Buildings are more than just isolated units that draw energy from the grid, as was already mentioned. By actively consuming, producing, storing, and supplying energy, they are evolving into active components of the energy network and converting the EU energy market into a decentralized, renewable, linked, and flexible system.
The connection between buildings, their energy system, and the grid is currently still fragmented, therefore there is a lot of room for improvement in order to improve how they interact.
By achieving a higher level of integration between these various systems/resources, as well as lower LCOE, higher operational benefits, improved active envelope aesthetics, and maximizing the local RES exploitation through the entire envelope, taking into account both opaque and transparent parts, EnergyMatching helped to resolve these issues.
Additionally, modern systems are made to satisfy specific needs, such as enhancing PV electricity self-consumption, lowering energy consumption, increasing energy production, or lowering installation costs.
Due to the lack of a systemic approach, few solutions have attempted to address all of the benefits; this concept's innovative method addresses this problem.
Each of the seven outcomes created for the project has a strong potential for innovation and is being developed to advance beyond the state of the art.
Main impacts of EnergyMatching include:
- Reduced cost of manufacturing, installation and operation of energy harvesting technologies at building and district scale. In particular, the additional cost of EnergyMatching installed solution compared with standard building renovation was estimated to be in the range of 13% ÷ 17%, meeting the project goal (below 20%),
- Demonstrated replicability resulting in the acceleration of the integration of RES into EU diversified residential buildings and districts. In particular, the EnergyMatching platform was populated with several BIPV Case studies external to the project, showing different building typologies and contexts
- Maximisation of RES generation, demand coverage and optimal integration of RES with the energy grids. In particular, data evaluated and monitored in the four demos show great achievements leading to (i)reduction of primary energy consumption of heating energy generation system of 70%, (ii)annual demand coverage of common electricity consumption of 86%, (iii)electricity self-consumption of 59%.
- Revitalization of the EU construction sectors and generation of employment opportunities. In particular, it is estimated that 125 new jobs will be created in medium-long term connected to EnergyMatching project and around 600.000 stakeholders could benefit from the project to increase their skills/capability/competencies
- Improved IEQ with optimal control and natural sources exploitation. In particular, data evaluated and monitored show great achievements leading to high satisfaction of tenants who could appreciate a significant improvement to the living conditions in their flats, confirming the monitored data on measured CO2 concentration with very high percentage of comfort hours over the year (more than 90%)
