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Demonstrating the effectiveness and commercial potential of CLIMAWIN intelligent windows for energy efficiency in retrofit of buildings in Europe

Final Report Summary - CLIMAWINDA (Demonstrating the effectiveness and commercial potential of CLIMAWIN intelligent windows for energy efficiency in retrofit of buildings in Europe)

Executive Summary:
The Climawin DA Project has completed its work to bring it to the close of the project.
Window profiles and component technologies have been developed to mass producible stage, 7 pilot demonstrations have been installed (the 7th one is just completed) in 5 countries and site monitoring of performance has been carried out for periods of 12 to 3 months upon them (the monitoring will continue until at least 12 months data has been gathered on each site). Open days have been held at each of the pilot sites and interviews about the experience of ordering, and using the windows and the benefits experienced have been made and are online.
A market entry strategy involving 2 synergistic go-to-market strands has been decided upon. These comprise I) production and sale of completed Climawin windows by 2 of the founding partners and ii) sales of Climawin technologies to licenced production partners for them to offer their own Climawin windows in local markets across Europe. The marketing will be managed by a central company mutually owned by the 3 partners. A business plan and economic model for decision makers have been developed.
14 Trade Fairs have been attended and an enthusiastic response has been noted. The manufacturing partners are reporting the placing order by commercial scale companies (as of now on projects in Austria and Denmark) itself being an indicator of the solid foundation participating in the DA project has place the product on.
Patent protection has been applied for on the ventilation valve system (Denmark is granted and other countries are at PCT stage) and the name Climawin has been trademarked for Europe.

Project Context and Objectives:
The CLIMAWIN consortium, a group of European SME manufacturers and suppliers of windows and ventilation systems, aimed to address a major market opportunity regarding energy efficient fenestration systems for renovation of residential and commercial buildings. Specifically, the consortium aimed at developing a novel high performance window with electronic operation of an auto-regulated natural ventilation system powered by solar power. Through in-situ smart sensors and Radio Frequency BasedTechnology (RFBT), the system will optimize, in real time, indoor climate on the basis of parameters such as indoor/outdoor temperature, CO2 and humidity etc., thereby providing both better indoor climate and reducing
thermal loss. The envisaged solution was expected to promote a paradigm shift for building renovation in the construction industry from expensive and energy intensive heating/cooling systems to cost, health, and energy efficient intelligent windows. The Climawin DA project was primarily aimed at the renovation sector, especially in old buildings which do not have energy efficient ventilation systems. Climawin windows optimize both, indoor air quality while at the same time maximizing thermal efficiency in buildings. Demonstration (pilot installation) activities included the installation of Climawin windows at 7 locations various countries and monitoring of their performance over 6 to 12 months; identification of the route to market and development of an associated business plan, the creation of a suite of strong marketing tools including a cost-benefit model to demonstrate long term cost savings and documentation of the manufacturing process and associated costs with a view to exploring licensing of the technology to local manufacturers throughout Europe.
The objectives for the project were to develop the product from the previous prototype stage to the point where it is available as a consumer product and to start putting in place the business and administrative supports required to achieve this.
More specifically to install the pilots and monitoring their performance, over 6 to 12 months; identification of the route to market and development of an associated business plan, creation of a suite of strong marketing tools including a cost-benefit model to demonstrate long term cost savings, documentation of the manufacturing costs the manufacturing process having been dealt with in Period 1) with a view to exploring licensing of the technology to local manufacturers throughout Europe.

Project Results:
7 no pilot installation have been completed. These are in locations that represent the various climates where Climawin functions add benefit (in cooler climates preheating, in warmer climates, self cooling) namely 2 in Denmark Ireland (temperate Atlantic climate), 2 in Germany (continental climate), 1 in Portugal and 1 more in Italy (these two being southern European climate) will be complete in the next week or two. 5 of these are in workplaces with two being in home offices or home. 2 are in in buildings on research campuses. 2 of the sites including one of the research institute pilots have been monitored for almost 12 months. The remaining sites have been monitored for 3 to 4 months and will continue to be monitored until at least 1 years data has been collected. In all cases the windows are performing as expected or better. We are seeing temperatures being raised by 7 to 10 degrees celcius and comfortable CO2 and RH regimes being maintained also.

An Economic Model for decision makers involving integration of the previous configuration engine and a newly developed set of typical option sets (for ventilation and daylighting) has been developed. This will help commercialisation of the product by demonstrating to potential customers the long term, and in some cases short term, benefits of selecting Climawin over other options for the provision of window and ventilation services in a building. It integrates calculation of capital costs versus savings in energy, comfort, maintenance and financing terms.

In the past period the consortium has also developed a mature routes to market strategy. It involves nominating two of the three members who manufacture windows as early suppliers (to new customers) but more importantly charts a way to quickly broaden our reach across the continent. What is envisaged is the creation of a network of licenced production partners within each European region. Such partners would have the advantage of knowing their own market and window culture, would enjoy access to supplies of Climawin technology (valves, electronics, apps) and know how and would be licenced to produce their own intelligent ventilation window and use the Climawin brand to bring them to market.

A business Plan that update the costs, market size, market share and projected sales and profits has also been produced in this period. A branding strategy has also been developed.

Potential Impact:
Climawin will improve European building stock (new and existing) by the integration of its simple low complexity approach to improving the energy efficiency of buildings homes and classroom, enhancement of the occupant comfort and health and avoidance of more energy and material intensive alternatives previously employed to achieve similar objectives. It is both a high quality thermal window and a heat recovery ventilation system in one and as such assists in the reduction of materials used in manufacture, and economises on energy used in the running of separate window and ventilation systems.
Preliminary estimates suggest that Climawin could reduce energy use of a typical recently built European home by 3000kWh/ year (or 20% of the home comfort related energy cost). Based on our revised business planning forecasts, this means Climawin products installed would benefit the EC to the tune of 433 megawatt Houses per year by 2019 and 3.47 GigaWattHours per year by 2025energy reductions.
In addition to energy reductions, Climawin will create employment across the European Union (depending on type and location of activities). Our revised business planning indicates the following employment opportunities;13 jobs by 2018, 42 by 2020 and 220 by 2025.
Additionally we expect the commensurate yearly tax take benefit for various jurisdictions across the EU to approximate the following;
298,313 by 2018, €701,680 in 2012, €3.5M in 2025.
List of Websites:
www.climawin.eu