Periodic Reporting for period 3 - Surefit (SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR AFFORDABLE RETROFIT OF DOMESTIC BUILDINGS)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2023-09-01 do 2025-02-28
Buildings account for approximately 40% of EU energy consumption and 36% of total CO2 emissions. Currently, around 35% of EU buildings are over 50 years old, and nearly 75% of the building stock is energy inefficient. SUREFIT technologies aim to significantly reduce primary energy consumption, carbon emissions, renovation time, and costs, though achieving these ambitious goals poses challenges for market scalability.
This project employed innovative modular and prefabricated technologies to rapidly renovate selected domestic buildings, reducing energy consumption to meet near-zero energy building standards and ensuring occupant comfort. The technologies were adapted and optimized for varying climate conditions and cultural preferences. During the 16-month evaluation period, SUREFIT technologies were assessed in real-life conditions in European homes, demonstrating energy consumption reductions of over 50%—with some combinations achieving reductions of more than 62%.
Passive technologies delivered immediate benefits, including exterior insulation with vapor barriers, prefabricated insulated panels for rapid installation, and aerogel insulation for interior spaces with minimal impact on room size. PCM panels regulated room temperatures, making previously uninhabitable spaces comfortable, even during Mediterranean summers. PV vacuum glazing provided superior insulation while generating electricity.
Active technologies, such as PV solar systems, ground-source heat pumps, solar-assisted heat pumps, and window heat recovery systems, also yielded promising results. Solar PV systems with smart controls reduced grid electricity demand, while ground-source heat pumps were effectively adapted for smaller gardens common in Europe. Solar-assisted heat pumps with thermal storage enhanced performance and provided heat throughout the night. Despite their effectiveness, window heat recovery systems faced development challenges, such as noise issues, impacting user acceptance.
Overall, SUREFIT technologies demonstrated significant reductions in energy consumption, improved user comfort, and enhanced air quality. While passive technologies are nearing widespread use in new buildings and renovations, some active technologies require further development for full commercialization. The SUREFIT business model aims to foster a network of experts and policymakers to promote project results, emphasizing the return on investment in these innovative solutions, which balance environmental and economic criteria.
This project employed innovative modular and prefabricated technologies to rapidly renovate selected domestic buildings, reducing energy consumption to meet near-zero energy building standards and ensuring occupant comfort. The technologies were adapted and optimized for varying climate conditions and cultural preferences. During the 16-month evaluation period, SUREFIT technologies were assessed in real-life conditions in European homes, demonstrating energy consumption reductions of over 50%—with some combinations achieving reductions of more than 62%.
Passive technologies delivered immediate benefits, including exterior insulation with vapor barriers, prefabricated insulated panels for rapid installation, and aerogel insulation for interior spaces with minimal impact on room size. PCM panels regulated room temperatures, making previously uninhabitable spaces comfortable, even during Mediterranean summers. PV vacuum glazing provided superior insulation while generating electricity.
Active technologies, such as PV solar systems, ground-source heat pumps, solar-assisted heat pumps, and window heat recovery systems, also yielded promising results. Solar PV systems with smart controls reduced grid electricity demand, while ground-source heat pumps were effectively adapted for smaller gardens common in Europe. Solar-assisted heat pumps with thermal storage enhanced performance and provided heat throughout the night. Despite their effectiveness, window heat recovery systems faced development challenges, such as noise issues, impacting user acceptance.
Overall, SUREFIT technologies demonstrated significant reductions in energy consumption, improved user comfort, and enhanced air quality. While passive technologies are nearing widespread use in new buildings and renovations, some active technologies require further development for full commercialization. The SUREFIT business model aims to foster a network of experts and policymakers to promote project results, emphasizing the return on investment in these innovative solutions, which balance environmental and economic criteria.
The 12-month evaluation period provided a comprehensive assessment of SUREFIT technologies in real European homes under everyday conditions. Results demonstrated that these technologies can significantly reduce residential energy consumption—by over 50% in most cases, with certain combinations achieving reductions exceeding 62%.
Passive technologies delivered immediate benefits. The new exterior insulation system, incorporating an insulation vapor barrier and prefabricated insulated panels, enabled rapid insulation of properties with minimal disruption to occupants. The permeable barrier allowed sufficient air circulation, maintaining airtightness while ensuring proper insulation.
Aerogel insulation proved to be an effective solution for interior insulation, requiring minimal thickness that did not significantly impact room size. PCM panels effectively moderated indoor temperatures, transforming previously unusable rooms into comfortable spaces, even during the peak of Mediterranean summers.
PV vacuum glazing emerged as a promising technology, offering superior insulation while simultaneously generating electricity for homes. Additionally, daylight blinds played a crucial role in preventing overheating and enhancing daylight autonomy through their optical louver systems. Installed both internally and in box windows, these blinds were preferred by users due to their improved transparency and overall effectiveness.
Active technologies, including PV solar systems, ground source heat pumps, solar-assisted heat pumps, and window heat recovery systems, were also thoroughly evaluated under the SUREFIT program.
Smart control systems integrated into solar PV setups significantly reduced grid electricity demand, optimizing solar power use for home energy management. The ground source heat pump system proved viable for installation in smaller gardens, common throughout Europe. Meanwhile, the solar-assisted heat pump and thermal storage system effectively enhanced heat pump performance, ensuring reliable heat supply throughout the night.
The window heat recovery system demonstrated its functionality but faced development challenges, particularly noise issues, which limited user acceptance and overall adoption.
Overall, SUREFIT technologies successfully reduced home energy consumption, improved user comfort, and enhanced air quality. While passive technologies appear poised for widespread adoption in new construction and home renovations, active technologies—despite their effectiveness—require further development before full commercialization.
Throughout this reporting period, continuous updates were made to the project’s website and social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter). Project partners collaborated to plan their dissemination activities over the project’s duration.
Initial promotional materials, including banners, leaflets, and posters, were revised for distribution in scheduled outreach efforts. The project hosted two scientific workshops and participated in three conferences. Furthermore, project findings were presented through oral presentations at three conferences, alongside one publication in a scientific journal.
Finally, the consortium continuously monitored the project to ensure compliance with ethical requirements.
Passive technologies delivered immediate benefits. The new exterior insulation system, incorporating an insulation vapor barrier and prefabricated insulated panels, enabled rapid insulation of properties with minimal disruption to occupants. The permeable barrier allowed sufficient air circulation, maintaining airtightness while ensuring proper insulation.
Aerogel insulation proved to be an effective solution for interior insulation, requiring minimal thickness that did not significantly impact room size. PCM panels effectively moderated indoor temperatures, transforming previously unusable rooms into comfortable spaces, even during the peak of Mediterranean summers.
PV vacuum glazing emerged as a promising technology, offering superior insulation while simultaneously generating electricity for homes. Additionally, daylight blinds played a crucial role in preventing overheating and enhancing daylight autonomy through their optical louver systems. Installed both internally and in box windows, these blinds were preferred by users due to their improved transparency and overall effectiveness.
Active technologies, including PV solar systems, ground source heat pumps, solar-assisted heat pumps, and window heat recovery systems, were also thoroughly evaluated under the SUREFIT program.
Smart control systems integrated into solar PV setups significantly reduced grid electricity demand, optimizing solar power use for home energy management. The ground source heat pump system proved viable for installation in smaller gardens, common throughout Europe. Meanwhile, the solar-assisted heat pump and thermal storage system effectively enhanced heat pump performance, ensuring reliable heat supply throughout the night.
The window heat recovery system demonstrated its functionality but faced development challenges, particularly noise issues, which limited user acceptance and overall adoption.
Overall, SUREFIT technologies successfully reduced home energy consumption, improved user comfort, and enhanced air quality. While passive technologies appear poised for widespread adoption in new construction and home renovations, active technologies—despite their effectiveness—require further development before full commercialization.
Throughout this reporting period, continuous updates were made to the project’s website and social media channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter). Project partners collaborated to plan their dissemination activities over the project’s duration.
Initial promotional materials, including banners, leaflets, and posters, were revised for distribution in scheduled outreach efforts. The project hosted two scientific workshops and participated in three conferences. Furthermore, project findings were presented through oral presentations at three conferences, alongside one publication in a scientific journal.
Finally, the consortium continuously monitored the project to ensure compliance with ethical requirements.
The progress of the project allowed for significant results in terms of technology development.
The activities carried out in SUREFIT, will contribute to the achievement of reduction of energy consumption in the representative buildings, in order to reach the target of nZEB compared to the values before renovation, while enhancing indoor environmental quality. It was possible to test and analyse several configurations in each pilot in order to reach the necessary reduction in energy consumption taking into account the different contexts and characteristics of the pilot buildings.
The innovative technologies prototypes are considered to be a significant progress beyond the state of the art in terms of heating and cooling systems, as well as in technologies dedicated to promoting energy efficiency in buildings enveloped.
The activities carried out in the project, regarding economic evaluation of the technologies already enabled to establish a robust methodology to assure that further developments concerning the innovative solutions will assure affordability considering all costs involved.
The activities carried out in SUREFIT, will contribute to the achievement of reduction of energy consumption in the representative buildings, in order to reach the target of nZEB compared to the values before renovation, while enhancing indoor environmental quality. It was possible to test and analyse several configurations in each pilot in order to reach the necessary reduction in energy consumption taking into account the different contexts and characteristics of the pilot buildings.
The innovative technologies prototypes are considered to be a significant progress beyond the state of the art in terms of heating and cooling systems, as well as in technologies dedicated to promoting energy efficiency in buildings enveloped.
The activities carried out in the project, regarding economic evaluation of the technologies already enabled to establish a robust methodology to assure that further developments concerning the innovative solutions will assure affordability considering all costs involved.