Trial / Demo
As part of the EU-funded TIPS4PED project, IES has developed a digital twin methodology to support the design and operation of Positive Energy Districts (PEDs). With pilot studies underway in cities including Turin, Cork, Kozani and Budapest, the approach aims to help municipalities plan, simulate, and optimise energy-positive urban districts.
What is a Positive Energy District?
A Positive Energy District (PED) is a well-defined urban area - such as a neighbourhood, campus district, or industrial zone - that achieves net-zero annual energy import and greenhouse gas emissions through localized renewable energy production, energy efficiency measures, and integrated energy management systems. PEDs represent a systemic, multi-scalar approach to urban energy transformation, going beyond individual building performance to optimize energy flows across an entire district.
The Challenge
PEDs are complex systems involving multiple buildings, energy networks, and stakeholders. Traditional tools often fall short in managing this complexity, particularly when transitioning from design to real-world operation. Cities need a unified platform that supports both planning and ongoing performance management.
The Solution: IES Digital Twin
IES has developed an integrated digital twin methodology that addresses these challenges through 10 steps, combining physics-based modelling, real-time data integration, cloud-based optimization, and human-centred design. The digital twin serves as a multidimensional interface for interaction and communication, not merely a technical device, but a platform that provides clear, dynamic representations of complex situations and fosters inclusive decision-making.
IES’s digital twin methodology integrates:
- A robust, physics-based model of the district using IES VE, iCD and iVN tools.
- Detailed building simulations in IESVE for key assets.
- Cloud-based simulation and optimisation workflows.
- Real-time dashboards via IES Live and 3D visualisation for stakeholder engagement.
The Turin Lighthouse Pilot
Turin, Italy, was selected as the flagship (Lighthouse) city for TIPS4PED implementation. The city has been recognized as one of 100 cities participating in the European Commission's NetZeroCities Mission, an initiative accelerating the transition to carbon neutrality across urban environments.
PED Site Characteristics
The Turin PED is centred on the Politecnico di Torino campus and serves as a vital urban hub with the following characteristics:
- Heterogeneous building mix: Educational institutions, cutting-edge research facilities, municipal office buildings, and residential housing
- Multi-energy infrastructure: Electrical grid, natural gas network, district heating system, and renewable generation capacity
- Renewable generation: 1.7 MW of rooftop photovoltaic capacity providing significant on-site renewable energy
- Complex stakeholder landscape: City of Turin, Politecnico di Torino, LINKS Foundation (research institution), RINA (engineering consultancy), and IES working in collaboration
- Urban density: Located within a densely populated metropolitan area, demonstrating the feasibility of PEDs in urban contexts (not just greenfield developments)
How IES tools are being used
The methodology integrates multiple IES tools, each serving a specific function across the PED lifecycle:
IESVE, iCD, and iVN: Physics-Based District Modelling
These tools form the foundation of the digital twin, creating a robust, physics-based virtual model of the entire district. This consisted of:
- Integrated GIS and BIM data: Combined geographic information system (GIS) mapping with Building Information Model (BIM) data to create a spatially accurate, multi-building district model
- District-scale energy flows: Model not just individual buildings but the district heating network, electrical distribution, and interactions between complementary building types (e.g., offices using peak energy during daytime while residential buildings peak in evening)
- Heterogeneous building stock characterization: Successfully handles the diverse mix of buildings at the Politecnico di Torino campus - educational institutions, municipal offices, research facilities, and residential units - each with distinct energy profiles
- Calibration against real data: Building energy consumption metrics are used to calibrate the model, ensuring simulations accurately represent actual district behaviour
IESVE also provides detailed thermal, electrical, and operational simulations for key buildings within the district. This includes HVAC Optimization, Thermal Comfort Assessments, Renewable Integration Analysis and comparisons of different retrofit strategies and operational control scenarios to support investment decision-making.
IES Live and 3D Immersive Visualization
IES Live real-time dashboards and 3D immersive environments enable stakeholders to visualize and interpret complex energy data, such as:
- KPI tracking: Displays key performance indicators—energy consumption, renewable generation, carbon emissions, operational costs—in real-time
- Historical analysis: Allows comparison of current performance against historical trends and targets
- 3D-immersive visualization: Provides an interactive 3D environment (iCIM on-the-cloud platform) where stakeholders can visualise district layout, energy flows, and optimisation results
- Stakeholder engagement: Makes complex technical information accessible to non-technical decision-makers, fostering shared understanding and collaborative planning
- Actionable intelligence: Highlights operational recommendations, bottlenecks, and opportunities for improvement
Key Outcomes and Results
The digital twin proves its value through:
- Model calibration: Successfully validates the physics-based model against 12+ months of actual operational data, achieving high accuracy in energy consumption and emission predictions
- Scenario optimization: Evaluates multiple decarbonisation pathways, quantifying the impact of building retrofits, renewable expansion, district heating optimization, and demand-side management strategies
- Operational insight: Identifies specific buildings and systems with the highest energy consumption and emissions, enabling targeted interventions
- Investment prioritization: Supports decision-making on capital allocation, balancing energy performance improvements with financial constraints
Implementation Highlights
- Data architecture: Developed a robust dynamic data architecture that structures ontology, sensor decoding, data storage, and communications protocols
- Sensor integration: Integrated existing sensors within the PED area alongside new IoT devices to create a comprehensive monitoring network
- Weather forecasting: Integrated real-time weather data and forecasts to enhance prediction accuracy for renewable generation and thermal loads
- Automated optimization: Implemented automated daily optimization routines that generate actionable recommendations for facility operators
- Human-in-the-loop design: Maintains operator control through intuitive dashboards, ensuring technology serves human decision-makers rather than replacing them
The Turin Lighthouse pilot demonstrates that digital twins can effectively bridge the traditional gap between district energy planning and operational management. By integrating physics-based modelling, real-time sensor data, cloud-based optimization, and intuitive visualisation, IES's digital twin methodology enables municipalities and stakeholders to make evidence-based decisions, improve operational efficiency, and accelerate the transition to climate-neutral urban districts. As cities across Europe commit to decarbonisation goals, the scalable, replicable approach demonstrated in Turin provides a proven pathway for achieving Positive Energy Districts at scale.
Acknowledgements
This work is part of the TIPS4PED project (Grant Agreement 101139633), led by RINA with IES providing the core digital twin technology.
→ Learn more about the method at open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/5-294/v1
→ Learn more about the project at https://tips4ped.eu
