Mathematics Beneath the Tarmac: CRM’s Role in Enhance Europe

Enhance Europe is a European research project exploring how city streets can become sources of clean, reusable energy. The CRM contributes to the project through its Knowledge Transfer Unit (KTU), working alongside 13 institutions from 9 countries, including universities, research centres, technology firms, and public authorities.

The core idea behind Enhance Europe is to use the sun’s energy (more precisely, the heat absorbed by road surfaces) and transform it into a usable thermal resource. This is done by embedding heat-exchange pipes within the asphalt. These pipes transfer the collected energy to a fluid, which can then serve local thermal needs such as hot water or heating for nearby buildings. In parallel, the system contributes to cooling the road surface, helping mitigate the urban heat island effect.

“Within the Enhance Europe project, the CRM is responsible for the mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of the system,” explains David Romero, director of the KTU. “CRM develops and applies advanced numerical methods to solve the partial differential equations (PDEs) that govern heat transfer and fluid dynamics in the pavement-integrated energy harvesting systems. This work is essential for predicting system behaviour, optimising performance, and supporting the design of effective, scalable solutions.”

As Lucia Escudero, research technician at the CRM KTU, describes: “The CRM’s central role is mathematical modeling, integrating all the technical aspects of the project, such as modeling the pipes or using mathematical models to simulate the mechanisms of heat transfer. We also focus on efficiency and sensitivity analysis, providing insight into how the system performs under different conditions.”

This work supports decisions about how the system should be built and operated in diverse urban settings. From geometry and materials to temperature variations and fluid dynamics, CRM’s models offer a way to anticipate what will happen in the real world, before a single meter of pipe is laid.

“CRM develops and applies advanced numerical methods to solve the partial differential equations (PDEs) that govern heat transfer and fluid dynamics in the pavement-integrated energy harvesting systems.”
— David Romero, CRM KTU

“From a mathematical perspective,” adds Romero, “it is especially compelling to see how ideas from abstract mathematics (such as partial differential equations and computational methods) can evolve from the world of theory into a concrete, impactful application. It’s a powerful demonstration of how fundamental science can actively shape real-world solutions and contribute to building a more sustainable future.”

Enhance Europe is coordinated by the University of Padua. The project runs from 2025 to 2028 and is funded by the European CETPartnership programme. Over the next three years, full-scale demonstrators will be built and tested in four cities: Padua (Italy), Ostrava (Czech Republic), Riga (Latvia), and Vaasa (Finland). Each location offers a different climate and urban infrastructure, helping researchers validate the system under varying conditions.

Sharing Knowledge and Rethinking Urban Potential

As part of its involvement, CRM also leads the project’s communication work package. “CRM coordinates efforts to disseminate the project’s progress and results, raise awareness among stakeholders, and promote the broader adoption of this innovative technology,” says Romero.

Finally, Lucia Escudero emphasizes that mathematics plays a deeper role than might be expected in a project focused on infrastructure and environment: “The mathematical approach provides the technical foundation to improve and predict system behavior. We use mathematical models to understand the system, and we apply optimization and analysis techniques to identify the optimal parameters and improve decision-making.”

In the end, Enhance Europe is about reimagining what cities can be, and how even the most mundane surfaces, like asphalt, might contribute to the clean energy transition.

You can learn more about the project visiting https://enhanceeurope.eu/