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Ferrari!

The Formula One seasons is coming to an end with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and, although the cards have already been dealt for both titles, Sergio Marchionne, Ferrari’s Chairman, has urged his team to give of its best in order to round the year off, while the company is already plotting its strategy for 2016. Ferrari is an outstanding brand that has fans around the world dreaming. A company that excellently embodies the Bel Paese’s abilities. And, because leaders attract other leaders, the Maranello offices of the chairman, undergoing renovation, are all air-conditioned by Sabiana, which supplied 26 SKYSTAR ECM fan coils. An appointment which we at Sabiana are obviously proud of. The Formula One seasons is coming to an end with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and, although the cards have already been dealt for both titles, Sergio Marchionne, Ferrari’s Chairman, has urged his team to give of its best in order to round the year off, while the company is already plotting its strategy for 2016.  Ferrari is an outstanding brand that has fans around the world dreaming. A company that excellently embodies the Bel Paese’s abilities.  And, because leaders attract other leaders, the Maranello offices of the chairman, undergoing renovation, are all air-conditioned by Sabiana, which supplied 26 SKYSTAR ECM fan coils.  An appointment which we at Sabiana are obviously proud of.

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Extension of the bonuses for energy upgrading and building renovation works.

The 2016 stability law especially focuses on homeowners, by extending the 50% IRPEF tax relief for renovations and 65% for energy saving, which will allow them to benefit again next year from significant savings on construction and energy efficiency improvement work on buildings, as well as on purchases of furniture and large household appliances. Public housing management bodies will also be able to access tax relief through a 170 million Euro fund allocated for maintenance and will therefore be able to carry out renovations on the most obsolete buildings. AS is the case for this year, the eco bonus for 65% consists in an IRPEF or IRES tax relief, spread over ten annual instalments. The maximum permitted amount for the deduction is 100 thousand Euro. All taxpayers and businesses owners of the property undergoing energy upgrade can benefit from the tax credit. The actions include reducing energy use for winter heating and works for thermal improvement of the building. The relief for anti-seismic adaptation works, aimed at making existing buildings safe, is also confirmed. One may apply for the ecobonus both for upgrading works in individual flats and in the common parts of blocks of flats. The deduction cannot be combined with that for the renovation bonus. The 50% bonus is also confirmed for 2016, to the amount of 96 thousand Euro amortised over ten years. In this case the construction work is for renovation. The application for the relief may be submitted by the owners or holders of real rights on the property undergoing work, as well as tenants and free loan users. Another piece of good news is the confirmation of the furniture bonus: 50% tax deduction, up to a ceiling of 10 thousand Euro. The relief includes expenses incurred for furniture and large household appliances. The 2016 stability law especially focuses on homeowners, by extending the 50% IRPEF tax relief for renovations and 65% for energy saving, which will allow them to benefit again next year from significant savings on construction and energy efficiency improvement work on buildings, as well as on purchases of furniture and large household appliances. Public housing management bodies will also be able to access tax relief through a 170 million Euro fund allocated for maintenance and will therefore be able to carry out renovations on the most obsolete buildings. AS is the case for this year, the eco bonus for 65% consists in an IRPEF or IRES tax relief, spread over ten annual instalments. The maximum permitted amount for the deduction is 100 thousand Euro. All taxpayers and businesses owners of the property undergoing energy upgrade can benefit from the tax credit. The actions include reducing energy use for winter heating and works for thermal improvement of the building.  The relief for anti-seismic adaptation works, aimed at making existing buildings safe, is also confirmed. One may apply for the ecobonus both for upgrading works in individual flats and in the common parts of blocks of flats. The deduction cannot be combined with that for the renovation bonus. The 50% bonus is also confirmed for 2016, to the amount of 96 thousand Euro amortised over ten years. In this case the construction work is for renovation. The application for the relief may be submitted by the owners or holders of real rights on the property undergoing work, as well as tenants and free loan users. Another piece of good news is the confirmation of the furniture bonus: 50% tax deduction, up to a ceiling of 10 thousand Euro. The relief includes expenses incurred for furniture and large household appliances.  

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Old people’s homes should clear the air.

According to the international GERIE study, published on the European Respiratory Journal, the elderly guests have trouble breathing in residential care homes in half of Europe due to the poor quality of the air they breathe. The study gathered data analysing the ambient air in 50 residential care homes in 7 countries, including Italy, and monitoring the conditions of 600 elderly guests, to look for the relationship between air quality in the residence and breathing health of the guests. We measured the concentrations of inhalable dust such as PM10 and ultra fine dust such as PM0.1, as well as formaldehyde and irritating and polluting gases, i.e. nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Furthermore, although it is not exactly a pollutant but an air quality indicator, we have also analysed the quantity of carbon dioxide, which tends to rise if the rooms are poorly ventilated, says Giovanni Viegi, coordinator of the survey and director of the Institute for Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology of Palermo’s CNR. The analysis highlights – with no significant differences between the various countries – that the facilities have rather high concentrations of all the pollutants analysed and that only one guest out of five is able to adequately change the air of their room. As the room smog increases, so does the elderly guests’ respiratory discomfort. "A number of sources are responsible for the pollution found in residential care homes,” – says Viegi. “The most significant ones are ingress of external pollutants, gas produced by kitchens and boilers, organic substances released by construction materials, furniture and cleaning products. Tobacco smoke should also be included, if the smoking ban is not observed or if it is allowed to smoke outside the building.” The elderly are very sensitive to “dirty” air because their immune defences are lower and if they live in residential care homes they are forced to remain in indoor premises, with a lot of other people and few opportunities to move: all elements that increase exposure and worsen the general respiratory health. According to the international GERIE study, published on the European Respiratory Journal, the elderly guests have trouble breathing in residential care homes in half of Europe due to the poor quality of the air they breathe. The study gathered data analysing the ambient air in 50 residential care homes in 7 countries, including Italy, and monitoring the conditions of 600 elderly guests, to look for the relationship between air quality in the residence and breathing health of the guests. We measured the concentrations of inhalable dust such as PM10 and ultra fine dust such as PM0.1, as well as formaldehyde and irritating and polluting gases, i.e. nitrogen dioxide and ozone. Furthermore, although it is not exactly a pollutant but an air quality indicator, we have also analysed the quantity of carbon dioxide, which tends to rise if the rooms are poorly ventilated, says Giovanni Viegi, coordinator of the survey and director of the Institute for Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology of Palermo’s CNR. The analysis highlights – with no significant differences between the various countries – that the facilities have rather high concentrations of all the pollutants analysed and that only one guest out of five is able to adequately change the air of their room. As the room smog increases, so does the elderly guests’ respiratory discomfort. "A number of sources are responsible for the pollution found in residential care homes,” – says Viegi. “The most significant ones are ingress of external pollutants, gas produced by kitchens and boilers, organic substances released by construction materials, furniture and cleaning products. Tobacco smoke should also be included, if the smoking ban is not observed or if it is allowed to smoke outside the building.” The elderly are very sensitive to “dirty” air because their immune defences are lower and if they live in residential care homes they are forced to remain in indoor premises, with a lot of other people and few opportunities to move: all elements that increase exposure and worsen the general respiratory health.

Newsletter

Good air quality increases performance in the office.

According to Harvard researchers, who published the study on Environmental Health Perspective, people who work in well aerated premises, with low CO2 and indoor pollution levels, achieve better scores in cognitive functions compared to people whose offices are less green, with pollution and CO2 levels considered to be standard. The researchers focused on the impact of room ventilation, chemicals and CO2 on workers’ cognitive functions by exposing 24 workers to different levels of CO2, ventilation and VOC concentrations, commonly emitted in offices. Participants exposed to premises with the best air quality, achieved on average double scores in cognitive performance compared to those who worked in conventional premises. The researchers also underline the impact of CO2 levels: the average score drops when the CO2 level increases. “These results point to the fact that even modest improvements in the quality of indoor air might have a deep impact on workers’ decision-making performance,” said Joseph Allen of Harvard University, the main author of the study. According to Harvard researchers, who published the study on Environmental Health Perspective, people who work in well aerated premises, with low CO2 and indoor pollution levels, achieve better scores in cognitive functions compared to people whose offices are less green, with pollution and CO2 levels considered to be standard.  The researchers focused on the impact of room ventilation, chemicals and CO2 on workers’ cognitive functions by exposing 24 workers to different levels of CO2, ventilation and VOC concentrations, commonly emitted in offices. Participants exposed to premises with the best air quality, achieved on average double scores in cognitive performance compared to those who worked in conventional premises. The researchers also underline the impact of CO2 levels: the average score drops when the CO2 level increases. “These results point to the fact that even modest improvements in the quality of indoor air might have a deep impact on workers’ decision-making performance,” said Joseph Allen of Harvard University, the main author of the study.