LEAP - Laboratorio Energia & Ambiente Piacenza (Energy and Environment Laboratory Piacenza) - is a research center operating in the field of highly efficient, low environmental impact energy technologies. Activities include applied research, testing, development, consultancy and technology transfer.  The Laboratory is founded and participated by Politecnico di Milano and forms part of the Emilia Romagna High Technology Network.

LEAP - Laboratorio Energia & Ambiente Piacenza was set up in May 2005 at Piacenza by the Piacenza Campus of Politecnico di Milano, and is one of the Emilia Romagna Region’s High Technology Network laboratories.

The research center is organized in the following four competence areas:

• Waste-to-value
• Low-carbon technologies
• Smart energy systems
• Emissions and air quality

Here is a list of competences and activities carried out:

• process modelling, design, simulation and techno-economic assessment of low-carbon energy conversion processes with specialized software or ad hoc codes
• design, analysis and testing of CCS (Carbon Capture & Storage) technologies
• experimental testing of thermophysical properties of fluid mixtures (VLE phase equilibria, density) and related numerical modelling activities (equations of state calibration) for a wide range of mixtures (low GWP refrigerants, CO2-based mixtures, solvents for CO2 capture, etc.)
• evaluation and measurement of emissions from energy-producing plant, especially fine and ultra-fine dust
• feasibility studies and techno-economic analysis of technologies for the recovery of energy and material from waste
• development of numerical optimization models for the assessment of the optimal design and scheduling of solutions possibly combining one or more of the following: CHP, energy storage, waste heat recovery, heat pumps, district heating for industrial or residential applications
• production of electricity or fuels from biomass
• due-diligence or techno-economic assessment of renewable energy technologies