A Further Step Towards the Digital Twin: UPORTO Deploys Smart Monitoring Sensors in the primary school in Bairro da Boavista (Lisbon)

The installation included two key interventions: 

• An electricity meter was installed in one of the building’s electrical distribution boards. 
• A rooftop weather station, operating without wired power or network connections 
• A wireless status sensors on the emergency exit doors, eliminating the need for cabling 

Following previous installation and monitoring activities involving indoor comfort and seismic sensors in 2025 and 2026, this new phase marks a further step towards the development of a RETIME Digital Twin of the school building. 

The Taks Leader, Prof. Pedro Pereira (from UPORTO), the Digital Twin requires a continuous flow of information from the physical building, provided by sensors with a short time delay (typically less than one hour). This near-real-time data collection will enable the digital representation of the building to reflect its actual operating conditions, supporting the monitoring and analysis of resource consumption. 

By integrating water and electricity consumption data into the Digital Twin, the project aims to improve the understanding of the building’s resource usage, support more informed decision-making and contribute to more efficient and sustainable building management. 

Representatives from other RETIME project partners, Lisbon City Council, researchers from UPORTO (FEUP), ISTAR-Iscte and THK, together with the technical staff of Escola Básica Arquitecto Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles, joined the installation activities. The day provided a valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge and expertise, discuss key aspects of the project and align on the next steps towards its implementation. This installation marks another important milestone in the development of a data-driven approach to monitoring and optimising the performance of educational buildings, which can also serve as emergency shelters and community hubs in the event of disasters. 

Group photo:  at Escola Básica Arquitecto Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles, in Bairro da Boavista, Lisbon, 06.11.2026: representatives of Lisbon City Council, UPORTO, ISTAR-Iscte, and TH Köln University of Applied Sciences, and technical staff of Escola Básica Arquitecto Gonçalo Ribeiro Telles. 

Photo credit: RETIME

Cover photo credit: Foto di Susanna Marsiglia: https://www.pexels.com/it-it/foto/citta-punto-di-riferimento-edifici-viaggio-17849332/