The transition to climate neutrality is particularly challenging for historical cities throughout Europe, wishing to safeguard their cultural heritage while future-proofing it for a sustainable energy future. HeriTACE is developing tools allowing authorities and designers to navigate this delicate balance, in order to accelerate the rate of holistic deep energy renovations of heritage buildings.
The heritage buildings in focus are historical townhouses, located in historical neighbourhoods, that represent 1 up to 10% of the building stock in the partner countries: Belgium, Italy, Estonia and Norway, and are widespread in historical cities throughout de EU.
HeriTACE introduces a holistic and multi-scale renovation approach for heritage townhouses. It accounts for a holistic set of criteria - including heritage value, energy, durability, sustainability, building user perspectives, indoor environmental quality and costs - and optimises the integration of energy-efficient solutions at the scale of the building elements, the building and neighbourhood.
The renovation approach is supported by the development of innovative technical solutions for the renovation of heritage townhouses. We create durable insulation and airtightness solutions compatible with traditional techniques, implement smart and energy-efficient heating, ventilation and cooling systems that ensure comfort and indoor air quality exactly where and when the building users need it, and we integrate renewable and residual energy supply solutions to maximize the local clean energy use in the building and neighbourhood.
To realise this, the HeriTACE project brought together a transdisciplinary team of universities and research institutes, public authorities, SMEs and industry experienced in the design, technology and policymaking in the domains of conservation, buildings and energy. By aligning with the EU Green Deal and the New European Bauhaus, the project seeks to achieve up to 60% primary energy savings and prepare the building for a sustainable and fossil-free energy future, improve indoor comfort, decrease construction waste and increase the cost effectiveness of the renovation, while preserving the building historical and cultural heritage value.
