PERIODO: GENNAIO - FEBBRAIO 2017

ICT are recognised as being key players towards sustainability tasks particularly when dealing with energy: pervasive sensors and actuators can efficiently control the energy chain (Smart Thermal/Electricity Grid). On the other side, advances on 3D modelling, visualisation and interaction technologies enable user profiling and real-time feedback to promote energy efficient behaviours. However, despite the undeniable and intrinsic potentialities of the ICT, it is difficult to determine whether the benefit of smart solutions will materialise under real-word conditions particularly when dealing with smart solutions for energy saving affecting users behaviour.
The aim of the course is to present a number of evaluation methodologies to support decision processes towards energy transition at urban district level.
The Ph.D course provides:
- A theoretical framework related to urban sustainability focusing on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, saving energy, optimising processes with regard to sustainability criteria;
- Energy policies to define an energy masterplan considering energy actions on single buildings;
- Assessment methodologies comprising cost/benefits analysis (CBA), discounted cash flow analysis (DCF) and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA);
- An interactive Workshop. The aim of the workshop is to present and apply web-based visual platforms that have been developed during a number of recent European projects. The objective of the tools is to design future energy scenarios, identify costs and revenues of the scenarios hypotheses and to perform MCDA in order to manage complex energy decision processes at district scale.

Module 1:
Definition of energy transition, smart city and sustainability at urban/district level (3 hours).
Module 2:
Identification of the energy district policies and smart grid (3 hours). This module focus on energy fundamental aspects in districts: buildings energy consumption, heating and electric generation (renewable, cogeneration), energy grids, energy flows.
Module 3:
Assessment methodologies (3 hours). Different assessment methodologies are presented which able to structure complex decision processes, including ACB, DCF and MCDA.
Module 4:
ICT Workshop (6 hours)
The workshop will be structure into steps:
- presentation of a number of European case studies (MILESECURE-2050; POCACITO; DIMMER; KIC InnoEnergy/ EIT ICT Lab (Smart Energy Systems); EEB – Energy efficient buildings) and of ICT web-based platforms developed;
- application of the ICT web-platforms to a case study at district level;
- presentation of main results and discussion.