Pathways and Indicators to flexibility and building electrification
The first session of the Research Forum featured Edoardo Scalera (Aalto University / TalTech – Tallinn University of Technology), who presented his ongoing research within the ENTRANCE project, centered on making buildings smarter, more efficient, and actively integrated into the energy grid.
His work spans three interconnected areas:
- The first focuses on advanced electrification solutions, identifying up-to-date technologies that support higher energy efficiency, flexibility, and decarbonization in the built environment.
- The second develops a comprehensive set of data-driven key performance indicators (KPIs) designed to quantify building energy performance, flexibility, and grid interaction in a measurable and comparable way.
- The third explores how these quantitative KPIs, combined with the Smart Readiness Indicator, can support a multi-scale methodology for assessing building performance across different contexts and scales.
Beyond the core research, the presentation touched on two complementary topics: solar integration with phase-change material (PCM) storage as a solution for cold climates, and biodiversity roofs as an innovative strategy to simultaneously boost photovoltaic energy yield and support urban biodiversity.
Taken together, Scalera’s research represents a concrete contribution toward buildings that are not only more energy-efficient, but capable of playing an active role in Europe’s broader energy transition.
