EDP has completed a European project which tested more than 50 energy, mobility and digitalisation solutions in historic cities, Executive Digest reports.

POCITYF was funded by the Horizon 2020 programme, led by EDP and involved 48 European partners. The project aimed to demonstrate that the energy transition can move forward without compromising the preservation of heritage.

The main demonstrations took place in Évora in Portugal, and Alkmaar in the Netherlands, where the two cities served as laboratories to test solutions aimed at accelerating the path to climate neutrality.

Évora is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the solutions were therefore adapted to the characteristics of the historic centre. The results point to average energy savings of between 16 percent and 20 percent, along with an estimated 15 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy solutions tested

Some of the tested technologies were photovoltaic systems integrated into building elements such as roof tiles and glass, energy communities, thermal and electrochemical batteries, energy management platforms, and infrastructure for electric mobility, Executive Digest reports.

According to João Cravinho, research and innovation engineer at EDP and principal coordinator of the project: “The main message of POCITYF is that innovation and heritage preservation can go hand in hand and contribute to the same purpose.”

More than 18 million euros in investment was mobilised across all initiatives developed by the consortium. Six cities across Europe participated in sharing and adapting the solutions developed by POCITYF.

The project allowed EDP to test technologies in a “real-world context” and thereby gain knowledge about integrating the energy transition in urban centres that face significant heritage constraints.

Set The Portugal News as your preferred source for news on Google

GoogleAdd as a preferred source on Google