

Thanks to the technological infrastructure provided by Digitron Italia, ENEA was able to:    

• Continuously and precisely monitor the microclimatic conditions created by the green roof

      

• Evaluate the effective thermal insulation guaranteed by vegetation compared to traditional roofs

      

• Collect comparative data between the surface temperature of the grass cover and the internal temperature of the roof

      

• Provide scientific evidence useful for urban energy and environmental policies

Conclusions

The collaboration between Digitron Italia and ENEA in the "Green Roofs" project represents a perfect example of synergy between technology and sustainability. Thanks to the advanced instrumentation and digital support provided, it was possible to acquire concrete knowledge on the impact of green roofs on the energy efficiency of buildings.