The user role and risk factors for human health in UI GreenMetric World University Rankings: open scientific problems

Nowadays the Earth’s ecosystems are almost at point of no return. A large segment of energy consumption and pollution emission is attributed to construction sector and, although the buildings are often perfectly engineered, the role of users can promote the sustainable conditions and improve energy efficiency and energy saving. The research team of Roma Tre University worked on human and buildings interaction issues designing, for Solar Decathlon Competition prototypes, an informative system of energy efficiency data visualization, that provided, in real-time, information to let the dweller have an aware and guided use of the environment where he lives. The subject of this paper is focused on two topics on which, the research group, is investigating. The aim is to propose an upgrading of UI GreenMetric World University Ranking parameters that takes into account also the presence of informative digital system, to optimize the users role in the energy reduction process, and that consider, as assessable, also the evaluation of healthiness of the building. The research is still ongoing, particularly on schools, investigating on models of energy efficiency prediction and drafting a protocol of use that considers also the risk factors for human health, as mold, bacteria, electromagnetic fields and ionizing radiation.