Our lines of research in this area are:

• Optimization of solar thermal systems
• Photovoltaic System Optimization
• Energy efficiency in agribusiness
• Constructions of almost zero energy, highlighting the wineries.
• Assessment of the impact of climate change on construction.

The line of research seeks to contribute to the global challenge of achieving climate-neutral countries and continents, promoting the integration of renewable energies and the improvement of energy efficiency in the agro-industrial sector and in rural areas.

In the EU, the agri-food industry is responsible for more than 10% of industrial energy consumption. The new energy context, marked by great volatility in the price of energy, makes it necessary to implement adaptation measures that maintain the competitiveness and viability of agro-industries and agricultural holdings. However, the great fragmentation of some subsectors, with a large number of SMEs, makes it difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises to carry out studies and make decisions.

The implementation of renewables in the sector faces the challenges of the wide range of consumption patterns (with sizing and profitability in some cases that cannot be extrapolated to others), the strong seasonality of some patterns, the sensitivity to changes in the price of energy that affect the viability of investments,  etc. To help the sector, the research group carries out work to improve energy efficiency and promote renewable energies. 

With regard to constructions, despite the advantages offered by buildings with almost zero energy consumption, the increase in the initial investment required and other operational aspects continue to encourage inefficient warehouses that entail high subsequent energy consumption.  The research group has been promoting nearly zero-energy constructions for more than two decades.

It is expected that the increase in temperature due to climate change will lead to an increase in the energy consumption of HVAC equipment and will also affect the effectiveness of many nearly zero-energy buildings. It is necessary to anticipate the adverse effects that climate change will have on construction, assessing its impact and proposing adaptation and resilience measures that allow companies to maintain the viability and competitiveness. 

Within the research work carried out, the wine sector is of special relevance. In Spain, the sector is a very important part, not only of the economy, but also of our society and our culture, contributing to the image of the country and the development of rural areas. Spain is the world's leading vineyard, the world's third largest producer, the leading exporter in volume and the third in value. For this reason, much of the work carried out focuses on wineries, to help the sector continue to be a global benchmark, an example of competitiveness, efficiency and quality.