16 March 2026

On 10–12 March, the ECHO consortium gathered in Brussels for three days of meetings dedicated to assessing the project’s progress and planning the next phase of activities.

Following the General Assembly held on 10–11 March, partners met at the EHPA headquarters for a review meeting with representatives of the European Commission, marking an important milestone three years after the start of the project. The discussion focused on the main results achieved so far, as well as on the technical and dissemination activities planned for the coming months.

During the afternoon session, consortium partners and project reviewers visited the Putte demonstration site, where ECHO technologies are being implemented. The visit, hosted by project partner GREENCO, offered participants the opportunity to observe the system in operation and discuss its practical applications.

The three-day meeting represented an important moment to strengthen collaboration among partners and address key challenges as the project moves forward.

The next General Assembly will take place in approximately six months in Belgrade, hosted by Institut Mihajlo Pupin. On that occasion, the consortium will also organise the fourth of the five Awareness Raising events planned within the project.

27 November

Laura Vallese from CNR and Andrea Spotti from beWarrant – Tinexta Innovation Hub represented the ECHO Project at the ENLIT Conference, held in Bilbao from 18 to 20 November.

ECHO was showcased with a dedicated booth in the EU Project Zone (Hall 5), alongside ten other European projects funded under the Horizon Europe programme. This presence offered a valuable opportunity to present the project’s objectives and solutions to a broad audience, particularly to representatives from the energy industry, helping strengthen visibility and foster new connections within the sector.

In addition to the exhibition activities, Laura Vallese took part in a dedicated project presentation session on 19 November, where she introduced ECHO to a large audience. The session was held within a panel featuring the other projects of the TES Cluster, further reinforcing the importance of collaboration and shared vision among initiatives focused on innovative thermal energy storage solutions.

The conference also played an important role in advancing ECHO’s awareness-raising activities related to thermal energy storage. Visitors were invited to contribute by completing the project’s online questionnaire, which has already gathered more than 100 responses, confirming a growing interest in the topic and in ECHO’s approach.

Below, a selection of photos from the event provides a visual overview of ECHO’s participation at ENLIT Bilbao.

3 October 2025

The Horizon Europe project ECHO will be present at ENLIT 2025, one of Europe’s leading platforms on the energy transition, which will take place in Bilbao, Spain, from 18 to 20 September 2025. ENLIT brings together policymakers, industry leaders, researchers, and citizens to discuss the key challenges and opportunities in building a clean, reliable, and inclusive energy system. The event combines an international exhibition with a rich programme of conferences, workshops, and networking activities, offering a unique stage to showcase innovation and foster collaboration across sectors.

Within this framework, ECHO will be featured alongside other Horizon Europe initiatives – including projects of the TES Cluster – in a dedicated booth. This joint participation reflects the growing importance of clustering among EU-funded projects, allowing synergies to be built, results to be shared, and a stronger collective impact to be achieved on the European energy landscape. By standing together, projects not only increase their visibility but also create a coherent voice in support of the EU’s energy transition targets.

For ECHO, ENLIT 2025 will be a strategic occasion to advance its Awareness Raising activities on Thermal Energy Storage (TES). TES is a crucial technology to integrate renewable energy sources, increase system flexibility, and reduce carbon emissions in the building and energy sectors. Yet, its adoption and acceptance strongly depend on the involvement of citizens and local communities. ECHO emphasises that the success of energy transition cannot rely solely on technological progress; it requires the empowerment of people, who must be aware, informed, and engaged in shaping sustainable energy solutions.

This will be the third awareness-raising event organised by the project, following:

• City Vision, Padua

• Crevillente, ENERCOOP headquarters

In Bilbao, ECHO will further engage citizens and stakeholders by collecting their views and expectations through a dedicated survey, reinforcing the project’s mission to give voice to people in shaping the future of TES solutions.

By combining international clustering with local citizen engagement, ECHO demonstrates how European research projects can act as bridges: linking cutting-edge technologies with the real needs of society, ensuring that the energy transition is not only sustainable and efficient but also inclusive.

Further information on ECHO’s programme at ENLIT 2025 will be shared in the coming weeks.

3 October 2025

On the occasion of the AITA 2025 International Conference in Kobe, ITC-CNR participated in the event “Italian Technology for the Future of Infrastructures” hosted at the Italian Pavilion of EXPO 2025 in Osaka. The event was part of a wider programme showcasing Italian excellence in science, research, and innovation to an international audience.

In this framework, ITC-CNR introduced the Horizon Europe project ECHO, which aims to develop advanced energy storage solutions for buildings, contributing to the decarbonisation of the construction sector and to the objectives of the European Green Deal. The presentation highlighted the project’s role in promoting sustainable infrastructures through innovative thermal energy storage technologies.

Alongside ECHO, ITC-CNR also presented the national research initiative PRESTO, together with other ongoing activities on infrared thermography and related applications in the built environment.

The participation at EXPO 2025 represented an important opportunity to promote international collaboration and to share Italian expertise in sustainable construction with stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy.

More information:

• EXPO Osaka

• AITA 2025 International Conference

• ECHO Project

• PRESTO Project

11 July 2025

On 24 June 2025, the ECHO project participated in the workshop “Compact TES of the Future: from Challenges to Opportunities”, held during the ICSET 2025 Congress on Lipari island, Italy.

The event was co-organised by four EU-funded projects – ECHO, ThumbsUp, Hystore, and Best Storage – and provided a valuable occasion to exchange insights on the development and integration of compact thermal energy storage (TES) systems.

The workshop featured technical presentations and interactive discussions, fostering collaboration among experts on key topics such as energy flexibility, system integration, and material performance. It also followed up on the discussions launched in Savona in 2023, offering updates and outlining future challenges.

Photos from the event are available below.

10 July 2025

A few weeks ago, Paolo E. Randazzo participated in the 10th AIGE/IIETA International Conference and the 20th AIGE 2025 Conference, held at the Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia – Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari” (DIEF), Polo Universitario Fondazione CdR di Carpi.

The conference brought together researchers and experts to discuss recent advancements in Conversion, Management, Recovery, Saving, Storage, and Renewable Energy Systems.

Paolo presented a contribution titled:
“A novel Thermal Energy Storage (TES) system to support the energy grid flexibility: experimental test of a Thermochemical Material (TCM) reactor”.
This work is part of his PhD research and is being developed within the framework of two research projects: the European ECHO project and the Sa-Cer project, funded by Regione Emilia-Romagna. Both initiatives aim to develop innovative energy storage systems to support the integration of renewable energy sources.

08 July 2025

The ECHO consortium gathered in Ferrara from July 1st to 3rd, 2025 for a three-day event combining the General Assembly and a Workshop for PhD Students.

The first two days were dedicated to the General Assembly. On Day 1, held at the University of Ferrara’s Department of Architecture, project partners presented the progress achieved so far across different work packages. On Day 2, the meeting moved to TekneHub Laboratory, where the ECHO prototype is hosted. Partners had the opportunity to visit the prototype and see firsthand the technical developments made within the project.

On Day 3, the focus shifted to engaging early-stage researchers with a Workshop for PhD Students, also hosted at TekneHub. The programme included:

• A welcome session by the IDAUP Programme Coordinator and ECHO representatives
• A presentation by WH on strategies and tools for Europe’s energy transition
• A session by EHPA on heat pump technology for thermal energy conversion
• UPV’s insights on the ECHO system implementation
• A visit to UFE’s RELY lab, showcasing prototypes from EU-funded projects

The event was a unique opportunity for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and networking — both among project partners and with the next generation of researchers.

Photos from the event can be found below.

23 may 2025

On 20 May 2025, the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA), in collaboration with the TES Cluster projects, hosted the webinar “Unlocking Scalability of Modular for Thermal Energy Storage”. The event gathered experts from across Europe to explore cutting-edge solutions for heat storage in the context of building decarbonisation.

Representing the ECHO project, Patxi Hernández and Arantza López from Tecnalia presented compelling insights into the environmental impact of combining heat pumps with advanced thermal energy storage technologies. Focusing on the innovative ECHO-TES system, they demonstrated how integrating such solutions can significantly reduce emissions—particularly in urban contexts like Bilbao, where natural gas still dominates the heating supply.

Their presentation emphasized a comprehensive life cycle approach, addressing not only operational emissions but also the environmental cost of production and end-of-life management. As renewable electricity becomes more widespread, technologies like ECHO-TES prove crucial for a more sustainable and flexible energy system.

Missed the webinar? No problem — you can watch the full recording below!

10 April 2025 – Crevillent, Spain

Following the first awareness event held in Padova (Italy), the ECHO consortium hosted its second local engagement session on 10 April 2025, at the headquarters of ENERCOOP in Crevillent, Spain.

The event, organised by ENERCOOP, focused on high-temperature thermal energy storage (TES) systems developed within the ECHO project and presented early findings from the Crevillent case study. With around 50 attendees, the session offered an accessible introduction to TES technology and its role in enabling greater use of renewable energy for heating.

Many participants had never heard of high-temperature TES before, but left with a better understanding of its potential—some even envisioned a clear role for it in their local energy systems. Still, questions about cost, space requirements, and integration with existing infrastructure reflected the community’s practical concerns.

A recurring comparison was made with lithium-ion batteries, particularly regarding their rapid price drop in recent years. This prompted questions such as: “When will ECHO be available on the market—and at what €/kWh?”

Ultimately, the event turned curiosity into dialogue: from wondering “Will it fit in a flat?” to asking “Can my co-op host a pilot?”, residents engaged critically with the technology and its future. The session underscored the value of transparent communication and highlighted the need for real-world demonstrations to complement scientific progress.