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Dr. Roberto Barrella

Current position:
Research Assistant Professor
Association date:
11/Sep/2018
Location:
SM26. D-202
Phone extension number:
+34 91 542-2800 ext. 2775
Researcher ID:
Google Scholar ID:
SCOPUS:
ResearchGate:
IEEE:

Biography:

Roberto Barrella was born in Rome in 1992. He obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Energy Engineering in 2015 and a Master's degree in Energy Engineering in 2018, both from Università degli Studi di Roma La Sapienza. He developed his Master's thesis at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. In July 2022 he defended his PhD thesis proposing an integrated approach to energy poverty, developed at Comillas Pontifical University. During his PhD, he carried out an international exchange at the Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research (CENSE), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (Portugal), where he worked with the team coordinating the Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH). He works as a Research Assistant Professor at the Institute for Research in Technology (IIT). Moreover, he is the coordinator of the Engineering area of the Chair of Energy and Poverty (Comillas-ICAI). His teaching activities are mainly developed in the Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Organisation Departments of Comillas-ICAI.


Areas of interest:

Energy poverty, Residential Energy Demand, Energy Efficiency, HVAC systems, Energy Policy, Just energy transition, Climate change.


Experience:

09/2017 - 03/2018. Erasmus program, Madrid, Spain. He attended three courses and worked on his Master Thesis at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.

04/2008 – present. Volunteer, Community of Sant'Egidio. For more than a decade, he has been a volunteer of the Community of Sant'Egidio, which provides services for children, elderly and homeless people. He participated in projects with this association in four different places: at an elderly home, at a children’s home, at Largo Passamonti in Rome and in Blantyre, Malawi.

09/2000 - 09/2012. Boy’s Scout, Rome, Italy. In 12 years of Scouting, he has developed skills of adaptation and resolution of concrete problems. Outstanding experiences: hiking in Italy, volunteering in Lourdes, participating in the World Youth Day (WYD) in Madrid, and kayaking from Treviso to Venice.


Skills:

Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, Powerpoint), advanced in EES and R, basic knowledge of Matlab, Mathcad, AutoCAD, Ecotect, Radiance, Climate Consultant.

Italian (Native), Spanish (Proficiency), English (Advanced), Portuguese (Basic).

Energy demand modeling.

Energy poverty indicators’ analysis.

HVAC systems’ feasibility analysis.

Thermodynamics and Fluid dynamics lab research and knowledge.

Basic electrical lab knowledge.

Designing, construction and testing of energy conversion systems.

Designing of sustainable buildings.


Current research interests:

Bottom-up models of HVAC demand in the residential sector.

Bottom-up models for domestic electricity consumption.

Study of future scenarios of household energy demand and expenditure.

Analysis of the techno-economic feasibility of heat pumps in the residential sector.

Strategies for energy retrofitting of buildings: active and passive measures.

Critical review of energy poverty indicators.

Analysis and proposal of measures to combat energy poverty in Europe.

Just green transition.

Application of XAI to energy poverty studies.


Journal Publications

show 15 journal publications

Projects

show 13 projects

Conference Papers

show 8 conference papers

International Exchanges

  • Jan - Apr 2022, Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research (CENSE), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa. Lisbon (Portugal).
show 1 international exchanges

Invited Conferences and Seminars

  • Seminar "The behind-the-scenes story of 2022 energy and inflationary crises: data, experiences and opinions of spanish vulnerable households". Instituto de Investigación Tecnológica. Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Oct 2024.
  • Conference "Energy for all. A Service-Learning project" Putting Energy Poverty Research into Practice. Fuel Poverty Research Network (FPRN); y University of Salford. Online. Oct 2024.
  • Conference "Introduction to the bulletin, purpose and research methodology used" Presentación del Boletín sobre Vulnerabilidad Social | Pobreza Energética. Cruz Roja Española. Madrid (Spain). Jul 2024.
  • Conference "Chair of Energy and Poverty: Research and action against energy poverty" Jornadas de Capacitación en Pobreza Energética: Panorama internacional, casos de análisis y lecciones aprendidas. Proyecto I-COOP VEnUS. Madrid (Spain). Jun 2024.
  • Conference "Energy Poverty Indicators in Spain. Datasets, methods and results " EU Energy Poverty Advisory Hub (EPAH) - Course platform. Energy Poverty Advisory Hub. Online. Jun 2024.
  • Chair in "Round table: Eliminating energy poverty in a Europe in transition" Jornada «Avanzando en la colaboración por el acceso universal a la energía y contra la pobreza energética. MAUE 10º Aniversario». Mesa de Acceso Universal a la Energía (MAUE). Madrid (Spain). Jun 2024.
  • Round table "Addicted to energy" I Congreso de Educación hacia la Sostenibilidad - ICES. Comunidad de Madrid. Madrid (Spain). May 2024.
  • Conference "Energy poverty" I Congreso de Educación hacia la Sostenibilidad - ICES. Comunidad de Madrid. Madrid (Spain). May 2024.
  • Conference "Evaluating the impact of energy efficiency strategies on households’ energy affordability: A Spanish case study" IEA Workshop «Measuring Affordability and the Social Impacts of Clean Energy Transitions». International Energy Agency - IEA. Paris (France). Mar 2024.
  • Round table "Measuring affordability and the social impacts of clean energy policies on marginalized groups: Toward better policy design" IEA Workshop «Measuring Affordability and the Social Impacts of Clean Energy Transitions». International Energy Agency - IEA. Paris (France). Mar 2024.
  • Seminar "Energy poverty in a global crisis. Who is left behind by the energy transition?". Instituto de Investigación Tecnológica. Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Nov 2023.
  • Conference "Energy poverty vision and challenges to be tackled" Webinar «10 Años de "Ni Un Hogar Sin Energía": Acción e innovación en la lucha contra la pobreza energética.» . Fundación Ecológica y Desarrollo - ECODES. Online. Oct 2023.
  • Conference "Assessing the impact of express refurbishment on energy poverty: a case study analysis" Seminario «¿Impactan las medidas contra la pobreza energética en las familias en situación de vulnerabilidad?» . Fundación Naturgy. Madrid (Spain). Jun 2023.
  • Chair in "Session 2. «Other experiences of local initiatives against energy poverty»" X Sesión del Seminario Interdisciplinar «Iniciativas locales contra la pobreza energética». Cátedra de Energía y Pobreza. Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Jun 2023.
  • Workshop "Developing a vision for a just energy transition in Spain (working group)" Jornada ADJUST: Hacia una transición justa. Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3); Österreichische Forschungsstiftung für Internationale Entwicklung (ÖFSE); y Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC). Madrid (Spain). Jun 2023.
  • Workshop "Development of concrete policy initiatives that can help achieve a just energy transition in Spain (working group)" Jornada ADJUST: Hacia una transición justa. Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3); Österreichische Forschungsstiftung für Internationale Entwicklung (ÖFSE); y Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici (CMCC). Madrid (Spain). Jun 2023.
  • Conference "Energy for all. A learning and service project" Jornadas de Buenas Prácticas en Docencia Comillas 2022-23. Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Jun 2023.
  • Round table "The amendments to the EPBD directive. A harmonised framework for climate neutrality in buildings." XVIII Encuentro Anual de Atecyr. . Asociación Técnica Española de Climatización y Refrigeración (Atecyr). Madrid (Spain). Jun 2023.
  • Chair in "Session 2. «Impact of anti-crisis measures on vulnerable people. Lessons learned from the measures implemented and proposals for future measures»" IX Sesión del Seminario Interdisciplinar «¿Cuál es el impacto real sobre las personas vulnerables de las medidas contra la crisis energética actual?». Cátedra de Energía y Pobreza. Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Feb 2023.
  • Conference "Presentation of the EPAH report: "Energy Poverty National Indicators: Insights for a more effective measuring" and of the latest data on energy poverty in Spain" Webinar «Iniciativas para paliar la pobreza energética en el contexto europeo. Proyecto Europeo SocialWatt y Proyecto EPIU Getafe». Fundación Naturgy. Online. Feb 2023.
  • Conference "Household electricity expenditure in the context of the energy crisis" Taller «Propuestas para mejorar la estrategia nacional contra la pobreza energética 2019-2024». Unión General de los Trabajadores de España - UGT. Online. Nov 2022.
  • Round table "Panel 1: Technical and economic challenges of the renewable energy transition" III Congreso Institucional de Sostenibilidad - Miradas multidimensionales para la transición energética en Colombia. Universidad La Salle. Online. Nov 2022.
  • Workshop "Minimum energy needs: from a theoretical approach to real case studies" Engager Café. ENGAGER COST Action. Online. Nov 2022.
  • Round table "A decade of research on energy poverty indicators. Where should we go?" Jornada «Pobreza energética: Diez años de visibilización y acción». ACA - Asociación de Ciencias Ambientales. Online. Feb 2022.
  • Conference "Session 2. "How far is the thermal bonus going to alleviate Energy Poverty?"" VII Sesión del Seminario Interdisciplinar. Situación actual y perspectivas de evolución de la pobreza energética en España. Cátedra de Energía y Pobreza. Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Nov 2021.
  • Round table "Modeling and analysis of the electricity consumption of vulnerable households in Spain" VIII Congreso Nacional de Igenieros del ICAI «Somos historia que construye futuro». Colegio de Ingenieros del ICAI. Madrid (Spain). Nov 2021.
  • Conference "What can engineers do to address energy poverty?". Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Madrid (Spain). Oct 2021.
  • Conference "Modeling and analysis of electricity consumption in Spanish vulnerable households. Technical session: Energy transition" 14th IEEE PowerTech Conference 2021. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power and Energy Society (IEEE PES); y Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Online. Jun 2021.
  • Workshop "The Spanish national strategy against energy poverty 2019-2024: policy and research perspectives" 9th Engager Café. ENGAGER COST Action. Online. Jun 2021.
  • Conference "The Spanish national strategy against energy poverty 2019-2024: policy and research perspectives" ENGAGER Training School 2: Mainstreaming Innovative Energy Poverty Metrics. ENGAGER COST Action. Online. Apr 2021.
  • Workshop "Impact of energy refurbishment strategies on domestic energy services affordability: the Spanish case" Making the Carbonisation Fair conference. Fuel Poverty Research Network, Defesa do consumidor (DECO); Center for Environmental and Sustainability Research (CENSE -FCT NOVA); y ENGAGER-COST Action. Online. Mar 2021.
  • Seminar "Energy Poverty. Who is left behind by energy transition?" MEPI Conference. Cátedra de Energía y Pobreza. Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). Sep 2019.
  • Workshop "Climate change and energy poverty" ENGAGER WG1/WG4 Meeting. European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST). Zadar (Croatia). Sep 2019.
  • Conference "Towards a hidden energy poverty indicator for Spanish households" 14th Workshop on Industrial Systems and Energy Technologies - JOSITE'2019. Instituto de Investigación Tecnológica. Universidad Pontificia Comillas. Madrid (Spain). May 2019.
show 34 invited conferences and seminars

Organization of Scientific Meetings

show 11 organization of scientific meetings

Technical Reports

show 20 technical reports

External Relevant Positions

  • Member of the EUPeace Senate for Early Career Researchers European University for Peace, Justice, and Inclusive Societies (EUPeace). Marburg (Germany). Sep - Nov 2024.
  • Member of the European Experts group of the H2020 WHY project Universidad de Deusto. Bilbao (Spain). Oct 2023 - Today.
  • Member of Climate READi Equity and Climate Justice Working Group Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Palo Alto (United States of America). Sep 2023 - Today.
  • Member Asociación Española para la Economía Energética (AEEE). Madrid (Spain). May 2023 - Today.
  • Member of the Board of Directors Asociación Mesa de Acceso Universal a la Energía (MAUE). Madrid (Spain). May 2023 - Today.
  • Member of «Directory of Fuel Poverty Researchers» Fuel Poverty Research Network (FPRN). (United Kingdom). Nov 2022 - Today.
  • Member of the Advisory Board of the ENPOR project Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (IEECP). Amsterdam (Netherlands). Sep 2021 - Aug 2023.
  • Member of Italian Observatory on Energy Poverty (OIPE) Centro Studi di Economia e Tecnica dell’Energia «Giorgio Levi Cases» de Università di Padova. Padua (Italy). Oct 2019 - Today.
  • Member of Working Group 2 of ENGAGER 2017-2021 COST Action «Indicators – Developing an operational European energy poverty framework» European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST). Brussels (Belgium). Feb 2019 - May 2022.
  • Member of EU Energy Poverty Observatory (EPOV) European Commission, Directorate General for Energy. Brussels (Belgium). Feb 2019 - Oct 2020.
  • Member of Working Group 4 of ENGAGER 2017-2021 COST Action «Innovation – Introducing path-breaking perspectives to the understanding of energy poverty» European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST). Brussels (Belgium). Feb 2019 - May 2022.
show 11 external relevant positions

Media and research dissemination

show 75 media and research dissemination

Fellowships and Awards

show 4 fellowships and awards