Torino Energy Centre - Cleantech Incubation Europe

TORINO ENERGY CENTER
Marco Filippi, Politecnico di Torino
Starting point of the project 1/2
The idea of an innovation cluster in Turin devoted to energy and
environment was born in 2008, in the context of the “Piano Territoriale
Integrato” named “Energy sustainability as development factor: a plan
for Torino”, a planning action carried out by the town government
concerning economical development, environmental sustainability and social
cooperation at the regional scale.
The cluster (a group of independent undertakings: innovative start-ups,
small, medium and large enterprises as well as research organizations) was
originally designed to stimulate innovative activity by promoting intensive
interactions, sharing of facilities and exchange of knowledge and expertise
and by contributing effectively to technology transfer, networking and
information dissemination among the undertakings in the cluster (Community
framework for state aid for research, development and innovation 2006/C
323/01).
Starting point of the project 2/2
The Turin Energy Cluster was originally designed as a system of
locations, actors and relations in order to develop the market of energy
efficiency and renewable energy sources by a network in which various
subjects were involved:
- Politecnico di Torino
- Università di Torino
- I3P Politecnico di Torino
- Incubator Università di Torino
- Environment Park
polarized in 2 different locations:
• Polito Energy Center (Cittadella Politecnica)
• Energy Park (Parco Dora)
The Energy Center 1/4
During the formulation of the strategic plan, the two different locations
became only one (Cittadella Politecnica).
A preliminary design of the area and of the building hosting the Energy
Center was carried out by the P&CM Office of the Politecnico di Torino at the
beginning of 2011.
The plan of the building was associated to a feasibility study carried out by
Finpiemonte, the finance company of Regione Piemonte.
The mission of the Energy Center was detailed in
• supporting the R&D&I system at regional level (universities, regional
innovation center, private research centers)
• developing skills and knowledge already present in the regional area
• increasing the access to market of clean and smart energy technologies
• increasing facilities and services for R&D&I activities
The Energy Center 2/4
In the feasibility study (March 2011) the «new» Energy Center was
described as a competence center in the field of clean & smart energy
technologies and a place for technological experimentation, in order to
support the generation and development of projects and to disseminate the
know-how among all scientific and economical subjects, at local and national
level. The functions of the building were described as follows:
• a multi-functional infrastructure mainly focused on the last phase of
applied research (test of components and systems)
• a modular space with high flexibility to offer location services to small,
medium and large enterprises as well as research organizations
• a test lab where SMEs can develop promising technologies
• a place for temporary incubation on innovative start-ups in the field of
clean&smart energy technologies, in close connection with the incubator
I3P (Politecnico di Torino).
The Energy Center 3/4
The project was approved by the Town Council in May 12, 2011.
Regione Piemonte approved the project and communicated the
availability of the funding on May 17, 2012.
The P&CM Office of the Town of Turin was taking care of the building
process and of the related tender.
The executive design of the building was carried out by the P&CM
Office of the Town of Turin and it was approved by the Town Council on
November 27, 2012.
The European tender will be launched in Spring 2013 and the end of
the construction is expected in Summer 2015.
The estimated construction cost is 15,3 M€.
The Energy Center 4/4
The total investment is worth 19 M€ and it is financed by
• Regione Piemonte (14 M€), by the fund for renovation of old industrial
areas (POS-FESR funds 2007-2013)
• Compagnia di San Paolo (4 M€)
• Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Torino (1 M€), by the fund
assigned to Politecnico di Torino for purchasing scientific equipment
The life tenancy will be given to Politecnico di Torino.
The Energy Center will be built on a brownfield, where the Westinghouse
factory was located; becoming part of a large process of urban renovation
(Spina 2), close to Politecnico di Torino campus.
POLITECNICO:Sede Centrale
R. UNIVERSITARIA: Borsellino
POLITECNICO: Cittadella
EX OFFICINE FERROVIARIE
You are
here
General views of the area as it is
First phase (red colour): total gross floor area 8.830 square meters
Building 1/4
Basement -4,48m
Parking (1900 m2)
Technical and service spaces
Cafeteria and relax area
Ground floor +0,00m
Entrance hall and reception
Conference room
«Heavy» Laboratories
Floor 1 +8,37m
Offices
Floor 2 +12,57m
Offices
Floor 3 +16,77m
«Light» Laboratories
Roof
Technical rooms and test-site
+21,17m
Building 2/4
The ground floor
higher than all other floors (8 m), it is devoted to «heavy» labs in which it
is possible to test small energy converters (electrical generators, microcogenerators, electrical motors) and small energy storage. The converters
will be able to be integrated into the general energy system of the
building.
The first and the second floors host offices and open spaces.
The third floor hosts a «light» lab where it’s possible to test electrical
appliance, ICT systems, devices for domotics, monitoring and energy
systems control.
Building 3/4
The roof
it is a flat roof designed as a test-site
it will host structures with high flexibility and living labs to test materials,
solar panels and building envelope components.
A vertical shaft is foreseen to connect all the floors physically and to
hold:
- mechanical piping
- electrical cables
- data communication network
Building 4/4
The building will be a nearly Zero Energy Building.
It will consume a very low quantity of thermal energy (high insulated
envelope) and electricity (LED lighting) and it will be provided by
- connection to district heating
- TH panels to produce hot water
- PV panels to produce electricity
- high efficiency refrigerating equipment.
The building will be a sustainable building certified according to the
Italian certification procedure ITACA.
Work in progress 1/2
A team composed by the funding bodies (Città di Torino, Regione
Piemonte, Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT) and Politecnico
di Torino is working on, in strict cooperation with Environment Park.
At present the team is
 revising the Energy Center core mission and carrying out different
value propositions as
• a “business and research center” in which SMEs can carry
out R&D&I activities in cooperation with Politecnico di Torino
• a “services center” in which SMEs can find assistance for
European project management, recruitment, partnership
search, IP management, exploitation management, fund
raising
Work in progress 2/2
• a “test facility” in which SMEs can find equipment and
technicians to test their promising technologies
• an “interdisciplinary center” in which energy policies and
economical aspects of the energy systems can be discussed.
 analysing the regional and national reference market
getting in contact with industrial and institutional stakeholder
 looking at different models of organization and management
 carrying out a business plan
 scheduling an operational plan for start up
 planning the communication strategies of the initiative.
Thank you for the attention
Marco Filippi, Politecnico di Torino
marco.filippi@polito.it