Building Integrated Thermoelectric System (BITES)
An environmentally friendly approach for self-heating and cooling in buildings
Shaping the future of energy-efficient, climate-resilient buildings
Buildings are major contributors to global energy use and carbon emissions, making them a key focus of sustainable energy strategies. The Building Integrated Thermoelectric System (BITES) is an innovative solution that uses thermoelectric technology for heating, cooling, and ventilation. Thermoelectrics convert heat in electricity (Seebeck & Peltier effects), offering silent, reliable, low-maintenance operation without moving parts.
The project, which is focused on exploring the possibilities of thermoelectric technology for developing smart buildings as an environmentally friendly approach for self-heating and cooling in buildings. The aim is to integrate these thermoelectric modules into building envelopes and work in combination with solar photovoltaic panels to create a hybrid energy-harvesting system and tackle renewable energy technology to provide self-heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems within buildings.
*Building Integrated Thermoelectric System (BITES) is a project funded by the European Union HORIZON-MSCA-2024. This is a two-year research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) grant agreement ID: 101208430.
Objectives
Custom Design and Integration of Efficient Thermoelectric System and Advanced hybrid technology.
Explore the possibilities of nanostructured and high-ZT (figure of merit) thermoelectric materials and system designs for the development of smart buildings.
Bring together a multidisciplinary team of experts to shape the future of sustainable building technologies.
Work with different institutions to transform thermoelectric innovations into real-world solutions.
Team
RESHMA KRISHNAN MADATHIL
Principal Investigator
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellow at Universidad de Navarra, Spain.
She obtained her PhD in thermoelectric from the Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN),University of Oslo, Norway. Her research interests are in thermoelectric technology, various fabrication techniques for thermoelectric devices.
CÉSAR MARTÍN-GÓMEZ
Project Supervisor
Professor in the Department of Construction, Building Services, and Structures at the Universidad de Navarra, Spain.
He has been working since 2001 on projects involving the integration of building services and energy systems in complex architecture. He is an expert in the research fields of building services, energy technology integration, and architecture.
Events/Last news
In line with the BITES project’s networking initiatives, on 09/09/2020 the BITES project team—Principal Investigator Dr. Reshma Krishnan Madathil and Project Supervisor Prof. César Martín-Gómez—visited Viguetas Navarra, an industry specialist in precast concrete solutions for residential construction, to discuss thermoelectricity and its applications in buildings. The visit included an explanation of thermoelectric technology and a discussion of our research on thermoelectrics for building applications with Luis Ilundain, CEO of Viguetas Navarra. This experience provided valuable insights for our research and highlighted potential avenues for industry collaboration, thereby strengthening the objectives of the BITES project.
On 25/09/2025, as part of the BITES project’s collaboration and networking activities, Reshma Krishnan Madathil visited TECNUN, the School of Engineering of the University of Navarra, and the CEIT Research Centre in San Sebastián. The visit provided an excellent opportunity to explore their facilities, ongoing research, and innovative projects. Discussions with Jon Alkorta Barragan and Javier Aldazabal Mensa focused on how collaboration with TECNUN and CEIT could directly support the current research activities within the BITES project, while also identifying opportunities for future collaboration. This interaction not only enriched ongoing work but also strengthened professional networks, further advancing the objectives of the BITES project.
