Renewable Energy
Workshop on Practical Solutions to Decarbonise Energy Use In European Buildings
The EU-funded RES4Build project is hosting a workshop to identify technological, market and regulatory advancements for the heating and cooling of space and water in buildings. Taking place in Brussels on 29 March 2023, participants will have the opportunity to provide insight on solutions that will lead to the efficient decarbonisation of energy used in European buildings. Buildings account for more than 40% of energy consumption in Europe, most of which is still supplied by fossil fuels. Phasing out fossil fuel use in buildings can help address many of Europe’s most pressing challenges including climate change, air pollution and dependency on imported fuels. However, achieving this future requires the rapid upscaling of impactful, energy-efficient solutions. While approaches to decarbonising Europe’s buildings are available, the pace of change is slow. The workshop will bring together research, industry, policymakers, and end users to help identify the developments and conditions that are needed to accelerate this decarbonisation and meet EU policy objectives. The agenda will follow three key themes: The latest technological innovations to prioritise to enable EU decarbonisation objectives. Suitable market and regulatory conditions and how they can accelerate the pace of change. Incorporating end user and audience perspectives to implement these solutions. RES4BUILD is an EU-funded, Horizon 2020 research project that has made good progress in developing zero-carbon solutions for the building sector. The project’s integrated energy system incorporates heat pump and combined solar photovoltaic-thermal technologies together with thermal storage and smart management systems to produce low carbon heating and cooling for buildings. An impact assessment has indicated the technical potential of such integrated energy systems in the European market and ongoing work is clarifying the applicability of the approach to serve end users in their transition to decarbonisation. All public reports are available on the project website. For more information on the workshop, please visit: https://res4build.eu/news-events/news/Energy-Workshop-Brussels/
Testing of RES4BUILD integrated energy solution pilots underway with aim of decarbonising future energy systems in the built environment
Press release: 30 May 2022 As the EU-funded RES4BUILD project enters its final year, two pilot systems will undergo testing to investigate and fine-tune the project’s integrated energy solutions. With the recent focus on reducing dependence on external fossil fuels and accelerating the green transition in the European Union (REPowerEU Plan), RES4BUILD hopes its research can support the move to a clean energy future. The project is developing integrated renewable energy-based solutions tailored to the needs of users and installers with the aim of increasing uptake of such solutions for heating and cooling in buildings. The team is working to improve the performance and reduce costs of the most innovative components of the RES4BUILD solutions – integrating photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors with magnetocaloric and multi-source heat pumps, and borehole thermal energy storage (BTES), as well as optimising their performance through advanced control and building energy management systems (BEMS). The fully integrated system is currently undergoing testing at two sites – the Danish Technological Institute, Denmark and the National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos, Greece. In parallel to the technical work, JIN Climate and Sustainability and the Baltic Energy Conservation Agency are collaborating with end-users and other stakeholders in the Netherlands and Poland to explore the needs and challenges with respect to decision making and implementation of integrated energy systems in their building(s). This, together with a full life-cycle impact assessment of the integrated RES4BUILD energy system performed by the University of Stuttgart, and a market review by ARUP, will pave the route to market for integrated energy systems. RES4BUILD project coordinator, Michael Papapetrou notes “We are delighted to have the pilot plants up and running in Greece and Denmark. The data to be collected will be very valuable and will allow us to validate our calculations. The results so far are very encouraging, and we expect that in a refurbished multifamily building the RES4BUILD integrated energy system can deliver a significant reduction of CO2 emissions compared to a traditional solution where a gas boiler is used for heating and an AC chiller for cooling. The reduction ranges from 73% for Athens and 75% for Cork, up to 80% for Amsterdam or even 90% for Gdansk.” Several publications on the technologies as well as articles on the end user collaborations are available. For more information, visit the project website res4build.eu, or Twitter @RES4BUILD.
RES4BUILD project advances development of integrated renewable energy based solutions tailored to end user needs and requirements
The Renovation Wave aims to accelerate improvements in the energy performance of 35 million buildings across Europe by 2030. Much emphasis is on advancing technology integration by developing integrated and compatible technology packages for building renovations. However, accelerating the uptake of renewable energy technologies combined with Integrated Energy Systems (IES) also requires consideration of financial and social innovation to address non-technological barriers. The EU-funded RES4BUILD project incorporates this approach by developing integrated renewable energy-based solutions that are tailored to the needs and requirements of users and installers. The project aims to increase the uptake of renewable energy solutions for heating and cooling; decarbonising energy consumption in buildings and contributing to EU energy and climate goals. The project team is working to improve the performance and reduce the cost of the most innovative components of the RES4BUILD solutions: integrating photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors with magnetocaloric and multi-source heat pumps, optimising their performance through advanced control and building energy management systems (BEMS). Developed by MG Sustainable Engineering AB and the University of Gävle, the prototype PVT collectors with novel reflector geometry have been tested in two different climatic zones (Sweden and Greece). The prototype multi-source vapour injection heat pump, manufactured by Psyctotherm, is undergoing testing at the Danish Technological Institute. Meanwhile, the prototype magnetocaloric heat pump, developed and being tested by the Technical University of Denmark, has achieved record Carnot efficiencies of over 25%. Advanced algorithms for optimisation and control have been developed to be used as part of the RES4BUILD BEMS. The fully integrated system will begin testing in early 2022. Two related publications are available to date: “Impact of hysteresis on caloric cooling performance” and “Numerical & Experimental Study of an Asymmetric CPC-PVT Solar Collector”. In parallel to the technical work, JIN Climate and Sustainability (JIN) and the Baltic Energy Conservation Agency are collaborating with end-users and other stakeholders on case studies in the Netherlands and in Poland. This work aims to devise a best practice approach for more integrated and systematic renovations of energy systems, ultimately contributing to more efficient operation and optimised interaction with the grid, and thus a lower energy bill for European consumers. A recent report provides recommendations on what a robust IES should include based on these case studies. Work package leader, Eise Spijker from JIN commented that “To make the EU Renovation Wave a reality, IES for the built environment need to provide turn-key integrated technology solutions, offer innovative financial products, and apply robust end-user engagement practices.” RES4BUILD project coordinator, Michael Papapetrou added “It is encouraging to see that we have promising results from the lab and the prototype systems, but we are equally excited for the insights we gain from the stakeholder engagement process. Understanding the needs and expectations of the end-users and the installers is an important element driving our work”. The developed solutions will be validated in different regions, and together with a full life-cycle analysis and market review will pave the route to the market and ensure wide adoption. For more information on the project and more regular updates, please visit the project website at res4build.eu or follow the project on Twitter @RES4BUILD. The abovementioned publications and report are available at res4build.eu/results.
Great progress with RES4BUILD’s innovative components to deliver on decarbonisation of buildings
The EU-funded RES4BUILD project is developing integrated renewable energy-based solutions that are tailored to the needs and requirements of users and installers. The project aims to increase the uptake of renewable energy solutions for heating and cooling; decarbonising the energy consumption in buildings and contributing to EU energy and climate goals. The consortium is working to improve the performance and reduce the cost of the most innovative components of the RES4BUILD solutions – by integrating photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors, magnetocaloric and multi-source heat pumps, optimising their performance through advanced control and building energy management systems. The developed solutions will be validated in different regions, paving the route to the market and ensuring wide adoption. Much progress has been shown to date, with work on the main components well-underway. RES4BUILD partners MG Sustainable Engineering AB and the University of Gävle, both from Sweden, are constructing the novel concentrated PVT collector with a new reflector geometry. The prototype collectors, which provide both heat and electricity from the same area, will be tested from this summer both in Sweden and Greece to collect data from two different climatic zones. The configuration and design of the multi-source vapour injection heat pump has also been finalised using a low-GWP refrigerant (an HFO: R1234ze(E)). A Greek Supplier (Kontes S.A.) along with Honeywell supported the heat pump activities of RES4BUILD by providing at no cost the required quantity of refrigerant to Psyctotherm. It is supplied with the most optimal heat either from the outside air, from the PVT collectors or from the ground. The control unit is designed in a way to allow communication with the RES4BUILD building energy management system. A prototype of this heat pump has been manufactured by the project partner Psyctotherm and installed at NCSR Demokritos for lab tests and characterisation. Initial tests already show a coefficient of performance (COP) of over 5. In August, the heat pump will be shipped to DTI in Denmark to become a valuable part of the integrated pilot system, which will be tested later in the project. In parallel to the technical work, JIN and BAPE are working with end-users and other stakeholders on six case studies in the Netherlands and in Poland aiming to devise a best practice approach to renovations of energy systems in a more integrated and systematic way, resulting in more efficient operation and optimised interaction with the grid, and thus a lower energy bill for European consumers. The co-design approach will assist with social inclusion and ultimately contribute to an accelerated energy transition, in line with European Green Deal objectives. For more information on the project and more regular updates, please visit the project website at www.res4build.eu or follow the project on Twitter @RES4BUILD. The RES4BUILD project has received funding from the European union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 814865. RES4BUILD – “Renewables for clean energy buildings in a future power system” will run for four years, from 2019 to 2023. ERINN Innovation are leading WP8: Communication, Dissemination, Knowledge Transfer and Exploitation. Image (c) MG Sustainable Engineering
New research project to drive decarbonisation of energy usage in Europe’s buildings
Decarbonising energy consumption in buildings is essential to achieve EU energy and climate goals. While the use of renewable electricity in buildings has grown steadily the uptake of renewable energy solutions for heating and cooling has been slower. The EU Horizon 2020 funded RES4BUILD project will address this challenge by developing integrated renewable energy-based solutions that are tailored to the needs and requirements of users and installers. The consortium’s multidisciplinary experts will work to improve the performance and reduce the cost of the most innovative components of the RES4BUILD solutions – by integrating PV/T collectors, magnetocaloric heat pumps, and a multi-source heat pump which are optimised through advanced control for increased performance in building systems. The various RES4BUILD solutions will be tested and validated in different climates with a thorough life cycle assessment, paving the way for bringing the developed solutions to the market and ensuring wide adoption. Much progress was already shown at the second RES4BUILD General Assembly which took place from 20-21 November 2019 in Vries, the Netherlands. Project partners JIN organised the meeting at one of the case study sites operated by Visio, who provide housing and day-care to clients with visual impairments. The project will feature a co-design process with stakeholders such as Visio. This will enable developers, service providers and end-users to ensure that resulting integrated energy systems meet the needs of the clients. Further case studies will take place across a range of suitable sites across Poland and the Netherlands, including multi-family buildings, primary schools, industrial buildings, home-owner associations and a shopping mall. The project aims to deliver solutions that reduce our dependence on fossil fuels for electricity, heating and cooling in buildings. Through its work, RES4BUILD will devise a best practice approach to renovations of energy systems in a more integrated and systematic way, resulting in more efficient operation and optimised interaction with the grid, and thus a lower energy bill for European consumers. The co-design approach will assist with social inclusion and ultimately contribute to an accelerated energy transition. RES4BUILD have joined forces with eight other H2020 projects working in the field of renewable energy technologies in buildings and have formed a cluster called “Building Energy Horizons” to collectively benefit from collaborative activities at technical and dissemination levels. For more information on the BE Horizons cluster, please see: www.res4build.eu/about/be-horizons. For more information on the project, please visit the newly launched project website at www.res4build.eu or follow the project on Twitter @RES4BUILD. The RES4BUILD project has received funding from the European union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 814865. RES4BUILD – “Renewables for clean energy buildings in a future power system” will run for four years, from 2019 to 2023. ERINN Innovation are leading WP8: Communication, Dissemination, Knowledge Transfer and Exploitation.
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