Italy - Torino

Politecnico di Torino

Details

The Energy Center is a building owned and managed by Politecnico di Torino, which hosts firm, academic staff and public administrations who jointly develop research activities in the field on energy sustainability and the transition toward a more decarbonised society. The building already integrates RES, such a 46 kW PV field (the average irradiance in Torino on an optimally orientated and inclined surface is about 1,500 kWh/y/m2) and a geothermal heat pump. Also, the building will host from 2019 two prototypes of small-scale wind turbines (one with a vertical axis and one with horizontal axis) and a concentrating solar system that will be installed on the roof of the building.

The potential for wind power generation is mild, with an average wind speed of around 3 m/s, and a yearly averaged capacity factor of about 20%. The main challenges to be addressed are the maximisation of RES integration within the building (i.e., to increase the installed capacity, especially of electric RES) and to yield a match of demand and local supply with limited use of energy storage technologies.

Technologies to be validated

LHTS - Latent Heat Thermal Storage

  • BE-PLATO - Building Energy Plant planning Tool
  • iGateway
  • ACEME - Automated Cognitive Energy Management Engine
  • Micro-CHP
  • Hybrid Solar Cooling
  • Thermal storage

Indicative scenarios

  • Transformation of a smart, near zero Energy Buildings into a plus Energy Building, through the integration of entirely novel RECOGNITION technologies. Validation of Integration Platform functionality with both novel and legacy systems, testing the iGateway’s proper interfacing.
  • Diffusion and implementation of intra-DR schemes in a tertiary building in an urban context; cost-effectiveness of thermal storage and ACEME thermal flows coordination in a district heating environment, taking into consideration the micro-CHP operational properties.
lhts