Oltre l’efficienza energetica: effetti percepiti e criticità del Superbonus 110%

Chiara Tonelli; Claudio Camilleri

doi:10.3280/u3q30-2025oa21414

Articoli scientifici

No. 30 (2025): U3 iQuaderni. Journal of urban studies

Beyond Energy Efficiency: Perceived Effects and Critical Issues of the Superbonus 110%

Chiara Tonelli^▸^▾
Claudio Camilleri^▸^▾

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3280/u3q30-2025oa21414
Submitted: novembre 13, 2025
Published: 2026-07-20

Abstract

The Superbonus 110%, introduced in 2020 as an extraordinary measure to promote energy and seismic retrofitting of buildings, serves as a key case study to examine the dynamics of energy citizenship in Italy. This research investigates citizens’ knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes to-ward the measure, comparing beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries, with the aim of understanding whether it has fostered active participation or, conversely, mechanisms of delegation and distrust. The study is based on an online questionnaire administered to 248 respondents and com-bines descriptive, cross-tab, and correlational analyses. Findings reveal an ambivalent picture: while the Superbonus is widely acknowledged as an effective tool for energy renovation, its bureaucratic complexity and regulatory instability have limited accessibility and trust. Bene-ficiaries express moderate satisfaction, closely linked to their confidence in technical profes-sionals, who play a crucial mediating role between policy and citizens. Non-beneficiaries, by contrast, report informational barriers, procedural opacity, and institutional mistrust. Overall, the measure has generated a form of “delegated participation”, where civic engage-ment is mediated by external expertise rather than genuine empowerment. The study high-lights how informational divides and unequal capacities to interpret complex instruments deepen the gap between citizens and institutions. It concludes that successful ecological transi-tion policies require not only economic incentives but also trust, education, and transparency

References

Caramizaru, A., & Uihlein, A. (2020). Energy communities: An overview of energy and social innovation (EUR 30083 EN). Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2760/180576
Carrosio, G. (2021). Energia e cittadinanza. Politiche, pratiche e comunità nella transizione ecologica. Bologna: Il Mulino.
Devine-Wright, P. (2020). Community versus local energy in a context of climate emergency. Nature Energy, 4(11), 894–896. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-019-0459-2
Heiskanen, E., Johnson, M., Robinson, S., Vadovics, E., & Saastamoinen, M. (2021). Low-carbon communities as a context for individual behavioural change. Energy Policy, 144, 111682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111682
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Keywords

energy citizenship; public policy; Superbonus 110%; trust and participation; ecological transition; social perceptions.

How to Cite

Tonelli, C., & Camilleri, C. (2026). Beyond Energy Efficiency: Perceived Effects and Critical Issues of the Superbonus 110%. U3 IQuaderni - Open Access, (30). https://doi.org/10.3280/u3q30-2025oa21414

[1] Caramizaru, A., & Uihlein, A. (2020). Energy communities: An overview of energy and social innovation (EUR 30083 EN). Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2760/180576

[2] Carrosio, G. (2021). Energia e cittadinanza. Politiche, pratiche e comunità nella transizione ecologica. Bologna: Il Mulino.

[3] Devine-Wright, P. (2020). Community versus local energy in a context of climate emergency. Nature Energy, 4(11), 894–896. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-019-0459-2

[4] Heiskanen, E., Johnson, M., Robinson, S., Vadovics, E., & Saastamoinen, M. (2021). Low-carbon communities as a context for individual behavioural change. Energy Policy, 144, 111682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111682

[5] Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community. New York: Simon & Schuster.

[6] Sovacool, B. K. (2018). Advances in energy studies: Towards a plural perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[7] Sztompka, P. (1999). Trust: A sociological theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[8] Walker, G., Devine-Wright, P. (2008). Community renewable energy: What should it mean? Energy Policy, 36(2), 497–500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2007.10.019.