PoliTo Campus, Italy

The Politecnico di Torino main campus, located in the Crocetta district of Turin, was established in 1958 and serves as the university’s central hub. It hosts approximately 35,000 students and 1,800 employees across a network of interconnected buildings, including the historic core and the modern Cittadella Politecnica expansion. Committed to sustainability, the campus integrates photovoltaic panels providing renewable energy and is connected to Turin’s district heating network for efficient thermal energy management. Energy efficiency measures include LED lighting retrofits, smart occupancy sensors, and automated HVAC systems to optimize building operations. Additionally, a centralized energy monitoring platform enables real-time tracking and optimization of electricity, heating, and ventilation, reinforcing Politecnico’s role as a leader in smart and sustainable campus management.

At Politecnico di Torino, researchers and technical staff have been working to develop a Building Operating System (BOS)—a cutting-edge digital infrastructure that enhances campus-wide energy management and operational efficiency. By integrating real-time data from sensors, networked devices, and the BMS, the BOS provides a centralized platform for monitoring, analyzing, and optimizing campus performance. Combining time-series databases, metadata storage, and advanced analytics models, it enables data-driven decision-making, driving sustainability and continuous improvement.

At the highest level, the developed system enables a diverse set of campus stakeholders to deploy innovative energy management solutions, such as energy forecasting processes and anomaly detection and diagnosis workflows. At the same time, it provides intuitive information media, including reports and dashboards, that support proactive system optimization, cost reduction, and improved efficiency. The system ingests data from more than 300 smart meters over time, pertaining electrical energy consumption, production, and weather conditions and ensures a comprehensive and granular view of campus energy balance. Additionally, with its open API architecture, the system ensures seamless integration with external applications, unlocking new opportunities for collaboration and the expansion of energy management solutions beyond the campus. In this context by facilitating interoperability with external platforms, research initiatives, and industry partners, the system fosters co-development of advanced data driven solutions.