The activities in the field of urban systems concern large scale integration of energy systems using networks (heating, cooling, hydrogen, water, CO2,…), considering simultaneously the available (renewable) energy resources, the industrial processes and the buildings requirements. The system boundary extension to tackle a geographical area is a natural evolution of the process system design application. The design of industrial ecology concepts in urban areas is studied by applying process system engineering techniques.
Tools:
- Process integration, industrial ecology
- Geographical Information systems (GIS)
- Energy conversion systems integration
- Exergy analysis
- Multi-objective thermo-economic optimization
- District heating systems
- Renewable energy integration
Publications: Full list
Current projects
- Waste2GridS – Converting WASTE to offer flexible GRID balancing Services with highly-integrated, efficient solid-oxide plants
- Optimal Design and Operation of Power-To-Gas System for Storage of Renewable Electricity and Interaction with the Electric Grid
- SCCER FURIES II – Future Swiss Electrical Infrastructure
- Assist Geneva International Airport during its transition to a zero-fossil energy system
- IntegrCiTy – Multi-energy networks in cities
- Design and control of building distributed energy systems
Seen in the press
- François Maréchal veut rendre les villes autonomes (French)| François Maréchal | EFFICIENCE 21, 21 No 29 – Hiver 2019
- Quand les algorithmes de l’EPFL redessinent les villes (French) | Le Nouvelliste – 02.02.2019
- District heating and cooling energy network using CO2 as a heat and mass ansfer fluid | Heat pumping Technologies Magazine, Vol.36 No1/2018.
- Le CO2, l’or noir de Pithano | François Maréchal (French)| Le Moniteur, 26 octobre 2018 n° 6000
- Ces villes devenues autonomes en énergie (French) | Enedis | La Tribune de Genève, 18/09/2018,
- Mediacom EPFL, Using CO2 for heating and cooling in urban areas , 2016
Talks and conferences
- On Using Co2 And Renewable Energy For Autonomous Cities | Prof. Francois Marechal | The International Centre for Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) 2017
- Comment la Suisse est devenue indépendante et neutre (French) | François Maréchal | TEDxMartigny 2018
- Comment rendre une ville autonome en énergie (French)| François Maréchal | TEDxGeneva 2017
François Maréchal: Comment rendre une ville autonome en énergie | TEDxGeneva