Periodic Report Summary 3 - RE-SIZED (Research Excellence for Solutions and Implementation of net Zero Energy city Districts)
Project Context and Objectives:
The University of Mons (UMONS) located in the Walloon Region of Belgium, by the intermediate
of its Research Institute for Energy, proposes to build an ERA-Chair Team headed by an ERA-Chair
Holder (Established or Leader Researcher) for building a strong, sustainable and highly-performing
Research, Development and Innovation (R&D&I) platform in the field of Energy Efficiency in city
Districts according to the concept of “Net Zero Energy city Districts (NZED)”. UMONS sets up
measures and actions at the level of the Institution and the hosting departments for creating the best
environment and conditions for achieving an ambitious R&D&I program aligned with the smart
specialization priorities already initiated by the regional authorities for its socio-economic successful
growth and with the European priorities within the European Research Area (ERA). The principal
objectives of this project are (i) to reinforce Excellence in Research at UMONS in the field of NZED
through the successful achievement of an ambitious R&D&I program; (ii) to enhance the Innovation
potential in the field; (iii) to improve a network around the theme to the benefit of UMONS as well
as the main regional, national and European stakeholders; and (iv) to assess the performance of the
ERA-Chair Team model as well as its replication potential, within the Research Institute for Energy
and other UMONS Research Institutes.
The main project objectives for the period were to go on with some continuous tasks along the project duration such as:
• Executing the R&D&I plan
• Developing an effective communication to provoke effective partnership opportunities
• Increasing the connectivity with stakeholders
• Developing the strategy to improve funding
• Collecting the key indicators and Measures/Actions to evaluate performance
• Analyzing of the replication potential of the ERA-Chair model
• Dissemination of the merits of the ERA Chair model
• Strategic management of dissemination and exploitation of the R&D&I results
• Definition of a knowledge and technology transfer strategy and assessment of its impact on economic development
• Evaluating social and economic aspects
The ERA Chair Team is composed of 4 junior Researchers (PhD) and one Senior Researcher who are developing tools and methodologies to be used for NZED conception and design in the following topics:
Urbanism, Smart grids, Energy demand of buildings, Heat and Cold Production and Storage, Sustainable mobility.
The Team is headed by an ERA Chair Holder who is also responsible for New Project Proposals building with the support of the Senior Researcher. The Team receives support from part time persons for TT and Management.
Project Results:
- Recruitment of the ERA Chair Team (dynamic process).
- R&D results related to:
-Global concept of Sustainable City Districts.
-Energy Demand of Buildings
-Smart Grids including E-mobility issues
-Complex Heat and Cold production and storage systems in City Disctricts
-Green Mobility
ready to be used for demonstration projects.
- Networking with national stakeholders (through clusters) and international partners (e.g. COST actions).
- Strategy for replicaing the REA Chair Model.
- 26 project proposals among which two will be funded (ERASMUS MUNDUS SMACCs, ERDF WAL-E-CITIES).
- 48 publications and presentations in conferences and workshops.
- Creation within UMONS of the Smart Cities Communty.
- New courses based on R&D results (Master in Architecture Engineering).
- Participation to the socio-economic survey of the Mons Area (responsible for the Energy Topic).
Potential Impact:
The field of research selected in the RE-SIZED Project i.e. “net zero energy city districts” is
particularly well adapted to implement the ERA-Chair Team model and accordingly to provide a
leverage effect for its broad adoption. Cities and districts are at the fore-front of a transition towards
a low carbon and resource efficient economy which is an essential societal challenge of the next
decades. This evolution cannot be successful without a sound and controlled integration of
technologies and services regarding building, heating/cooling, lighting, broadband communication
etc. Interoperability is, accordingly, a clear prerequisite for smart technologies to be implemented
which imposes all kind of stakeholders to be aware of the most suitable and innovative technologies
and services and interoperability between them. R&D needs to be complemented by transfers of
technologies and knowledge, adapted training programs and a strategic dissemination programs to
lead to increased awareness among all stakeholders (energy project developers, industry, urban
planners, cities regulators etc.) for further large-scale implementations to be performed.
The Main project impacts may be summarized as:
1) Development of research capacity and research excellence combining different funding streams.
2) Enhancement of competitiveness and excellence in research thus become active players in the ERA
topics
- Increased participation of the institution in Horizon 2020 and other important European
Programmes
3) Strong interactions with regional authorities (Walloon region) designing and implementing research
and Innovation strategies for smart specialization in the field of low carbon built environment.
4) Strong interactions with stakeholders for making them familiar with the concepts of low energy city
districts and Smart cities
- Technology and knowledge transfer towards stakeholders for ensuring the development of their
activities within the new concepts.
Considering the oucomes of the project up to now, it appears that one of the first impact will be the development of new education programmes within UMONS (in existing programmes or new education programmes: ERASMUS MUNDUS SMACCs). Impacts 1 and 2 are met. Impact 3 was met at the local level (Mons area). Impact 4 was met in terms of connectivity. Actions for reinforcing impacts 3 and 4 for leading to effective use of the RESIZED project R&D results in ambitious demonstration projects are still needed. Reinforcing impact 4 requires a better economic and political context (ambitious demonstration projects are costly in terms of investment and are thus not cost effective in the present context). The impact of the RESIZED project on education programmes could be a pre requisite for reinforcing impact 4.
List of Websites:
http://resized.info/(öffnet in neuem Fenster)
The University of Mons (UMONS) located in the Walloon Region of Belgium, by the intermediate
of its Research Institute for Energy, proposes to build an ERA-Chair Team headed by an ERA-Chair
Holder (Established or Leader Researcher) for building a strong, sustainable and highly-performing
Research, Development and Innovation (R&D&I) platform in the field of Energy Efficiency in city
Districts according to the concept of “Net Zero Energy city Districts (NZED)”. UMONS sets up
measures and actions at the level of the Institution and the hosting departments for creating the best
environment and conditions for achieving an ambitious R&D&I program aligned with the smart
specialization priorities already initiated by the regional authorities for its socio-economic successful
growth and with the European priorities within the European Research Area (ERA). The principal
objectives of this project are (i) to reinforce Excellence in Research at UMONS in the field of NZED
through the successful achievement of an ambitious R&D&I program; (ii) to enhance the Innovation
potential in the field; (iii) to improve a network around the theme to the benefit of UMONS as well
as the main regional, national and European stakeholders; and (iv) to assess the performance of the
ERA-Chair Team model as well as its replication potential, within the Research Institute for Energy
and other UMONS Research Institutes.
The main project objectives for the period were to go on with some continuous tasks along the project duration such as:
• Executing the R&D&I plan
• Developing an effective communication to provoke effective partnership opportunities
• Increasing the connectivity with stakeholders
• Developing the strategy to improve funding
• Collecting the key indicators and Measures/Actions to evaluate performance
• Analyzing of the replication potential of the ERA-Chair model
• Dissemination of the merits of the ERA Chair model
• Strategic management of dissemination and exploitation of the R&D&I results
• Definition of a knowledge and technology transfer strategy and assessment of its impact on economic development
• Evaluating social and economic aspects
The ERA Chair Team is composed of 4 junior Researchers (PhD) and one Senior Researcher who are developing tools and methodologies to be used for NZED conception and design in the following topics:
Urbanism, Smart grids, Energy demand of buildings, Heat and Cold Production and Storage, Sustainable mobility.
The Team is headed by an ERA Chair Holder who is also responsible for New Project Proposals building with the support of the Senior Researcher. The Team receives support from part time persons for TT and Management.
Project Results:
- Recruitment of the ERA Chair Team (dynamic process).
- R&D results related to:
-Global concept of Sustainable City Districts.
-Energy Demand of Buildings
-Smart Grids including E-mobility issues
-Complex Heat and Cold production and storage systems in City Disctricts
-Green Mobility
ready to be used for demonstration projects.
- Networking with national stakeholders (through clusters) and international partners (e.g. COST actions).
- Strategy for replicaing the REA Chair Model.
- 26 project proposals among which two will be funded (ERASMUS MUNDUS SMACCs, ERDF WAL-E-CITIES).
- 48 publications and presentations in conferences and workshops.
- Creation within UMONS of the Smart Cities Communty.
- New courses based on R&D results (Master in Architecture Engineering).
- Participation to the socio-economic survey of the Mons Area (responsible for the Energy Topic).
Potential Impact:
The field of research selected in the RE-SIZED Project i.e. “net zero energy city districts” is
particularly well adapted to implement the ERA-Chair Team model and accordingly to provide a
leverage effect for its broad adoption. Cities and districts are at the fore-front of a transition towards
a low carbon and resource efficient economy which is an essential societal challenge of the next
decades. This evolution cannot be successful without a sound and controlled integration of
technologies and services regarding building, heating/cooling, lighting, broadband communication
etc. Interoperability is, accordingly, a clear prerequisite for smart technologies to be implemented
which imposes all kind of stakeholders to be aware of the most suitable and innovative technologies
and services and interoperability between them. R&D needs to be complemented by transfers of
technologies and knowledge, adapted training programs and a strategic dissemination programs to
lead to increased awareness among all stakeholders (energy project developers, industry, urban
planners, cities regulators etc.) for further large-scale implementations to be performed.
The Main project impacts may be summarized as:
1) Development of research capacity and research excellence combining different funding streams.
2) Enhancement of competitiveness and excellence in research thus become active players in the ERA
topics
- Increased participation of the institution in Horizon 2020 and other important European
Programmes
3) Strong interactions with regional authorities (Walloon region) designing and implementing research
and Innovation strategies for smart specialization in the field of low carbon built environment.
4) Strong interactions with stakeholders for making them familiar with the concepts of low energy city
districts and Smart cities
- Technology and knowledge transfer towards stakeholders for ensuring the development of their
activities within the new concepts.
Considering the oucomes of the project up to now, it appears that one of the first impact will be the development of new education programmes within UMONS (in existing programmes or new education programmes: ERASMUS MUNDUS SMACCs). Impacts 1 and 2 are met. Impact 3 was met at the local level (Mons area). Impact 4 was met in terms of connectivity. Actions for reinforcing impacts 3 and 4 for leading to effective use of the RESIZED project R&D results in ambitious demonstration projects are still needed. Reinforcing impact 4 requires a better economic and political context (ambitious demonstration projects are costly in terms of investment and are thus not cost effective in the present context). The impact of the RESIZED project on education programmes could be a pre requisite for reinforcing impact 4.
List of Websites:
http://resized.info/(öffnet in neuem Fenster)