FleXible user-CEntric Energy poSitive houseS

Project Information

EXCESS

Grant agreement ID: 870157

DOI

10.3030/870157

Project closed

EC signature date 22 August 2019

Start date 1 September 2019

End date 30 November 2024

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Advanced manufacturing and processing

Total cost

€ 9 210 808,18

EU contribution

€ 7 886 231,38

Coordinated by

JOANNEUM RESEARCH FORSCHUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH
Austria

Periodic Reporting for period 4 - EXCESS (FleXible user-CEntric Energy poSitive houseS)

Reporting period: 2024-03-01 to 2024-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The Energy transition of the EU building stock from being an energy waster to being highly energy efficient and an energy producer is a prerequisite for Europe’s 2050 carbon neutrality (long term EU target of a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate-neutral economy by 2050 ). Achieving these targets requires shifting the emerging energy renovation market to a plus energy market. This paradigm shift is an opportunity for the construction industry to improve its productivity by industrializing the energy renovation process through the use of modern production technics and innovative technologies (Saheb 2018). While Nearly Zero Energy Buildings are slowly emerging and are mandated by EU legislation for new buildings after 2020.
Main aim of EXCESS therefore are to:
• O1: Advance new materials, technologies and integrated technological systems (TRL5-7) that will be needed for PEB in different climate zone (WP2)
• O2: Optimize the interplay of local generation, storage, consumption at the building and district level enabling interactions with the grid capitalizing on new ICT opportunities and unlocking new revenue streams (WP3)
• O3: Demonstrate Positive Energy residential building solutions for main EU climate zone (WP4)
• O4: Promoting a user centric approach, involving the user aspects in every optimization process (WP3. WP6)
• O5: Co-Innovation, replication and exploitation activities with a wide range of stakeholders to maximize the project technical, social and economic impact and to prepare for a future market roll out of the PEB concept (WP5, WP6, WP7)
The EXCESS project builds upon nearly-zero energy multi-storey building residential concepts towards Energy fleXible user-CEntric poSitive houseS (EXCESS). Important technical developments for plus energy building materials and other individual technologies are required to address specific climate related needs in order to meet the PEB level, especially in harsh climates. Integration is needed for upgrading single technologies to be part of a large orchestra enabling also user-context-aware energy flexible services between utilities and customers. These will unlock additional revenue streams that reduce the lifetime cost of the developed PEB solutions, making them affordable also large portion of the society. Thus, EXCESS advances new materials, technologies and integrated technological systems, promoting a user centric approach, capitalized on new ICT opportunities, for optimizing the interplay of local generation, storage, consumption at the building and district level. The demonstration activities in each of the climatic zones (Austria, Belgium, Finland and Spain) will be accompanied by co-innovation, replication and exploitation activities to maximize the project technical, social and economic impact and to prepare for a future market roll out of the PEB concept by also scouting energy efficiency funding opportunities.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In 8 work packages, different tasks have been performed during P1:
a definition for an Energy Positive Building (PEB) was developed, existing examples of PEBs were collected, and 10 were studied in more detail. Potential barriers and opportunities for wider roll out of PEBs were identified as well as possibilities to overcome the barriers and capitalize the opportunities.
Furthermore, different technologies were improved and tested in the different areas: Energy harvesting building envelope elements, Deep borehole development, Multisource heat pumps with high COP DHW, Activating thermal and electrical flexibility in district heating substations and Integrated controllers. Detailed energy simulations were carried out to design the energy systems in the demos.
On the ICT side, an EXCESS ICT Architecture as well as a Data Management Framework was designed. Preliminary design of the Common Information Model, Design and launch of the implementation phase for the Data Analytics Framework and the Model Predictive Control (MPC) component and the Initiation of design of the Blockchain Infrastructure were done as well.
A detailed planning of four demo cases, to show different PEB technologies from a broad perspective (technical, environmental, economic and social) was started and general and case specific KPI’s are being defined, which will be used later in the evaluation phase of the demo cases.
Work has also started on the business development of the different demos and establish scalable, generic business cases as well as a roadmap for upscaling the PEB concept.
Five stakeholder databases were created, user engagement plans have been drafted aand are currently being implemented. In addition, the first round of co-innovation workshops was completed in all demonstration sites and the 1st External Advisory Boards meeting was organised at the beginning of February 2021.
To support the project, a detailed communication & dissemination plan was developed to provide guidance to partners and maximize outreach and visibility. A unique visual identity has been created, including the project website. Promotional materials have been produced, social media channels been set up, two project newsletters have been sent so far and cooperation with sister projects has been initiated.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Achievements have been made in the following areas in advancing new materials, technologies and integrated technologies.
* PVT Development. This will lead to an increase of the efficiency of the heat pump contributing for densely built environment & less installation burden.
* Mid-deep 800m Borehole collector. This will lead to an increase of efficiency of the heat pump for densely built environment/refurbishments.
* Design principles and test result of multisource solar assisted heat pumps with high COP DHW. This is a breakthrough for densely built environment areas/refurbishments as the heat pump market is booming.
* Testing performance and safety of prefabricated multifunctional façade modules. So, EXCESS can provide multifunctional solution for the deep building renovation market with a high acceptance.
* Activating thermal and electrical flexibility in DHN components. DHN infrastructure could be proven as a source of flexibility to improve energy efficiency and to make better use of local RES.
* Integrated controller development. A controller for managing the RES generation and storage system in micro-networks has been developed.
* Enabling optimal PEB design via simulation-based energy performance assessment. This can move technology providers beyond BAU.
* Active and Human-centric PEBs through data-driven intelligence enhancement. The result will be a loosely-coupled smart building solution for human-centric buildings that act as active nodes of the energy system and commoditize multi-source building flexibility (generation, demand, storage) in overlay energy markets.

PEB definition in EXCESS