Sustainable and Integrated people centRiC solUtions for buiLding decArbonisation and circularity

Project Information

SIRCULAR

Grant agreement ID: 101147412

DOI

10.3030/101147412

EC signature date 2 May 2024

Start date 1 June 2024

End date 30 November 2027

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 7 010 993,75

EU contribution

€ 5 999 644,26

Coordinated by

RINA CONSULTING SPA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SIRCULAR (Sustainable and Integrated people centRiC solUtions for buiLding decArbonisation and circularity)

Reporting period: 2024-06-01 to 2025-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The built environment is one of the most resource-intensive and carbon-intensive sectors in Europe, accounting for approximately 40% of energy consumption, 36% of CO2 emissions, and more than one third of total waste generation. Despite increasing policy ambition under the European Green Deal, the Renovation Wave, and the transition towards zero-emission buildings, current renovation practices remain largely linear, fragmented, and insufficiently scaled. Circularity principles, digital decision-support, and social acceptance are still weakly integrated into mainstream renovation processes, limiting both environmental performance and market uptake.
SIRCULAR addresses this challenge by responding to a clear policy and societal need: enabling deep renovation of existing buildings through circular, low-carbon, and digitally supported solutions, while ensuring economic feasibility and social acceptance. The project aligns with key EU strategies, including the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), the EU Taxonomy, and Horizon Europe priorities on climate neutrality, resource efficiency, and citizen-centred innovation.
The overall objective of SIRCULAR is to develop, demonstrate, and prepare for replication an integrated framework combining innovative construction technologies, digital tools, and participatory approaches to accelerate the decarbonisation and circularisation of the European building stock. Technically, the project develops prefabricated, low-carbon building components incorporating reused, recycled, and bio-based materials, aiming to significantly reduce embodied and operational emissions. In parallel, SIRCULAR delivers a digital platform integrating circularity assessment, energy and comfort evaluation, and a marketplace for secondary construction materials, enabling informed decision-making across the renovation lifecycle.
The project pathway to impact is structured around three interconnected dimensions. First, technological impact is achieved through the development and validation of scalable renovation solutions and assessment methodologies capable of increasing building circularity up to 75% and reducing energy demand by approximately 25%. Second, systemic and market impact is pursued through demonstration activities, business model development, and replication strategies that reduce time-to-market and de-risk investments in circular renovation. Third, societal and policy impact is addressed by actively engaging stakeholders across the value chain and by generating evidence to inform local and regional policy frameworks.
SSH play a central role in SIRCULAR by ensuring that technological innovation is aligned with human, social, and institutional dimensions.

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, the SIRCULAR project has established a solid technical and scientific foundation to enable circular and low-carbon renovation of the built environment. Core activities focused on methodology development, digital infrastructure definition, and the design and validation of innovative construction solutions.
At the methodological level, WP1 successfully developed the conceptual framework underpinning the project. This included the definition of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) addressing circularity, embodied and operational carbon, energy performance, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, and social aspects. A major scientific achievement was the development of a novel Circularity Index methodology, integrating Material Circularity Index (MCI), Product Circularity Index (PCI), and reused/recycled content indicators. These methodologies provide a harmonised and replicable approach to assess circular renovation strategies across different contexts and building types.
In parallel, WP2 advanced the technical design of the SIRCULAR digital platform, defining its architecture, interoperability requirements, and data flows. Key technical outcomes include the specification of a modular platform architecture, the integration concept for heterogeneous tools, and the definition of data models enabling interoperability with BIM and geo-referenced datasets.
Significant scientific progress was achieved in WP3, where innovative low-carbon and circular construction materials and components were developed and tested. Activities included the design and laboratory validation of low-carbon precast concrete elements incorporating recycled and bio-based materials, circular façade solutions, and strategies for material reuse and recyclability. Experimental testing demonstrated promising performance.
Furthermore, preparatory work for monitoring, validation, and assessment frameworks established the basis for evaluating performance during the demonstration phase. Common monitoring methodologies, data categories, and KPIs were defined to ensure consistency across pilots once implementation begins.

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 SIRCULAR project has delivered a coherent set of scientific, technical, and methodological results aimed at accelerating circular and low-carbon renovation in the built environment. Key results include:
- the development of innovative circular construction solutions based on reused, recycled, and bio-based materials;
- the definition of standardised methodologies and KPIs to assess circularity, carbon emissions, energy performance, comfort, and material flows;
- the design of an integrated digital platform enabling data-driven decision-making, interoperability, and scalability;
- and the establishment of replicable frameworks for monitoring, validation, and future market uptake.
Together, these results provide a robust foundation for moving from research and prototyping towards demonstration, replication, and market deployment.
In the longer term, the project results can support policy development and regulatory alignment, providing evidence-based inputs for circular construction standards, sustainability criteria, and public procurement frameworks.
To ensure further uptake and long-term success of SIRCULAR results, several key needs have been identified:
- Further demonstration and validation: Full-scale implementation and long-term monitoring in real buildings are essential to confirm performance, reliability, and user acceptance under operational conditions.
- Market access and commercialisation pathways: Support is needed to transition innovative materials, prefabricated solutions, and digital tools from pilot scale to commercial readiness, including engagement with investors and industrial partners.
- Standardisation and regulatory support: Alignment with evolving EU and national standards, as well as recognition of circularity metrics in regulations and certification schemes, will be critical to mainstream adoption.
- Data availability and interoperability: Continued efforts are required to improve access to high-quality, standardised data (e.g. BIM, material passports, geo-referenced waste streams) to fully exploit digital tools.
- IPR management and exploitation strategies: Clear intellectual property frameworks and exploitation plans will help protect innovation while enabling replication and scaling.
- Capacity building and skills development: Training for professionals and public authorities is necessary to ensure effective use of circularity assessment tools and methodologies.