Effective processes, robust solutions, new business models and reliable life cycle costs, supporting user engagement and investors’ confidence towards net zero balance.
Cost optimal and nearly zero energy performance levels are principles initiated by the European Union’s (EU) Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which was recast in 2010. These will be major drivers in the construction sector in the next few years, because all new buildings in the EU from 2021 onwards are expected to be nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB).
While nZEB realized so far have clearly shown that the nearly-zero energy target can be achieved using existing technologies and practices, most experts agree that a broad-scale shift towards nearly-zero energy buildings requires significant adjustments to prevailing building market structures. Cost-effective integration of efficient solution sets and renewable energy systems in a form that fits with the development, manufacturing and construction industry
CRAVEzero focuses on proven and new approaches to reduce the costs of Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEBs) at all stages of the life cycle. The main goal is to identify and eliminate the extra costs for nZEBs related to processes, technologies, building operation, and to promote innovative business models taking into account the cost-effectiveness for all the stakeholders.
Main project pillars are: (i) CRAVEzero pinboard as a structured framework organizing all needed information and data to build an effective nZEB business model for low life-cycle costs (ii) reliable life-cycle cost databases with cost reduction potentials in processes and technologies (iii) methodologies, robust solutions and business models for low life cycle cost nZEBs. Cost reductions will cover all stages of the process, from urban planning, to building design, construction, as well as building operation, while ensuring a high overall quality of the building, considering in particular architecture and indoor environmental aspects.
CRAVEzero transforms the whole construction cycle (from the design to the end of life) into an organized process, where the building will acquire the features of a manufacturing product cutting off the uncertainties and failures during planning, construction and operation of the current practice and reducing the associated costs.
Guidelines, databases and case studies for cost reduction of nZEB technologies, processes and business models are developed in close cooperation with the industry partners involved. Working methodologies, ready-to-be-used customisable solutions enabling cost reduction, speeding up the process and ensuring the high performance level of new buildings, are addressed. Nevertheless, the nZEB concept promoted by CRAVEzero is not a unique model to be simply duplicated, but it is composed by a set of customisable solutions to be combined according to the local context and the needs of the users, ensuring the high quality of the built environment, preserving the identity of each single building, increasing user acceptance and maintaining high real estate value. Highly replicable models will be developed in order to lower design and construction costs, avoid delays, optimise and simplify the management of development, construction and operational phase while minimising errors and failures.
