Renewable Energy and Built Environment

About the research group

The Renewable Energy and Built Environment (REBE) is a newly established team within the School of Technology and Innovations at the University of Vaasa. REBE brings together passionate researchers dedicated to advancing energy technologies for the benefit of society. The group collaborates closely with academic and industry partners to deliver impactful solutions. REBE is led by Professor Xiaoshu Lü.

REBE undertakes interdisciplinary research across the entire energy cycle, including energy sources, storage, and consumption. Our primary focus lies on the consumption side within building sector, particularly in the context of low-emission and low-energy buildings, districts, and cities.

The research group focuses particularly on the following themes:

Renewable Energy Sources (RES)
Integration of RES into the Building Sector
Sector Coupling
Low-Carbon, Low-Energy Buildings
Energy Storage Solutions
Advanced Materials (e.g. Phase Change Materials)
Smart Cities and Urban Energy Systems
Data Centres and Cooling Technologies
Hydrogen Production and Storage
Mathematical Modelling and Optimization
Data Science

Latest updates

News 17.06.2024

Building elements as distributed wireless infrastructure – Professor Xiaoshu Lü receives significant funding from the Research Council of Finland

News 19.12.2023

Optimising air quality and energy consumption of school buildings with supercomputing – Research Council of Finland awards grant to SustainSchool project

Dissertation 12.12.2023

Climate change can benefit renewable energy production in the Kvarken archipelago

Show more news

Research projects

Project	Duration	Actors
DiTArtIS - Network of Excellence in Digital Technologies and AI Solutions for Electromechanical and Power Systems Applications	10/2022 - 09/2025	Technology and Innovations, Smart electric systems, Renewable Energy and Built Environment, VEBIC
CleanSCHOOL - Discovering safe cleaning for school buildings to reduce harmful chemical, particle and microbial footprint	09/2020 - 08/2024	VEBIC, Technology and Innovations, Renewable Energy and Built Environment
Energy for IoT and other electrical devices (E4IoT)	09/2020 - 08/2022	Smart electric systems, Renewable Energy and Built Environment, Renewable energy, Technology and Innovations, Efficient Powertrain Solutions
STARCLUB - Signal-Transmissive-Walls with Embedded Passive Antennas for Radio-Connected Low-Energy Urban Buildings	09/2019 - 08/2023	VEBIC, Renewable Energy and Built Environment, Technology and Innovations

Latest publications

Publication year	Publication	Authors
2025	Thermodynamic analysis and performance enhancement of an integrated solar–geothermal polygeneration system using grey wolf optimization and LSTM-based forecasting with Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis: A case study on Tenerife Island	Kalan, Ali Shokri; Khuyinrud, Mohammadreza Babaei; Jahangiri, Farshad; Ahmadi, Ramin; Mahboubi, Amir; Lü, Xiaoshu; Rosen, Marc A.
2025	Innovations in energy harvesting: A survey of low-power technologies and their potential	Ullah, Qudrat; Rauta, Tuomas; Keskikuru, Jussi; Haverinen, Joel; Ruuskanen, Pekka
2025	The development and future direction of renewable energy in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Botswana	Girgibo, N.; Haapalainen, P.; Karita, L.; Peura, P.; Adam, G.; Sissay, T.; Worku, A.; Girma, M.; Einax, M.; Maphane, P.; Cleophas, A.; Kiprop, A.; Kasedde, H.; Kirabira, J.B.; Kumakech, K.
2025	Renewable energy villages roadmap development for Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, and Botswana nations	Girgibo, Nebiyu; Luokkanen-Rabetino, Karita; Peura, Pekka; Adam, Getachew; Sissay, Tsegaye; Worku, Abebe; Girma, Misrak; Einax, Mario; Maphane, Phalaneng; Cleophas, Achisa; Kiprop, Ambrose; Kasedde, Hillary; Kirabira, John Baptist; Kumakech, Kasim
2025	IBAC-Net: integrative brightness adaptive plant leaf disease classification	Xu, Xing; Ma, Hongya; Zhao, Yun; Lv, Xiaoshu
2025	Review of geochemical processes in CCUS: Mechanisms, processes, and implications	Lu, Shuaiyi; Jiang, Pan; Cong, Lianghan; Zheng, Tianqi; Hao, Yankai; Lü, Xiaoshu
2025	Polyalcohols for flexible thermal energy storage: Understanding persistent supercooling from Gibbs free energy	Shao, Xuefeng; Chen, Xuyeke; Zhang, Yuxiang; Lü, Xiaoshu; Yuan, Yanping
2025	Basalt mineralization with soda saline soil for enhanced CO₂ sequestration: An experimental study	Cong, Lianghan; Yu, Ziwang; Kang, Jianguo; Lu, Shuaiyi; Jiang, Pan; Zheng, Tianqi; Lü, Xiaoshu
2025	Experimental investigation on energy and resilience performance of spherical PCM-assisted EAHE system for underground buildings	Cao, Haixia; Zeng, Chao; He, Jiajun; Lü, Xiaoshu; Yuan, Yanping
2025	Comprehensive assessment of an integrated energy system with EVs in a PV-equipped station-city complex	Liu, Xinhui; Zeng, Chao; Yuan, Yanping; Luo, Jianing; Lü, Xiaoshu; Haghighat, Fariborz

Former Renewable Energy research group's publications

Formerly, the Renewable Energy and Built Environment research group was part of Renewable Energy research group.

Publication year	Publication	Authors
2023	Waste Plastic Pyrolytic Oil Blends as Valuable Fuels for Modern Compression Ignition Engines	Hunicz, Jacek; Rybak, Arkadiusz; Duda, Kamil; Sivalingam, Murugan; Mikulski, Maciej
2023	Towards Real-Time Combustion Phase Estimation for linear RCCI Model-Predictive Control Design	Modabberian, Amin; Storm, Xiaoguo; Vasudev, Aneesh; Zenger, Kai; Hyvönen, Jari; Mikulski, Maciej
2023	Machine Learning Methods for Emissions Prediction in Combustion Engines with Multiple Cylinders	Nguyen Khac, Hoang; Modabberian, Amin; Zenger, Kai; Niskanen, Kalle; West, Anton; Zhang, Yejun; Silvola, Elias; Lendormy, Eric; Storm, Xiaoguo; Mikulski, Maciej
2023	钻孔救援连续缆管储放设备研制 [Development of storage equipment of continuous cable pipe for borehole rescue]	Gao, Ke; Niu, Xin; Zhao, Yan; Qin, Xiaolin; Lyu, Xiaoshu; Xie, Xiaobo
2023	双钻头自平衡钻进系统用多通道连续缆管设计 [Design of multi-channel continuous cable duct for double-bit self-balancing drilling system]	Zhao, Yan; Ai, Hongxin; Gao, Ke; Zhang, Congshan; Lyu, Xiaoshu; Xie, Xiaobo
2023	Numerical Investigation of Ammonia-Diesel Fuelled Engine Operated in RCCI Mode	Fakhari, Amir Hossein; Gharehghani, Ayat; Salahi, Mohammad Mahdi; Mahmoudzadeh Andwari, Amin; Mikulski, Maciej; Hunicz, Jacek; Könnö, Juho
2023	A Predictive 1D Modeling Framework for Reactivity-Controlled Compression Ignition Engines, via a Chemistry-Based, Multizone Combustion Object	Kakoee, Alireza; Vasudev, Aneesh; Smulter, Ben; Hyvonen, Jari; Mikulski, Maciej
2023	Artificial intelligence (AI)-based optimization of power electronic converters for improved power system stability and performance	Gros, Ioana-Cornelia; Lü, Xiaoshu; Oprea, Claudiu; Lu, Tao; Pintilie, Lucian
2023	Proposing a Hybrid Thermal Management System Based on Phase Change Material/Metal Foam for Lithium-Ion Batteries	Saeedipour, Soheil; Gharehghani, Ayat; Ahbabi Saray, Jabraeil; Andwari, Amin Mahmoudzadeh; Mikulski, Maciej
2023	IoT Sensor Challenges for Geothermal Energy Installations Monitoring: A Survey	Prauzek, Michal; Kucova, Tereza; Konecny, Jaromir; Adamikova, Monika; Gaiova, Karolina; Mikus, Miroslav; Pospisil, Pavel; Andriukaitis, Darius; Zilys, Mindaugas; Martinkauppi, Birgitta; Koziorek, Jiri