Building services engineers account for a third of construction professionals, and building services are almost half of the value of that market. This is enough to show that new building services engineering is crucial to a new construction sector. When passive technology (building envelope) meets and interacts with active technology (building services), energy efficiency, performance, and new comfort are promoted, and the result is a smart building. The approach, however, differs from latitude to latitude and Smart Building Levante wants to focus on the different design and technological approaches needed in the Mediterranean regions. Home and building automation form an integral part of a systematic approach to energy efficiency. With the upcoming entry into force of the European Directive that requires all new buildings to be Nearly Zero-Emission Buildings (nZEB) by 31 December 2020, those are urgent issues. Consequently, Smart Building Levante will provide food for thought about how that goal should be handled in regions that, rather than fighting cold weather, are fighting and will increasingly fight rising. The 2020 event in Bari sets a goal that by tradition belongs to the city: to act as an international hub, to focus on what is happening on the other side of the sea, aiming to involve operators and experiences from countries experiencing the same problems as southern Italy.

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