At the Cátedra de Transición Energética Urbana, we celebrate the launch of initiatives that turn the campus into a testing ground for the city. The Living Lab ETSII 5N is an interdisciplinary project led by the School of Industrial Engineering (ETSII), in which our Chair participates as a collaborating entity.
What is the Living Lab ETSII 5N?
This project transforms Building 5N into a “living laboratory” where key data, such as electricity and water consumption, are monitored in real time. The goal is to identify inefficiencies, produce clean energy through photovoltaic panels, and foster responsible habits throughout the university community.
As explained by Carla Montagud Montalvá, Director of our Chair and Deputy Director of Sustainable Development at ETSII, in the following video:
An Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Project
The strength of this Living Lab lies in the union of different actors. The following have participated actively in its development:
- UPV Departments: Applied Thermodynamics, Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Systems Engineering and Control.
- Collaborators: The CATENERG Chair (funded by the València City Council), the Fundación Torrecid Chair, and the companies Valnu and Enprotech.
- University Community: Students, faculty, the management team, and technical, management, and administration and services staff (PTGAS).
Chair Contribution and Replicability
From the CATENERG Chair, we have collaborated technically in the analysis of monitoring data and in dynamic simulations of the building to evaluate its real energy behavior.
The knowledge generated in this building is a key piece for the city: every challenge overcome in the Living Lab serves as a model to be replicated in other urban environments, helping València move toward its climate neutrality goal within the framework of the València 2030 Climate Mission.
From Campus to City: Replicating the Model at La Harinera
The differential value of the Living Lab ETSII 5N lies not only in what happens within the School, but also in its capacity to transfer to the urban environment.
At the Cátedra de Transición Energética Urbana, we are already working to transfer all this know-how in monitoring, modelling, and dynamic management to the municipal building of La Harinera. This emblematic complex is at the heart of our efforts to:
- Implement Digital Twins: Develop virtual replicas that enable real-time energy management, leveraging experience gained on campus.
- Achieve nZEB Standards: Apply rehabilitation and efficiency strategies to transform historic buildings into Near Zero Energy Buildings.
- Comfort Optimisation: Analyse environmental data to improve user well-being and the efficiency of HVAC and lighting systems.
More Information
We invite you to learn all the details and the upcoming sustainable challenges of this initiative on its official portal:
- Official Web: Living Lab UPV
