Periodic Reporting for period 2 - e-SAFE (Energy and Seismic AFfordable rEnovation solutions)
Reporting period: 2022-04-01 to 2023-09-30
Residential and non-residential buildings are currently responsible for 40% of the final energy demand in the EU, and for approximately 36% of all emissions of GHG. It is clear that energy efficiency in the building stock plays a central role to meet the goals of climate neutrality as set by the EU. Despite this urgent need to improve the energy efficiency of the EU building stock, the rate of actions in this direction is still highly unsatisfactory. Therefore, the project results would considerably contribute to decarbonisation, reduction of the energy bills, increase in the energy security, as well as reduced air pollution and improved comfort of building occupants.
The project also offers opportunities for the society in various ways. It promotes public cultural awareness on the importance of decarbonization and, where relevant, seismic safety. In addition to this, the project aims to contribute to creation of job opportunities, to increase comfort, well-being and productivity as well as to reduce the seismic-related damages and human losses.
The objectives of the project are:
- to develop and demonstrate a new deep energy retrofitting system for the decarbonisation of the current non-historic building stock
- to develop and demonstrate new technical solutions to integrate energy efficiency and seismic safety
- to develop a viable co-design protocol able to increase the functional and aesthetic benefits of e-SAFE solutions
- to minimize occupants’ disturbance and time on-site and reduce costs
- to increase the financial feasibility of deep renovation and e-SAFE market uptake
- to increase the public awareness of the importance of energy issues and seismic risks related to the existing building stock
- to enhance competencies on deep renovation
The project also offers opportunities for the society in various ways. It promotes public cultural awareness on the importance of decarbonization and, where relevant, seismic safety. In addition to this, the project aims to contribute to creation of job opportunities, to increase comfort, well-being and productivity as well as to reduce the seismic-related damages and human losses.
The objectives of the project are:
- to develop and demonstrate a new deep energy retrofitting system for the decarbonisation of the current non-historic building stock
- to develop and demonstrate new technical solutions to integrate energy efficiency and seismic safety
- to develop a viable co-design protocol able to increase the functional and aesthetic benefits of e-SAFE solutions
- to minimize occupants’ disturbance and time on-site and reduce costs
- to increase the financial feasibility of deep renovation and e-SAFE market uptake
- to increase the public awareness of the importance of energy issues and seismic risks related to the existing building stock
- to enhance competencies on deep renovation
WP1 attains to project management.
WP2 manages the activities related to stakeholders’ engagement at both the European and the local level (pilots), with the purpose of shaping a multi-level stakeholders’ community able to provide support to tasks included in all the other work packages.
The main objective of WP3 is to design, develop, test and prototype the innovative technical components proposed by e-SAFE. These include the solutions for the seismic and energy renovation of buildings (e-PANEL, e-CLT) and the innovative decentralized storage tanks (e-TANK).
The work carried out in WP4 during the first reporting period (M1 – M18) has mainly consisted in:
• delivering the e-SAFE Renovation space representational model, both first and final version;
• providing the functional specification of e-SAFE Decision Support System (e-DSS);
• developing, testing and releasing the first version of the e-DSS that will be used in the co-design activities in the real pilot;
• designing and developing the system architecture and the overall representational model for the Building Energy Management System (e-BEMS) that will be installed in the real pilot building in Catania.
The main objective of WP5 is to put in place all demonstration activities, both on the real pilot and on the virtual pilots. During the first 18 months activities attained to:
- Detailed data gathering
- Social events on the real pilot building
- Preliminary co-design activities.
Regarding WP 6, partners proceeded with the implementation of: e-NABLE establishment and market survey; developing business models and financial schemes: identification and development; developing a policy engagement strategy.
The overall goal of WP7 is to communicate the project concept and activities and to disseminate the project results, thus successfully raising public awareness. A detailed Communication and Dissemination Plan was prepared; visual identity and communication tools have been selected (project visual image; website, newsletter, social media profiles). We started external dissemination to the scientific & industrial community through the participation of the researchers involved in international conferences.
Finally, regarding WP8 Ethics, a Research Ethics Protocol has been written and approved by all partners. This protocol sets out rules as to guarantee that all activities carried out within the framework of the e-SAFE project are complying with ethical and research integrity principles, as identified by EU and national legislation as well as the EU code of research integrity.
WP2 manages the activities related to stakeholders’ engagement at both the European and the local level (pilots), with the purpose of shaping a multi-level stakeholders’ community able to provide support to tasks included in all the other work packages.
The main objective of WP3 is to design, develop, test and prototype the innovative technical components proposed by e-SAFE. These include the solutions for the seismic and energy renovation of buildings (e-PANEL, e-CLT) and the innovative decentralized storage tanks (e-TANK).
The work carried out in WP4 during the first reporting period (M1 – M18) has mainly consisted in:
• delivering the e-SAFE Renovation space representational model, both first and final version;
• providing the functional specification of e-SAFE Decision Support System (e-DSS);
• developing, testing and releasing the first version of the e-DSS that will be used in the co-design activities in the real pilot;
• designing and developing the system architecture and the overall representational model for the Building Energy Management System (e-BEMS) that will be installed in the real pilot building in Catania.
The main objective of WP5 is to put in place all demonstration activities, both on the real pilot and on the virtual pilots. During the first 18 months activities attained to:
- Detailed data gathering
- Social events on the real pilot building
- Preliminary co-design activities.
Regarding WP 6, partners proceeded with the implementation of: e-NABLE establishment and market survey; developing business models and financial schemes: identification and development; developing a policy engagement strategy.
The overall goal of WP7 is to communicate the project concept and activities and to disseminate the project results, thus successfully raising public awareness. A detailed Communication and Dissemination Plan was prepared; visual identity and communication tools have been selected (project visual image; website, newsletter, social media profiles). We started external dissemination to the scientific & industrial community through the participation of the researchers involved in international conferences.
Finally, regarding WP8 Ethics, a Research Ethics Protocol has been written and approved by all partners. This protocol sets out rules as to guarantee that all activities carried out within the framework of the e-SAFE project are complying with ethical and research integrity principles, as identified by EU and national legislation as well as the EU code of research integrity.
During the first 18 months of activity, e-SAFE developed Progress beyond the state of the art that attain to Technical and Technological issues.
Relating the technical ones, e-SAFE proposes e-CLT and e-EXOS. They are very new, innovative and low-intrusive solutions, as they can be implemented by operating only from the outside of the building through BIM-designed prefabricated components, made up of recycled and/or recyclable material (wood and steel). e-CLT and e-EXOS are combined with e-PANELS, i.e. wood-based prefab insulating panels.
Another technical result concern thermal solutions. e-THERM solution has been conceived based on the need to rationalize air- conditioning and DHW preparation in buildings, thus lowering their impact on the primary energy budget of the European countries and on GHG emissions, while safeguarding indoor thermal comfort.
Finally, e-TANK is a wall-integrated storage device. Thanks to its low thickness and plug-and-play configuration, it minimizes the space needed for installation and the number of hydraulic components within a dwelling.
To ensure an effective monitoring and management of the e-SAFE technical systems, a specific open-source Building Energy Management System, namely e-BEMS, is being conceived and developed. e-BEMS can measure and then send information to a software application available on occupants’ smartphones aimed at engaging them and making them aware of and confident with e-SAFE benefits and operational aspects.
This set of technology contributes to:
- increase private investment;
- create new types of high-skilled jobs implemented through knowledge transfer and training;
- reduce energy and CO2.
A key aspect of e-SAFE is the development of a Decision Support System (e-DSS) for designers and stakeholders involved in the deep renovation process. The e-DSS will simulate a guided decision process during which the designer and other interested parties (investors, owners, occupants, suppliers etc.) will iteratively provide inputs and evaluate different alternatives.
Project partners are working to reach project achievements also from the social side. Under WP 2, we are developing a “Stakeholder Engagement Methodology”. Stakeholder engagement activities, by triggering mutual learning processes where experts and stakeholders operate in reciprocity, aim at re-framing and shifting energy-seismic renovation from a “building issue” to a “territorial governance theme”, namely: a complex process that includes several aspects such as social inequalities, financial challenges, housing policies, cultural and value systems, ecological goals, technological innovation, rules and procedures, etc.
All e-SAFE technical and financial features are conceived for all buildings in need of deep energy renovation, but they become particularly attractive for those located in countries with seismic hazard. Even if the main e-SAFE target are residential buildings, this system can be a-priori applied also to tertiary and commercial buildings, with the exception of fabrics with very high glazed surfaces and of high-rise buildings.
Relating the technical ones, e-SAFE proposes e-CLT and e-EXOS. They are very new, innovative and low-intrusive solutions, as they can be implemented by operating only from the outside of the building through BIM-designed prefabricated components, made up of recycled and/or recyclable material (wood and steel). e-CLT and e-EXOS are combined with e-PANELS, i.e. wood-based prefab insulating panels.
Another technical result concern thermal solutions. e-THERM solution has been conceived based on the need to rationalize air- conditioning and DHW preparation in buildings, thus lowering their impact on the primary energy budget of the European countries and on GHG emissions, while safeguarding indoor thermal comfort.
Finally, e-TANK is a wall-integrated storage device. Thanks to its low thickness and plug-and-play configuration, it minimizes the space needed for installation and the number of hydraulic components within a dwelling.
To ensure an effective monitoring and management of the e-SAFE technical systems, a specific open-source Building Energy Management System, namely e-BEMS, is being conceived and developed. e-BEMS can measure and then send information to a software application available on occupants’ smartphones aimed at engaging them and making them aware of and confident with e-SAFE benefits and operational aspects.
This set of technology contributes to:
- increase private investment;
- create new types of high-skilled jobs implemented through knowledge transfer and training;
- reduce energy and CO2.
A key aspect of e-SAFE is the development of a Decision Support System (e-DSS) for designers and stakeholders involved in the deep renovation process. The e-DSS will simulate a guided decision process during which the designer and other interested parties (investors, owners, occupants, suppliers etc.) will iteratively provide inputs and evaluate different alternatives.
Project partners are working to reach project achievements also from the social side. Under WP 2, we are developing a “Stakeholder Engagement Methodology”. Stakeholder engagement activities, by triggering mutual learning processes where experts and stakeholders operate in reciprocity, aim at re-framing and shifting energy-seismic renovation from a “building issue” to a “territorial governance theme”, namely: a complex process that includes several aspects such as social inequalities, financial challenges, housing policies, cultural and value systems, ecological goals, technological innovation, rules and procedures, etc.
All e-SAFE technical and financial features are conceived for all buildings in need of deep energy renovation, but they become particularly attractive for those located in countries with seismic hazard. Even if the main e-SAFE target are residential buildings, this system can be a-priori applied also to tertiary and commercial buildings, with the exception of fabrics with very high glazed surfaces and of high-rise buildings.