The HARMONISE project was proudly represented at the 34th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation (MED 2026), held in Ancona, Italy, where researchers from the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) presented two scientific papers highlighting recent advances in intelligent energy management and control.
Participation in MED 2026 provided an excellent opportunity to share HARMONISE research with the international control and automation community while contributing to discussions on innovative solutions that support Europe’s clean energy transition.
Benchmarking Intelligent Control Strategies for Residential Energy Systems
The first paper, “A Reproducible Uncertainty Ladder Benchmark of MILP-MPC and PPO for Residential HVAC-PV-Battery Control,” authored by Tsaknakis, Korkas, Vamvakas, Papaioannou, Boutalis, and Kosmatopoulos, introduces a comprehensive benchmarking framework for comparing model-based and learning-based control strategies.
The study evaluates the performance of Mixed-Integer Linear Programming Model Predictive Control (MILP-MPC) and Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) across different levels of uncertainty in residential energy systems integrating HVAC, photovoltaic (PV) generation, and battery storage. By providing a reproducible evaluation framework, the research supports the development of more reliable and resilient energy management solutions.
Enabling Scalable Control for Large-Scale EV Charging
The second paper, “Scalability, Stability and Real-Time Feasibility of Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning for Large-Scale EV Charging Control,” authored by Vamvakas, Korkas, Tsaknakis, Papaioannou, and Kosmatopoulos, focuses on one of the key challenges of the energy transition: the efficient coordination of large-scale electric vehicle charging.
The research investigates how Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning (HRL) can provide scalable, stable, and real-time control for growing EV charging infrastructures, paving the way for more intelligent and flexible energy systems capable of supporting increased electrification.
Driving Innovation for Smarter Energy Systems
The two scientific contributions demonstrate HARMONISE’s commitment to developing robust, scalable, and reproducible control solutions that support the integration of renewable energy sources, intelligent energy management, and the digitalisation of future energy systems.
By participating in leading international scientific events such as MED 2026, HARMONISE continues to strengthen collaboration with the global research community while disseminating innovative solutions that contribute to more sustainable, resilient, and interoperable energy systems across Europe.
The HARMONISE consortium congratulates the CERTH team on these important scientific achievements and looks forward to sharing further project developments as research progresses toward real-world implementation.
