Periodic Reporting for period 2 - StepUP (Solutions and Technologies for deep Energy renovation Processes UPtake)
Reporting period: 2021-02-01 to 2022-07-31
Deep renovation is key to reduce the current energy demand of the European building stock, which alone accounts for 40% of the EU final energy consumption, and achieve the EU vision of a decarbonised building stock by 2050. Most of the technology to achieve this goal is available on the market today. However, renovation rates are far from the target 3%, and shallow retrofits persist with low impact on energy consumption. Comfort levels are one of the main reasons owners renovate, however this opportunity is not captured in the framing of energy renovation. Current business models rely on public funding, with few incentives for private investment.
The StepUP project will develop a new process for deep energy renovation with fast design to operation feedback loops. This will reduce the performance gap and optimise investments, while scaling up promising Plug&Play technologies to minimise disruption, while maximising impact on energy, costs, and user comfort. The 5 key objectives of StepUP are:
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% between design and operations via a life-cycle software platform to plan renovation, identify solutions to reduce energy consumption, improve IEQ, integrate renewables, and optimise operations through continuous monitoring and verification;
3. Minimise time on site to 40% of current renovation time via innovative passive and active technologies to a market-ready modular renovation package of Plug & Play Technologies, including renewable energy generation and storage;
4. Optimise renovation investments via innovative financing models for integrated 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 interoperability protocol for renovation solutions, enabling compatibility with the StepUP solutions to allow the integration of third party market products, fostering an open Plug&Play technological environment accessible to innovative SMEs.
The StepUP project will develop a new process for deep energy renovation with fast design to operation feedback loops. This will reduce the performance gap and optimise investments, while scaling up promising Plug&Play technologies to minimise disruption, while maximising impact on energy, costs, and user comfort. The 5 key objectives of StepUP are:
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% between design and operations via a life-cycle software platform to plan renovation, identify solutions to reduce energy consumption, improve IEQ, integrate renewables, and optimise operations through continuous monitoring and verification;
3. Minimise time on site to 40% of current renovation time via innovative passive and active technologies to a market-ready modular renovation package of Plug & Play Technologies, including renewable energy generation and storage;
4. Optimise renovation investments via innovative financing models for integrated 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 interoperability protocol for renovation solutions, enabling compatibility with the StepUP solutions to allow the integration of third party market products, fostering an open Plug&Play technological environment accessible to innovative SMEs.
On the tools and methodologies side, the StepUP business model tool was developed. The StepUp renovation methodology was developed further, and feedback was collected on the renovation methodology and the supporting tools. An environmental impact assessment of renovation projects has been initiated. A final version of the LEAN method of deep renovation has been delivered, highlighting the guidelines for a deep renovation project to follow a LEAN methodology. Significant advances were made in the software development on the data intelligence solutions and lifecycle platform based on the main use cases of a renovation project. The lifecycle platform was developed for use in the pilots, and the suite of tools used within the platform were developed further (Project Management Portal, Calibration tool, Multi Criteria Analysis tool, Portfolio Overview iCIM tool and M&V application). A feasibility study was done in the BP18 district which allows portfolio managers to make decisions about where to invest next in terms of deep renovations. A thermal comfort feedback model was created, to predict the thermal comfort in the building.
On the technologies side, Technology Provider Clusters (TPC) were established in Spain and Italy. Specific companies were shortlisted in Spain and Italy and their feedback was used to validate the TPC P&P protocol and approach. A TPC protocol was created, including a TPC booklet, which is a specific document realized to enhance engagement opportunities in sight of further TPC-related activities on a wider scale. Tests and simulations have been done for the StepUP P&P façade in order to validate its performance. Tests on integration of (TPC) products into the P&P technologies has been done in order to validate the TPC protocol and approach. Further testing of TPC integration is in progress. An initial version of the analysis to adapt the SmartEPC business model and method for building renovation to the StepUP methodology was completed, and conceptual exploration into the potential applications of distributed ledger technologies (DLT) in the context of deep retrofitting was completed. The StepUP P&P Active system has been defined and is in process of being designed further for individual pilots.
The monitoring plan was implemented for pilots in Hungary and Spain, and pre-renovation data has been collected in both pilots for at least one year, design optimisation with the calibrated simulation models was done for Hungary, Spain and UK pilots, the pilots’ designs were finalised for the P&P envelope and guidelines for the StepUP activities for the pilots have been established.
The outreach activities range from creation and maintenance of the main digital channels and their use for virtual engagement, the production of promotional materials for dissemination and pilot activities, the participation events targeting both the scientific and industrial communities, the organization of TPC events and other workshops and webinars, the submission of papers in scientific journals, media relation activities with the production of 7 press releases, the establishment of synergies with other projects, and the start of pilot meetup activities in Pamplona and Budapest, including the release of the first newsletter. Further, Market barriers for exploitation have been identified and Background and Foreground IP information were collected from the partners for further exploitation.
On the technologies side, Technology Provider Clusters (TPC) were established in Spain and Italy. Specific companies were shortlisted in Spain and Italy and their feedback was used to validate the TPC P&P protocol and approach. A TPC protocol was created, including a TPC booklet, which is a specific document realized to enhance engagement opportunities in sight of further TPC-related activities on a wider scale. Tests and simulations have been done for the StepUP P&P façade in order to validate its performance. Tests on integration of (TPC) products into the P&P technologies has been done in order to validate the TPC protocol and approach. Further testing of TPC integration is in progress. An initial version of the analysis to adapt the SmartEPC business model and method for building renovation to the StepUP methodology was completed, and conceptual exploration into the potential applications of distributed ledger technologies (DLT) in the context of deep retrofitting was completed. The StepUP P&P Active system has been defined and is in process of being designed further for individual pilots.
The monitoring plan was implemented for pilots in Hungary and Spain, and pre-renovation data has been collected in both pilots for at least one year, design optimisation with the calibrated simulation models was done for Hungary, Spain and UK pilots, the pilots’ designs were finalised for the P&P envelope and guidelines for the StepUP activities for the pilots have been established.
The outreach activities range from creation and maintenance of the main digital channels and their use for virtual engagement, the production of promotional materials for dissemination and pilot activities, the participation events targeting both the scientific and industrial communities, the organization of TPC events and other workshops and webinars, the submission of papers in scientific journals, media relation activities with the production of 7 press releases, the establishment of synergies with other projects, and the start of pilot meetup activities in Pamplona and Budapest, including the release of the first newsletter. Further, Market barriers for exploitation have been identified and Background and Foreground IP information were collected from the partners for further exploitation.
To reduce the performance gap, a digital twin software solution, built upon market leading IES tools, will take real-life data from the actual building, filling gaps with AI and Machine Learning, and use it to feed an accurate physics-based model which can be used as an operational model, i.e. an accurate representation of the building at any point in time. This model can then be used to design the renovation solution, with higher accuracy predictions reducing renovation investment risk.
To minimise time on site and accelerate the renovation market, the StepUP project will develop an open P&P Protocol for the interconnection and interoperability of deep renovation technologies available on the market, and fast track to market the two key StepUP P&P Technologies which will be industrialised in the project by Manni (P&P Envelope), and IES and HeatVentors (P&P Active system). The P&P Envelope is a pre-assembled envelope solution for deep renovation which can cut down on-site time to almost one third. HeatVentors has a revolutionary thermal energy storage system (HeatTank) that balances the efficiency of existing heating and cooling system which will be applied to the different pilots and replicability of different PCM materials will be explored, alongside implementation of software logic by IES to allow building level control and optimisation. This cost-effective solution can be installed by the local plumber and replace existing heating systems with minimal impact on the building operations. The integration of third party and P&P technologies via the open StepUP P&P Protocol for modular solutions will maximise access to the market by innovative SMEs.
To minimise time on site and accelerate the renovation market, the StepUP project will develop an open P&P Protocol for the interconnection and interoperability of deep renovation technologies available on the market, and fast track to market the two key StepUP P&P Technologies which will be industrialised in the project by Manni (P&P Envelope), and IES and HeatVentors (P&P Active system). The P&P Envelope is a pre-assembled envelope solution for deep renovation which can cut down on-site time to almost one third. HeatVentors has a revolutionary thermal energy storage system (HeatTank) that balances the efficiency of existing heating and cooling system which will be applied to the different pilots and replicability of different PCM materials will be explored, alongside implementation of software logic by IES to allow building level control and optimisation. This cost-effective solution can be installed by the local plumber and replace existing heating systems with minimal impact on the building operations. The integration of third party and P&P technologies via the open StepUP P&P Protocol for modular solutions will maximise access to the market by innovative SMEs.