Project description
Decarbonisation of existing buildings can be a reliable, attractive investment
Deep renovation takes a whole-building approach to energy and is key to reducing energy demand, targeting the EU 2050 objective of a decarbonised building stock. Technology for this reduction exists in the market, but renovation rates are still below 3 %. Shallow but common retrofits (window replacement, energy efficient lighting, improved heating controls) have low impacts on energy consumption. The EU-funded StepUP project will develop a new deep renovation methodology, based on understanding both building performance and impact of the interventions through building data and physics-based modelling. StepUP will introduce plug and play technologies to maximise effects on energy, costs, indoor environmental quality and user comfort. Decarbonising existing buildings will become more viable, derisking the renovation investment while maximising its benefits.
Objective
The 2018 EPBD update identifies deep renovation as key to drastically reduce energy demand and achieve the EU vision of a decarbonised building stock by 2050. The technology to achieve this reduction is available on the market today. Renovation rates are still far from the target 3% and shallow retrofits persist with low impacts on energy consumption. StepUP will develop a new process for deep renovation for decarbonisation, with fast design to operation feedback loops to minimise performance gap and optimise investments. The project will deliver plug&play technologies for minimal disruption, interconnected for maximum impact on energy, costs, IEQ and user comfort. The new iterative approach to renovation, based in big data for continuous performance improvement, will reduce financial barriers and make decarbonisation of existing buildings a reliable, attractive investment. StepUP will:
1. Make renovation more attractive and reliable with a new methodology based on near-real time data intelligence to identify cost-optimal, high impact interventions at any stage of the building life;
2. Reduce the performance gap to 10% via an integrated life-cycle software platform to plan renovation steps, identify high value ECM, improve IEQ, integrate RES (including storage) and optimise operations by constantly refining and verifying targets and constraints;
3. Minimise time on site to 40% by advancing innovative technologies for deep renovation to a market-ready renovation package of Plug & Play Technologies, including RE generation and storage for decarbonisation;
4. Optimise renovation investments via innovative financing models for optimisation of energy, comfort and cost performance over the building life, based on progressive financing and building performance as a service;
5. Accelerate the renovation market via an open protocol for interoperability of the StepUP solutions with third party market products, fostering a plug&play environment accessible to innovative SMEs.
Fields of science
Not validated
Not validated
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
G20 0SP Glasgow
United Kingdom
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.