Prof. Dr. Luca Baldini

Work at ZHAW

Position

Co-head Institute for Building Technology and Process / Lecturer - Research in Building Energy Systems and Technologies

Focus

Energy in buildings, Renewable energies, Building energy systems / building technologies, Thermal energy storage, Simulations

Teaching

Building Systems - Master of Integrated Building Systems MIBS, ETH Zurich

Professional development teaching

CAS Energiesysteme für klimaneutrale Areale und Quartiere

Experience

• Lecturer in Master of Integrated Building Systems MIBS, ETH Zurich
  ETH Zurich
  03 / 2017 - today
• Head of research group BEST - Building Energy Systems and Technologies
  Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
  03 / 2016 - 05 / 2021
• Innovation manager - NEST
  Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
  05 / 2014 - 03 / 2016
• CEO / Head Development and Distribution of Buidling Technology Components
  BS2 AG
  11 / 2009 - 12 / 2013

Education and Continuing education

Education

• Dr. sc. ETH / Building Energy Systems
  ETH Zurich
  10 / 2005 - 12 / 2009
• Dipl. Masch.-Ing. ETH / Mechanical Engineering - Fluid dynamics and Turbomachinery
  ETH Zurich
  09 / 1997 - 09 / 2003

Continuing Education

CAS Leadership in Science
FHNW
12 / 2017

Network

Membership of networks

AEE Suisse - member and speaker of the scientific council/board/working group thermal storage

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-9513-4877

Social media

Prof. Dr. Luca Baldini

Projects

• Design exploration and network integration of Underground Thermal Energy Storage for Cities / Deputy project leader / ongoing
• An exploratory approach for the design of building-level multi-energy systems (B-MES), leveraging integration of renewables and grid-friendly operation / Project leader / ongoing
• Swiss Seasonal Thermal Energy Storage Action Plan and Implementation / Project leader / ongoing
• Decarbonisation of Cooling and Heating in Switzerland / Project leader / ongoing
• Chinese Zero Emission Buildings with Swiss Know-How: Impact Study / Project leader / completed
• From high-fidelity to data-driven building energy performance simulation / Project leader / completed
• “Humans-in-the-loop” – An occupant-centric digital framework for sustainable building operation / Team member / completed
• Occupant-centric, mobile, radiant panel cooling for increasing summer comfort in offices / Project leader / completed
• Carbon Negative Biochar-based Building Insulation Materials / Project leader / completed
• TCology - Thermo-Chemical Network Ecology / Project leader / completed
• Frigero - Towards energy autonomous temperature-controlled supply chains / Team member / completed

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• Mahecha Zambrano, J., & Baldini, L. (2025). Integrating CFD and thermoregulation models : a novel framework for thermal comfort analysis of non-uniform indoor environments. Energy and Buildings, 335(115570). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2025.115570
• Weber, R., Fumey, B., & Baldini, L. (2025). Liquid sorption storage for high solar fraction heat supply in residential buildings under different climatic conditions. Energy and Buildings, 332(115446). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2025.115446
• Kim, M. K., Liu, J., & Baldini, L. (2024). Numerical analysis, design and application of a decentralized ventilation system with a heat recovery unit adapting to Nordic climates : a case study in Norway. Energy Reports, 11, 3863–3875. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2023.11.050
• Fumey, B., Weber, R., & Baldini, L. (2023). Heat transfer constraints and performance mapping of a closed liquid sorption heat storage process. Applied Energy, 335(120755). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.120755
• Fiorentini, M., Heer, P., & Baldini, L. (2022). Design optimization of a district heating and cooling system with a borehole seasonal thermal energy storage. Energy, 262, Part B(125464). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2022.125464
• Fumey, B., Borgschulte, A., Stoller, S., Fricker, R., Knechtle, R., Kaestner, A., Trtik, P., & Baldini, L. (2022). Enhanced gas-liquid absorption through natural convection studied by neutron imaging. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 182(121967). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.121967
• Hadengue, B., Morgenroth, E., Larsen, T. A., & Baldini, L. (2022). Performance and dynamics of active greywater heat recovery in buildings. Applied Energy, 305(117677). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117677
• Fumey, B., & Baldini, L. (2021). Static temperature guideline for comparative testing of sorption heat storage systems for building application. Energies, 14(13), 3754. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14133754
• Silva, R., Eggimann, S., Fierz, L., Fiorentini, M., Orehounig, K., & Baldini, L. (2021). Opportunities for passive cooling to mitigate the impact of climate change in Switzerland. Building and Environment, 208(108574). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108574
• Fiorentini, M., & Baldini, L. (2021). Control-oriented modelling and operational optimization of a borehole thermal energy storage. Applied Thermal Engineering, 199(117518). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2021.117518
• Tzinnis, E., & Baldini, L. (2021). Combining sorption storage and electric heat pumps to foster integration of solar in buildings. Applied Energy, 301(117455). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.117455

Written conference contributions, peer-reviewed

• Yigit, S., Mahecha Zambrano, J., & Baldini, L. (2025). A GIS and bottom-up simulation-based framework to assess the role of zero-emission building standards in achieving low-carbon goals : insights from a case study for China [Conference paper]. In U. Berardi, J. António, & N. Simões (Eds.), Construction, Energy, Environment and Sustainability (pp. 413–422). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-1826-5_44
• Yigit, S., & Baldini, L. (2025, November 28). Geospatial analysis for identifying suitable sites for subsurface seasonal thermal energy storage : a case study of city of Zurich. European Geothermal Congress, Zurich, Switzerland, 8-10 October 2025. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-34927
• Mahecha Zambrano, J., & Baldini, L. (2025). Energy and thermal comfort performance of occupant-centric radiant cooling systems : linking CFD, thermoregulation, and building performance simulations [Conference paper]. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 3140(7), 72004. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/3140/7/072004
• Baldini, L., & Mahecha Zambrano, J. (2025). Exploring the feasibility of thermochemical networks in district heating applications with high renewable fraction [Conference paper]. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 3140(2), 22014. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/3140/2/022014
• Jenny, D., Graser, K., & Baldini, L. (2023). “rubber band” – a practical support tool for integrated and resource-efficient early design in construction [Conference paper]. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2600(20), 202002. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2600/20/202002
• Baldini, L., & Zambrano, J. M. (2023). Thermochemical storage networks for integration of renewable energy sources through seasonal load shifting [Conference paper]. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2600(4), 42001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2600/4/042001
• Fiorentini, M., Vivian, J., Heer, P., & Baldini, L. (2022, April 20). Design and optimal integration of seasonal borehole thermal energy storage in district heating and cooling networks. CLIMA 2022 the 14th REHVA HVAC World Congress. https://doi.org/10.34641/clima.2022.64

Publications before appointment at the ZHAW

List of publications:   https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9513-4877 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Luca-Baldini-2 https://scholar.google.ch/citations?user=_qlmKssAAAAJ&hl=de&oi=sra

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