HERIT4AGES: User-centric and data-driven retrofitting solutions for a resilient, energy-efficient, low-emission and inclusive cultural heritage.

Project Information

Herit4ages

Grant agreement ID: 101123175

DOI

10.3030/101123175

EC signature date 28 September 2023

Start date 1 November 2023

End date 31 October 2027

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 4 988 687,50

EU contribution

€ 4 988 687,50

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK - NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK
Ireland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Herit4ages (HERIT4AGES: User-centric and data-driven retrofitting solutions for a resilient, energy-efficient, low-emission and inclusive cultural heritage.)

Reporting period: 2023-11-01 to 2025-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

For decades, heritage buildings in Europe have been an example of resilience, providing historic examples of low emissions during operation, while providing an identifiable and unique character to the core of our cities, towns and villages. However, in many cases the techniques and technologies used for their construction and operation have been lost or replaced for other ones which reflect our current values and scientific developments, which in some cases are not compatible or replaceable with former methods. It is imperative to ensure conservation and maintenance of heritage buildings while providing the positive aspects of modernity which are also sought by occupants. This implies making them inclusive and accessible to populations with reduced mobility, affordable and easy to maintain, meet current comfort standards while having low or zero emissions, adapting them to a new social and energy model.
Herit4ages aims to demonstrate that it is possible to improve the overall energy and comfort performance of heritage buildings while preserving their architectural and cultural identity. Given that the spectrum of heritage buildings is very broad and that protection laws may allow for different levels of intervention, the project aims to develop a set of solutions that can be replicated in different parts of Europe for buildings that have heritage value but which still preserve a daily use, for example offices, educational buildings and residences. The concept seeks to solve the lack of comfort experienced in many heritage buildings as in many cases there is no modern heating/cooling system, or where implementing one entails a significant economic expense due to the need to condition large volumes. It also aims to help heritage buildings meet modern standards in terms of accessibility, inclusivity and thermal performance, increasing their attractiveness for existing and prospective users while preserving them.
The solutions are aimed to preserve the heritage character of the building while making higher use of renewable energy such as solar, use materials within the locality to improve their lifecycle, and future-proof heritage buildings by increasing their access to digital energy management systems which will make them able to avail of smart services such as preventive maintenance monitoring. They are being developed using an innovative co-creation methodology, which provides a novel method for the social acceptance of solutions and which will increase their widespread use.
The solutions include: heritage co-creation toolkit; clay-based panels to improve energy efficiency of walls, floors and ceilings; Heritage-centric building information management system with digital twin (HBIM); heritage-friendly green environmental sensor; non-intrusive energy management router to increase the use of heritage-appropriate photovoltaic panels.
The selected demonstration sites include a heritage lab for testing the solutions previous to intervention (Spain), a former monastery turned into a hotel (Spain), a modernist university building (Italy), a palace turned into offices (Estonia), and heritage residences turned into social housing (Portugal).

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 this first reporting period, the project has studied the context and identified the limitations for the application of renovation solutions for heritage buildings in an European context. The state of the art has also been studied and identified.
The first stage of quantitative and qualitative monitoring has been performed, which has included surveys to define occupants' expectations and reactions for thermal and visual comfort, as well as for social expectations that must be met by the solutions. It also has included the installation of an environmental monitoring system to measure physical variables that affect heritage preservation previous to intervention, such as temperature, humidity, energy use and occupancy.
The surveys and co-creation sessions have been carried out in all demonstration sites, with recommendations being applied by technology providers.
The suggested solutions have achieved their initial development phase, with clay formulations being finalized, the design of the structure in progress, and the foundations laid for the development of the environmental sensor and energy router. The building information system has collected initial geometrical digital data from the sites, which was non-existent previously. The heritage-appropriate photovoltaic panels have also been identified.

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)

The regulatory framework has been studied and it has been found that the approach for conservation and upgrading of heritage buildings is highly conservative which limits the technologies to be applied. This can be attributed to the low number of solutions appropriate for heritage buildings, as most off-the-shelf products depend on concrete materials or non-moisture-transferring insulation. These mainstream solutions can also cause irreversible changes and damages to the heritage character of buildings, which makes decision makers averse to their application. Traditional and custom solutions, which require dedicated craftsmanship, continue to be the state of the art.
On the other hand, the project has managed to start developing solutions that are based on local materials and which can impact positively on energy performance and lifecycle of the renovation. The solutions are also non-intrusive and intuitive to apply and use, which reduces the need for specialized installers and craftsmen, which has been a deterrent for the renovation of heritage buildings due to their high cost and low availability. However, upscaling cost still needs to be determined, which will be done as the solutions continue to be developed and demonstrated.
It has also been found that the use of the co-creation approach for the development of solutions is also novel and provides technology providers with insights on how to develop their product. Surveys after installation will be able to determine the degree of acceptability of the products.

Summary of the project aims and technologies