Periodic Reporting for period 1 - COLLECTiEF (Collective Intelligence for Energy Flexibility)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-06-01 bis 2022-11-30
COLLECTiEF-Collective Intelligence for Energy Flexibility is a €4,5m H2020 innovation action. The project aims to enhance energy flexibility and climate resilience through a collective intelligence (CI) approach.
Buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of energy consumption, making them the largest single energy consumer in Europe. Almost 75% of the EU building stock is energy inefficient and at least 75% of today’s buildings will still exist by 2050 and considering the current annual renovation rate (0.4-1.2%). The available solutions to smart up the buildings are slow and not very practical to integrate the legacy equipment in the flexibility market. Moreover, large-scale mapping of buildings’ smartness to increase the energy flexibility in urban areas needs a seamless ‘crosstalk’ between grid and buildings, but none of the available approaches provide persistent and easy-to-implement solutions for this issue. Energy flexibility also needs to consider the occupants of a building and their needs and preferences to be socially accepted and hence result effective.
The COLLECTiEF project aims to enhance, implement, test, and evaluate an interoperable and saleable energy management system based on CI that allows easy and seamless integration of legacy equipment into a collaborative network within and between existing buildings and urban energy systems with reduced installation cost, data transfer and computational power while increasing data security, energy flexibility and climate resilience.
The specific objectives are ;
· Enhancement and adaptation of algorithms for creating a CI-based energy flexible network
· Realization of CI-based cost-effective system components with easy deployment and maintenance
· Demonstration and testing of a CI-based energy network in the real environment
· Testing and implementing a scalable and customizable occupant-centric fusion sensor network for accurate and non-invasive environmental monitoring
· Designing and implementing a smart, user-centric, and user-friendly digital platform for interacting with users and controlling technical building systems
· The new business model for energy services including a clear model for commercialization of the COLLECTiEF system.
Buildings are responsible for approximately 40% of energy consumption, making them the largest single energy consumer in Europe. Almost 75% of the EU building stock is energy inefficient and at least 75% of today’s buildings will still exist by 2050 and considering the current annual renovation rate (0.4-1.2%). The available solutions to smart up the buildings are slow and not very practical to integrate the legacy equipment in the flexibility market. Moreover, large-scale mapping of buildings’ smartness to increase the energy flexibility in urban areas needs a seamless ‘crosstalk’ between grid and buildings, but none of the available approaches provide persistent and easy-to-implement solutions for this issue. Energy flexibility also needs to consider the occupants of a building and their needs and preferences to be socially accepted and hence result effective.
The COLLECTiEF project aims to enhance, implement, test, and evaluate an interoperable and saleable energy management system based on CI that allows easy and seamless integration of legacy equipment into a collaborative network within and between existing buildings and urban energy systems with reduced installation cost, data transfer and computational power while increasing data security, energy flexibility and climate resilience.
The specific objectives are ;
· Enhancement and adaptation of algorithms for creating a CI-based energy flexible network
· Realization of CI-based cost-effective system components with easy deployment and maintenance
· Demonstration and testing of a CI-based energy network in the real environment
· Testing and implementing a scalable and customizable occupant-centric fusion sensor network for accurate and non-invasive environmental monitoring
· Designing and implementing a smart, user-centric, and user-friendly digital platform for interacting with users and controlling technical building systems
· The new business model for energy services including a clear model for commercialization of the COLLECTiEF system.
The first period of the project showed a significant progress with the development of the COLLECTiEF project on the quality plan and quality assurance assessment procedure, data management plan, planning for small-scale demonstration including the development of the algorithm, Cluster-Edge architectural scheme development, fabrication/procurement of sensors, users/stakeholders’ engagement, sensor/device installation in the pilot buildings and monitoring phase were initiated. The data acquisition procedure was started by M15, and data storing/flow/analysis has begun. Furthermore, the consortium developed an application programming interface (API) to access the historical/stored data for automatic evaluation. We developed the dashboard for Cluster Node and Human-Building Interface for the Edge Node. COLLECTiEF started to perform the calculation of the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) in the COLLECTiEF pilots. The project several hardware and software solution were developed and tested for the demonstration phase. Moreover, there were several dissemination activities including launching the website, social media channels, organizing several workshops and events at the pilot sites to engage end users and stakeholders.
The main achievements obtained by M18 include:
- The first version of the algorithms in the CI-based control systems at the building and cluster levels has been developed based on Reinforcement Learning.
- The virtual test bed using DIMOSIM for algorithms and controls has been developed.
- A Measurement & Verification (M&V) plan has been defined to evaluate the implementation of the COLLECTiEF solutions.
- The methodology and the key performance indicator (KPI) selected to assess the impacts on the smart readiness of buildings, energy performance, indoor environmental quality, energy flexibility and climate resilience.
- The Sensors, BRiG devices and Sphensors have been installed in the pilot sites and the BRiG capacity to communicate data to external servers has been tested by performing functional tests on the remotely E@W and NTNU server.
- The monitoring phase was initiated from M15 onward and the data collection/ storing/flow/analysis has been started.
- Finalizing the implementation of the occupant-centric fusion sensor network in the pilot buildings and communication between the sensors and the BRiG device is up and running.
- The first consolidated version of the COLLECTiEF platform architecture has been developed.
- The concept and architecture of the Human-Building Interface have been defined and described.
- The comprehensive market analysis has been prepared.
The main achievements obtained by M18 include:
- The first version of the algorithms in the CI-based control systems at the building and cluster levels has been developed based on Reinforcement Learning.
- The virtual test bed using DIMOSIM for algorithms and controls has been developed.
- A Measurement & Verification (M&V) plan has been defined to evaluate the implementation of the COLLECTiEF solutions.
- The methodology and the key performance indicator (KPI) selected to assess the impacts on the smart readiness of buildings, energy performance, indoor environmental quality, energy flexibility and climate resilience.
- The Sensors, BRiG devices and Sphensors have been installed in the pilot sites and the BRiG capacity to communicate data to external servers has been tested by performing functional tests on the remotely E@W and NTNU server.
- The monitoring phase was initiated from M15 onward and the data collection/ storing/flow/analysis has been started.
- Finalizing the implementation of the occupant-centric fusion sensor network in the pilot buildings and communication between the sensors and the BRiG device is up and running.
- The first consolidated version of the COLLECTiEF platform architecture has been developed.
- The concept and architecture of the Human-Building Interface have been defined and described.
- The comprehensive market analysis has been prepared.
COLLECTiEF develops the system and processes based on collective intelligence (CI) and promotes distributed self-organization and collaboration throughout the energy system. We apply CI to a set of technology challenges with the focus of “smarting up” the existing European building stock for energy efficiency.
The implementation of the COLLECTiEF system in different buildings will upgrade existing buildings to a higher smartness level. COLLECTiEF system will increase the functionality level in all domains depending on the presence of services and their existing functionality level. The SRI procedure will provide one single score (from A to D) that classifies the building’s smart readiness.
Using measurement of energy consumption and environmental variables and calibrated models of the pilot sites which the project algorithms will be applied on, COLLECTiEF will reduce energy consumption and costs. Collective Access will create cost-efficient data access with solutions based on innovative hardware and embedded software.
Developing CI-based demand side management (CI-DMS), COLLECTiEF will provide primary energy savings. CI-DSM will effectively decrease the average and peak energy demand and increase the demand flexibility. It will also help to decrease the cooling demand in urban areas.
COLLECTiEF will invest in sustainable energy and enable optimal use of onsite renewable energy production by virtually equipping buildings with REN energy systems to demonstrate the potential impact.
With the thermal management of a building, COLLECTiEF will improve the users’ satisfaction. A self-trained algorithm will provide user-oriented adjustment to the building's thermal equipment and will minimize the occurrences of discomfort events.
Finally, COLLECTiEF will offer increased climate flexibility and resilience in urban areas, inducing larger integration of renewable generation. The CI-based software and hardware packages developed by COLLECTiEF will help to decrease the energy demand gradually and effectively during climate variations and extreme events.
The implementation of the COLLECTiEF system in different buildings will upgrade existing buildings to a higher smartness level. COLLECTiEF system will increase the functionality level in all domains depending on the presence of services and their existing functionality level. The SRI procedure will provide one single score (from A to D) that classifies the building’s smart readiness.
Using measurement of energy consumption and environmental variables and calibrated models of the pilot sites which the project algorithms will be applied on, COLLECTiEF will reduce energy consumption and costs. Collective Access will create cost-efficient data access with solutions based on innovative hardware and embedded software.
Developing CI-based demand side management (CI-DMS), COLLECTiEF will provide primary energy savings. CI-DSM will effectively decrease the average and peak energy demand and increase the demand flexibility. It will also help to decrease the cooling demand in urban areas.
COLLECTiEF will invest in sustainable energy and enable optimal use of onsite renewable energy production by virtually equipping buildings with REN energy systems to demonstrate the potential impact.
With the thermal management of a building, COLLECTiEF will improve the users’ satisfaction. A self-trained algorithm will provide user-oriented adjustment to the building's thermal equipment and will minimize the occurrences of discomfort events.
Finally, COLLECTiEF will offer increased climate flexibility and resilience in urban areas, inducing larger integration of renewable generation. The CI-based software and hardware packages developed by COLLECTiEF will help to decrease the energy demand gradually and effectively during climate variations and extreme events.