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Building Information aGGregation, harmonization and analytics platform

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BIGG (Building Information aGGregation, harmonization and analytics platform)

Reporting period: 2020-12-01 to 2021-11-30

EU countries have drawn up strategies reflected in their National Energy Efficiency Action Plans that include provision of an overview of the country's national building stock, identification of key policies that the country intends to use to stimulate renovations and provision of an estimate of the expected energy savings that will result from renovations. Despite the increase in the use of energy and the evident environmental benefits of having more share of renewable energy sources (RES) in buildings, the adoption of both energy efficiency measures and RES is highly influenced by its cost and the impact on occupants’ comfort. The real implementation of actions to reduce energy consumption in buildings is confronted with the complexity of managing their internal energy systems, the overall target of cost savings and the respect of the levels of comfort expected by the buildings occupants. The BIGG project aims at demonstrating the application of big data technologies and data analytic techniques for the complete buildings life-cycle of more than 4000 buildings in 6 large-scale pilot test-beds, achieved by:
1) The Open Source BIGG Data Reference Architecture 4 Buildings for collection/funneling, processing and exchanging data from different sources (smart-meters, sensors, BMS, existing data sets);
2) An interoperable buildings data specification, BIGG Standard Data Model 4 Buildings, based on the combination of elements from existing frameworks and EC directives, such as SAREF, INSPIRE, BIM, EPCHub that will be enhanced to reach full interoperability of building data;
3) An extensible, open, cloud-based BIGG Data Analytics Toolbox of service modules for batch and real-time analytics that supports a wide range of services, new business models and support reliable and effective policymaking.
These solutions will be deployed and tested cross pilot and country validation of at least two business scenarios in Spain and Greece.
1) The first version of the BIGG Data Reference Architecture has been designed and reported in D2.2.
2) The first version of the harmonization tools is the main result extracted from WP4, that includes the development of the initial BIGG standard data model (in collaboration to Task 2.1)
3) With input coming from WP6 (detailed description of all business cases in D6.1) WP5 has first consolidated all the necessary AI functions needed by these cases that will composed the BIGG Data Analytics Toolbox. For each business case, an execution pipeline (actions flow to completely support the case) has been defined. Each function has been developed and tested to reach V1 in order to be ready for the pilots execution in the following months.
4) According to the project plan, the validation in pilot sites (Greece and Spain) has not started yet. Nevertheless, the project follows a pilot-case-based methodology (bottom-up) that ensures the full alignment of the developed functions with business cases requirements.
5) First actions have been taken during this period to reach the objective closer to the project end. All WPs are involved in reaching this objective, led by WP7 (standardization and impact) and WP8 (promotion).
Under the framework of WP8, synergies with other projects and EU initiatives have been established in order to align interests so to increase the potential impact of all actions. Promotion of the project and its first results have been relevant with production of marketing material, participation in workshops and submission of scientific papers among others.
Impact #1: Significant and measurable contribution to standardisation of European buildings data: BIGG will collaborate with at least 3 standardisation bodies (CEN/CENELEC, ISO, TNO), will contribute to at least 3 European ontologies (SAREF, INSPIRE, BEDES) and will contribute to the evolving and data harmonization of at least 2 European repositories (EUBSO, DEEP).
Impact #2: Demonstrated interoperability with data hubs at national or supranational level: Interoperability with at least 3 relevant European databases.
Impact #3: Creation of new data-driven business models and opportunities and innovative energy services based on the access and process of valuable datasets: 6 business cases, 10 business model prototypes (developed in which WP7).
Impact #4: Better availability of big data and big data analysis facilities for real-life scale research, simulation and policy-making: 3 use cases for policy-making, 2 BIGG solutions will support simulation.
Impact #5: Tangible engagement of key stakeholders in building the database, contributing with real data: Contribution with data from at least 4000 buildings all over Europe. Contribution with real data to EU Building Stock Observatory and DEEP.
Impact #6: A growing up-take of innovative data gathering and processing methods in the monitoring and verification of energy savings: At least 3 innovative data sets will be gathered: Occupants’ comfort, occupants’ energy behaviour, daily household practices (e.g. use of appliances) that will result on dwellings modelling that will be incorporated to BIGG AI toolbox for stochastic modelling of the physical and informational interaction between occupants and the built environment. BIGG chooses the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol IPMVP [3] as its reference evaluation framework.
Impact #7: Effective integration of relevant digital technologies in the buildings sector, resulting in integrated value chains and efficient business processes of the participating organizations: Effective integration of at least 5 relevant digital technologies in the building sector. Effective integration of 4 existing data repositories in Catalonia for support of building renovation strategies. The effective integration of these technologies and databases is expected to to achieve the incorporation in BIGG of data on 4.000 public buildings including energy consumption, building characteristics and 2200 Energy Efficiency Measures applied to them.
Impact #8: Strengthened links with the relevant programmes and initiatives aiming at building data collection and storage, supported by regional, national and European policies and funds: Relation with at least 2 large scale European networks (Energy Cities, CPMR) and one EU programme promoting building data collection projects (Interreg MED). Access to 2 Energy Performance Certification data hubs.
Impact #9: Emergence of sustainable ecosystems around big data platforms: - Creation of the BIGG ecosystem and demonstration of it sustainably beyond the project duration, composed by 3 large industries, 2 SMEs and 3 research-oriented partners, 2 entities from Regional Government and an European association of building experts; - Offering of at least 10 universal data toolkit components easily replicable across use cases.
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