11/3/2026

New Paper Accepted in Energy & Buildings on PCM-Based Wall Systems for Summer Thermal Management

Our latest research, titled “Elastomeric panels with Phase Change Material for summer thermal management: Experimental thermal performance in a real wall design,” has just been accepted in Energy & Buildings and it is available online.

This work, carried out at the Sustainable Energy Lab of the University of Trento in collaboration with colleagues from the Department of Industrial Engineering, experimentally investigates the integration of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) into real-scale wall assemblies as a passive strategy to improve summer thermal performance. Using a double climatic chamber, we tested three wall configurations under dynamic temperature profiles representative of the climates of Trento and Palermo.

Key findings: the integration of a thin PCM layer significantly improves the dynamic thermal response of the wall by increasing its thermal inertia, delaying heat transfer, reducing heat flux peaks, and enhancing daily thermal energy storage capacity. These results show that PCM integration can effectively delay and dampen heat transfer, potentially reducing peak cooling demand and enabling smaller HVAC system sizing.

The study also highlights a crucial aspect: PCM performance strongly depends on climate conditions and on the match between the PCM melting temperature and local temperature profiles.

Beyond the technical results, the work proposes a systematic experimental methodology for evaluating PCM performance in realistic wall configurations, helping bridge the gap between laboratory studies and real building applications.

This research was partially funded by Fondazione per la Valorizzazione della Ricerca Trentina (VRT).

Read the paper:
https://lnkd.in/g3TFdFDv

Special thanks to Maja Danovska and Francesco Valentini (corresponding authors) for the valuable support in writing and data analysis; Prof. Maurizio Grigiante and Prof. Alessandro Prada for their methodological guidance; and Prof. Luca Fambri, Prof. Andrea Dorigato, and Prof. Alessandro Pegoretti for their insightful feedback during the refinement of the paper.

We are also looking forward to the next step: integrating these panels into a real building prototype at the TESSLabs facility in Rovereto, a new joint infrastructure promoted by the University of Trento, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, and Trentino Sviluppo dedicated to developing and validating sustainable technologies for the built environment.

19/1/2026

Advancing Building and Energy Systems Research at TESSLabs

We are making significant progress within the TESSLabs in Rovereto (Trento, Italy), a research infrastructure dedicated to sustainable development, future energy systems, and quality of life, located in the green innovation hub Progetto Manifattura.

We are currently developing a new experimental module based on two PASSYS cells, enabling in-situ testing of building envelope components and the evaluation of their real operational performance. In parallel, the module allows the assessment of HVAC system performance through a fully automated and monitored heating and cooling system.

The laboratory supports research and prototyping in close collaboration with industry, focusing on advanced control strategies for heat pump systems, including integration with photovoltaic (PV) systems and battery energy storage systems (BESS), as well as dedicated studies on battery performance.

To ensure accurate monitoring, the facility is equipped with temperature and heat flux sensors for wall measurements, solar radiation sensors (global and diffuse, SPN1), and lux meters for indoor illuminance. Sensor testing and validation activities are currently ongoing.

A concrete step toward more efficient, intelligent, and energy-self-sufficient buildings.

8/1/2026

Explore our research and teaching topics in the field of energy efficiency in buildings

Energy efficiency in buildings is a cornerstone of the energy transition, as buildings account for a large share of final energy consumption. Within the building sector, HVAC systems represent one of the most energy-intensive components, often responsible for a significant portion of the total energy use for heating, cooling, and ventilation.

Improving the efficiency of HVAC systems through advanced design, control strategies, and system integration is essential to reduce energy demand while maintaining high levels of indoor comfort and air quality. At the same time, the widespread adoption of renewable energy technologies, such as photovoltaic systems and renewable-based heating and cooling solutions, plays a crucial role in lowering the environmental impact of buildings.

Producing renewable energy on-site and using it efficiently through smart energy management, load matching, and self-consumption strategies allows buildings to move towards higher levels of energy autonomy and sustainability. Our research and teaching activities focus on these challenges, providing students with the knowledge and tools needed to design and operate high-performance, energy-efficient buildings.

07/1/2026

Interested in energy-related issues in buildings? Join us and become an energy engineer!

Buildings play a central role in the global energy transition, accounting for a significant share of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Improving building energy efficiency is therefore a key challenge for achieving climate neutrality, reducing energy demand, and enhancing indoor comfort.

Beyond efficiency, the transition of the building sector increasingly relies on the electrification of energy uses and on the intelligent management of electrical energy flows. Topics such as photovoltaic electricity generation, battery energy storage systems, self-consumption, energy self-sufficiency, and the interaction between buildings and the electrical grid are becoming central elements in modern building design and operation.

To address these challenges, the inter-university Master’s Degree in Energy Engineering jointly offered by the University of Trento and the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano provides advanced education on building energy performance, HVAC systems, renewable energy production and integration, energy storage technologies, and smart energy management strategies.

The programme combines solid theoretical foundations with hands-on laboratory activities, numerical modelling, and real-world applications, preparing students to tackle complex energy-related issues in the built environment.

Join us and become part of the next generation of energy engineers shaping the future of high-performance, energy-autonomous, and sustainable buildings.

22/12/2025

Welcome to Our Sustainable Energy Laboratory

We are pleased to welcome you to the Sustainable Energy Laboratory following a period of significant upgrades and reorganization of our experimental facilities.
Over the past months, extensive work has been carried out to enhance our laboratory equipment and optimize the internal layout of the spaces. These improvements allow us to better manage experimental activities, accommodate new research infrastructures, and ensure higher efficiency, flexibility, and safety during testing campaigns.
The upgraded laboratory is now fully equipped to support advanced experimental research in building energy performance, HVAC systems, innovative materials, Hardware-in-the-Loop testing and Double Climatic Chambers. The reorganization of the spaces also enables smoother workflows and improved integration between different experimental setups.
We look forward to embarking on this new phase of research in an enhanced and more functional laboratory environment, and we wish you a happy New Year as we look ahead to exciting new research in the coming year!

1/9/2025

New Open-Access Publication in Energy & Buildings

We are happy to share that our new article, “Experimental assessment of wall thermal properties using an integrated response factor approach”, has been published in the journal Energy & Buildings.
In this work, we propose and validate an experimental methodology that enables the simultaneous characterization of both stationary and periodic thermal properties of wall systems within a single experimental setup. The proposed approach aims to simplify testing procedures, reduce experimental time, and improve consistency in the evaluation of building envelope thermal performance.
The study was carried out using an advanced hot-box experimental facility and demonstrates the accuracy and robustness of the method through numerical validation and experimental testing.
Co-authored by Maja Danovska, Davide Cassol, Ivan Giongo, and Alessandro Prada.
The article is open access and available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2025.116661

9/6/2025

Sustainable Energy Lab at EUBCE2025 – European Biomass Conference and Exhibition

Our research group participated in EUBCE 2025 (Valencia, Spain) with the contribution entitled: “Modeling and optimization of hybrid heat pump systems with biomass boilers for enhanced bioenergy integration in building heating.”
This study develops a detailed, MATLAB-based heating system (HS) model that simulates both heat pump cycles and biomass boilers using a quasi-physical approach. Unlike traditional performance-map models, which are limited to analyzing existing systems, this approach allows designers to assess how individual components and construction choices affect overall efficiency. Validated against manufacturer data and benchmarks, the model also incorporates operational logic to optimize generator selection and control biomass usage, balancing performance with emissions. This work provides a tool for designing more efficient and environmentally conscious heating systems, addressing the growing demand for sustainable energy solutions.

5/6/2025

Sustainable Energy Lab at CLIMA 2025 – REHVA HVAC World Congress

The Sustainable Energy Laboratory took part in CLIMA 2025, the REHVA HVAC World Congress held in Milan, presenting recent research on the interaction between building design, HVAC systems, and energy storage technologies.
The presented work focused on evaluating the effects of building and HVAC features on solar battery degradation in residential buildings, with particular attention to the role of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in enhancing building energy flexibility. BESS are a key enabling technology for increasing self-consumption, managing renewable energy intermittency, and supporting demand–supply balance in highly electrified buildings.
The study highlighted how proper HVAC sizing and control strategies can significantly influence battery degradation, lifetime, and overall system efficiency, reinforcing the importance of integrated design approaches to fully exploit the potential of energy storage systems.

16/4/2025

Sustainable Energy Lab Begins Testing of Phase Change Materials for High-Performance Building Envelopes

We’re excited to announce the start of experimental testing on advanced Phase Change Materials (PCMs) at the Sustainable Energy Lab, as part of a collaborative research effort between DICAM and DII at the University of Trento.
The tests are being carried out using our Hot-Box apparatus (Double Climatic Chamber), focusing on summer thermal performance and the potential of PCMs to enhance thermal comfort while reducing energy demand. The sample under investigation is a wall system composed of organic bricks, paired with an external layer of PCM prepared in multilayer structures: EPDM/NBR panels embedded with a shape- stabilized PCM.
PCMs could play a crucial role in modern building design by absorbing and storing heat during the day and releasing it during cooler periods, effectively flattening temperature peaks. This thermal buffering reduces heat flux into indoor spaces, which can significantly cut cooling loads, not only in warmer location, but also in the alpine region which is increasingly becoming a hot-spot of the global warming. This sets a difficult challenge in the building envelope optimization balancing both winter and summer thermal performance. Thanks to our sophisticated hot-box and a exhaustive data acquisition system, temperatures and heat fluxes are monitored in order to assess dynamic thermal properties of the analysed wall coupled with phase change materials. Our current focus is on understanding how PCM thickness affects the thermal behaviour of the wall, with an eye toward optimizing solutions tailored to different climatic zones. This research aims to support climate-responsive architecture and contribute to the development of more sustainable, energy-efficient buildings.
Stay tuned for updates as we continue this exciting journey toward smarter building materials and systems!