Francesco NOCERA

Francesco Nocera is Full Professor of Building Physics and Energy Systems (SSD IIND-07/B) at the Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture (DICAr), University of Catania, Italy. He graduated cum laude in Civil Engineering from the same university in 1997 and earned his PhD in Building Physics from the University of Palermo in 2006. Following appointments as Tenured Researcher (2008-2018) and Associate Professor (2018-2024), he has held the position of Full Professor since 2025. His research activity, distinctly interdisciplinary in nature, focuses on the thermophysical behaviour of buildings, energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and indoor and outdoor comfort.

He has an extensive and well-established publication record, with over 173 Scopus-indexed publications,. His contributions on journal articles, conference proceedings, and book chapters span a wide range of topics: building thermophysics, energy-saving strategies, renewable energy systems, lighting design, environmental and building acoustics, cultural heritage conservation, and urban microclimatic phenomena, with particular attention to the urban heat island effect. He holds two granted patents: an anti-seismic modular reinforced rammed-earth construction system (No. 102021000006644, granted 2023) and a modular roofing unit for buildings with a hydroponic cultivation tank (No. 102023000028434, granted 2026).

At the institutional level, he currently holds several key positions at the University of Catania. He serves as Coordinator of the Technical Board for Building Consultancy (Rector’s Decree No. 4399/2025), Rector’s Delegate for Energy Efficiency of University Buildings and Infrastructure (Rector’s Decree No. 47299/2026), and Principal Investigator of the Project Team for the Implementation of the UNI EN ISO 50001:2018 Energy Management System (General Director’s Decree, Prot. No. 74538/2026). He is also the Rector’s Delegate to the Italian University Network for Sustainable Development (RUS), Energy Working Group. He is a member of the Doctoral Board in Assessment and Mitigation of Urban and Territorial Risks, where he supervises PhD candidates and contributes to research on climate adaptation, energy transition, and urban sustainability.

He is actively engaged in the international academic and institutional arena. He has served as Key Analysis Expert at the European Polytechnical University (Bulgaria) and as Short-Term Expert for UNESCO in the Natural Sciences sector. He was Expert Reviewer for the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land (SRCCL) and evaluator for the H2020-MSCA-IF programme. He participates in the activities of the International Energy Agency (IEA) as a member of Task 59 – Renovating Historic Buildings Towards Zero Energy and Annex 83 - Positive Energy Districts. He has coordinated numerous Erasmus and international cooperation agreements with institutions including the University of Valladolid, CEU Cardenal Herrera University, Chongqing University, and SUPSI, promoting mobility and joint research initiatives, particularly in Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BiPV) and sustainable construction.

He is an Honorary Member of ANIT (National Association for Thermal and Acoustic Insulation) and President of the Sicilian Branch of the Italian Lighting Association (AIDI). He serves on the editorial boards of international journals such as Sustainability, Buildings, Energies, and the Journal of Daylighting, and is active in several interdepartmental research centres at the University (CoEHAR, OdM, CUrE). He is listed in the MUR REPRISE register and in the ANVUR Expert Evaluators register. Among his ongoing research projects, he serves as scientific supervisor for the EU-funded MSCA Global Postdoctoral Fellowship project BALNEa - Baths’ Architecture in Late Antique Sicily, and is Principal Investigator of the Research Unit for the PRIN-PNRR project FUD-OF-SITHY on sustainable urban agriculture through hydroponics. (10/03/2026)