An INClUsive toolBox for accElerating and smartening deep renovation

Project Information

InCUBE

Grant agreement ID: 101069610

DOI

10.3030/101069610

EC signature date 10 June 2022

Start date 1 July 2022

End date 30 June 2027

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 9 955 817,99

EU contribution

€ 7 995 809,35

Coordinated by

ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS
Greece

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - InCUBE (An INClUsive toolBox for accElerating and smartening deep renovation)

Reporting period: 2022-07-01 to 2023-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The InCUBE project envisions to unlock the EU renovation wave through cutting-edge standardized, lean integrated processes based on 4 key pillars of innovation, which are: 1) Industrialization: Off-site manufactured solutions including the use of robots, offering novel services such as anti-collision and waste tracking; 2) Novel self-RES power producing and storage technologies, products and environmentally friendly materials (e.g. low GWP-refrigerant heat pumps); 3) Digitalization: Dynamic Digital Twins of both products and buildings, utilizing immersive capturing techniques (e.g. Laser 3D scanners and Drones), digitally merging innovative manufacturing processes with BIMs, and; 4) New market entrants, organized under novel business models, to enhance collaboration and productivity. InCUBE will advance and deliver innovative solutions, including the InCUBE Suite, which enables the seamless integration of different renovation digital tools. In addition, the optimal management of buildings and renewable energy resources at neighbourhood and district level is another main objective of the project. Collaboration and knowledge sharing will be supported within InCUBE through a dedicated “One-Stop-Shop” for deep renovation in the form of a Renovation Marketplace. Other important objectives are the workforce upskilling in the renovation workflows and the improvement of the SSH dimension by addressing the gender gap within the construction sector. The InCUBE solutions will be validated in 3 large-scale demo sites that include different types of buildings in 3 countries (Italy, Spain, and Netherlands).

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

During the first 18 months of the InCUBE project, various activities were performed in all work packages of the project. Regarding project management, the project management plan was delivered, along with the data management plan and the quality and risk assessment plans.
The stakeholders’ requirements and market needs were identified along with the use case scenarios per each demo site, through surveys. The project evaluation framework was designed and a repository was created with all the Key Performance Indicators to be calculated by the end of the project (T1.4).
Advancements in the technological pool of solutions related to construction materials, energy generation and storage, HVAC and cross-cutting, have been made via the production of drawings, specifications, mock-ups, and prototypes (T2.1 T2.2 T2.3). The InCUBE digital platform architecture was defined (T1.5) and details of the interoperability framework have been clarified (T3.1) which are important for the communication among the different tools and their integration into the InCUBE Suite.
Moreover, the BIM objects and the InCUBE modular BIM/CIM platform were developed (T3.2) until M18. Other tools such as the InCUBE Digital Building Logbook (initial version) and the P-GUIDE for the evaluation of renovation scenarios have been developed and improvements will be done in the following months. In addition, the framework of the R-GUIDE was defined, advancements on the INTEMA and VERIFY tools were implemented in WP4, and energy performance simulations and life cycle environmental and costing assessment were performed for all pilots’ current and envisioned status.
The overall methodology, detailed methods, and tools for engagement and data collection were setup, aimed at assessing the aspects that are related to social inclusive behaviours and approaches (T6.1). Planning and preparation activities (T7.1) have been performed at all demo sites, including data collection about current state. Furthermore, usual business models that can be applied for boosting district renovation in Positive Energy Districts were reviewed and analysed (T8.1).
InCUBE partners participated in more than 10 events and conferences, and set up of collaboration with other EU-funded related projects was made. Lastly, four scientific publications in journals have been produced.

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)

Addressing the renovation market need for sustainable materials and optimised processes to support the industrialisation of deep renovation (ER#1.1) InCUBE has developed nine (9) product innovations (including two district oriented solutions) whose prototypes are partially finished. Pending are some final configurations to allow the installation in the respective pilots. More details on the status of each innovation are available in the submitted deliverables D2.1 D2.2 and D2.3. Additionally, InCUBE has developed innovative renovation practices related to off-site manufacturing and on-site automation, as well as circular construction, which are elaborated in deliverables D2.4 and D2.5 respectively (to be submitted in M20), and are ready to be implemented during the renovation process.
In order to ensure a well-integrated renovation process for the InCUBE pilots, all pilot related information has been collected and incorporated in the Digital Twins of the buildings and innovative products to be installed in them (based on the respective BIM and energy models created). The visual representation of the Digital Twins and the connection of the InCUBE platform to all relevant modules of the project for data exchange are the next steps towards the completion of the InCUBE DT engine (ER#3.1).
Attaining a high energy performance for the renovated buildings, while taking into account the needs and comfort of the users, requires careful integration of all the collected or produced information that can support relevant decision making and facilitate communication among different processes and tools. This information is stored in an easily accessible way in the InCUBE Digital Building Logbook (DBL) and parts of it will be visualised in the developed digital twins of the pilots and the innovative solutions to be installed in them. The creation of the DBL has been finalised, addressing ER#3.2 and it is ready to be populated with the already available information from different WPs (e.g. analytical simulation results from T4.1 developed questionnaires to support the implementation of T5.2 optimisation activities and more).
The results produced so far by different InCUBE activities, particularly related to WP1, WP3 and WP4, have been published in open access journals. Four scientific publications have been completed within the first reporting period, while another two are currently undergoing a review process. These results partially fulfil ER#6.2 of the project.

InCUBE general objective