Smart Buildings Need Smart People Too: Exploring the Human–Automation Interface
Smart buildings rely on advanced technologies, but their success also depends on how people interact with them. This balance between automation, energy efficiency and everyday user decisions is being explored within the EVELIXIA project at the TUCN pilot in Cluj-Napoca.
In July 2026, this work was presented at the 6th International Conference on Electrical, Computer and Energy Technologies (ICECET 2026) in Rome, which brought together more than 600 participants from universities, research institutes and industry.
Representing the EnTReC team from the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (TUCN), PhD student Alexandru Berciu presented the paper “Energy Efficiency at the Human–Automation Interface,” now published in IEEE Xplore.
The research reflects the approach being developed at the EVELIXIA pilot in Cluj-Napoca, where monitoring and automation are combined with the everyday decisions of building users. The goal is to contribute to buildings that can reduce energy consumption, make better use of locally generated renewable energy and provide flexibility when required by the electricity grid.
The work highlights an essential aspect of the transition towards smarter and more flexible buildings: technology and people need to work together. Understanding the interaction between occupants and automated systems can help ensure that technological solutions translate into effective energy management in real-world settings.
By presenting this research at ICECET 2026, the TUCN team brought EVELIXIA’s work on human-centred energy management and building flexibility to an international scientific audience.
