The energy efficiency project for the Municipal Swimming Pool building located on Via Sacro Cuore in Modica (RG) falls under the Sustainable Urban Development Strategy for the Baroque Cities of Ragusa and Modica, Priority Axis 4 – Action 4.1.1 of the Sicily ERDF OP 2014-2020, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for public works aimed at fostering eco-efficiency and curbing primary energy consumption in municipal public buildings.

The energy retrofitting significantly cuts operational costs and energy consumption while reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the benefit of the environment. The project specifically incorporates the following engineering interventions:

• A 31.2 kWp photovoltaic system installed on an elevated steel canopy in the landscaped area east of the facility, supplying clean electricity to power pool operations. The PV plant comprises 78 high-efficiency monocrystalline modules rated at 400 Wp each;
• A solar thermal system for domestic hot water production, featuring 12 vacuum tube collectors connected to a 2,000-liter storage buffer with dual internal heat exchangers, delivering approximately 25,000 kWh/year of thermal energy;
• An external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) consisting of 8-cm-thick graphite-enhanced sintered expanded polystyrene (EPS) boards, achieving an overall thermal transmittance lower than 0.29 W/m²·K;
• High-performance thermal-break PVC fenestration with low-E glazing (overall Uw < 1.5 W/m²·K) replacing existing deteriorated frames to drastically minimize heat losses; • Thermal and acoustic insulation of the dome roof extrados via a sub-horizontal water-repellent rigid glass-wool insulation envelope; • An extensive green roof over the locker room building with indigenous drought-tolerant vegetation, root-barrier drainage membranes, and specialized engineered growing substrate for roof gardens. This living roof significantly boosts the building's thermal envelope resistance with an overall thermal resistance of 0.40 m²·K/W.