EMPEDOFLEX officially launched: a new digital frontier for urban energy flexibility
The official kick-off meeting of the EMPEDOFLEX project – EMpowering Positive Energy District Optimal FLEXibility provision – was held at the Piacenza campus, marking the start of activities for this European research initiative involving the Department of Energy at Politecnico di Milano.
The EMPEDOFLEX project was officially launched during a kick-off meeting held last week with all European partners. Its main objective is to accelerate the deployment of Positive Energy Districts (PED) — urban areas or neighborhoods that produce more energy than they consume through intelligent and integrated resource management — thereby contributing to the energy transition and enhancing the resilience of European cities.
The project will develop an interoperable digital toolbox composed of advanced tools designed to support professionals, developers, operators, and local communities in the planning, management, and energy optimization of PEDs. Planned components include flexibility management tools, digital models, and interoperability solutions that facilitate coordination across multi-vector energy systems.
The consortium and the Department’s role:
EMPEDOFLEX brings together a high-level European consortium composed of:
- Research organizations and technological institutes: LEAP s.c.a r.l., VITO, INESC TEC, ICCS – NTUA
- Universities: Politecnico di Milano, Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH)
- Companies and industrial partners: Bettergy, Smartflex
- Local authorities: Örebro kommun
The Department of Energy at Politecnico di Milano actively contributes to the definition of the digital tools and to research activities focused on the management and optimization of urban energy flexibility, strengthening its position within the European landscape of energy transition research. The research group involved is Electrical Systems for Energy and Transport (ESET), and the Department’s project lead is Filippo Bovera.
Positive Energy Districts represent a key direction of European policies aimed at climate-neutral and smart cities, aligned with the European Union’s missions on climate neutrality and urban sustainability. These districts act as real-life laboratories to test digital solutions, energy models, and collaborative approaches that integrate energy, mobility, building efficiency, and local community engagement.
