Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ENSNARE (ENvelope meSh aNd digitAl framework for building REnovation)
Reporting period: 2021-01-01 to 2022-07-31
The building sector is one of the main responsible of gas emissions and the climate change and, to overcome this, the EU has defined some ambitious targets of consumption reduction by means of the Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) concept. Despite new buildings, the renovation sector is the main actor to completely transform the sector.
Additionally, there’s not just one universal solution but a variety of alternatives and combinable technologies that, when properly designed and operated, can significantly contribute towards those ambitious goals.
The ENSNARE project aims to boost the market uptake of novel and highly efficient solutions for building renovation via a comprehensive methodology, tools, and technologies that intend to accelerate the current renovation rate in Europe. Focused on residential buildings, the project proposes two working environments that interconnect all building components: a physical environment, composed by an envelope mesh, and a digital environment supported by a platform. The mesh is fully modular and facilitates the assembly of all components and energy/data networks. The Platform supports stakeholders with a clear structure and access to a wide range of technologies for deep renovation of buildings.
The project’s main technical objective implies the development of those new frameworks and related solutions. The industrialized envelope mesh will provide the framework to incorporate adaptable multi-functional windows together with renewable energy-harvesting devices, also coupled to energy storage and generation components. Similarly, the digital platform will host the automated Data Acquisition Tool, the easy to-use Decision Support Tool and a Digital Twin.
By applying these to the project’s pilots in three real buildings and three virtual demos, the project aims to demonstrate the performance of the integrated NZEB renovation solutions.
The final goal is to boost the European industry of energy renovation solutions fostering the collaboration and enhancing communication to promote cooperation between stakeholders and, ultimately, to contribute to the necessary the digital transformation of the building industry.
In parallel, the innovative products, providing high insulation and solar technology for NZEBs will allow to reduce installation time by 60% and the cost of the process by 50%. The support of digital tools for data acquisition, early decision, design and manufacturing will be also contribute towards this objective. Additionally, the use and waste of material will be reduced up to 90% onsite thanks to the prefabrication and reusability at the end of life. Lastly, a reduction of 80% in fatal incidences at construction site is foreseen thanks to the change of onsite installation approach to a prefabricated and digital aided concept.
Additionally, there’s not just one universal solution but a variety of alternatives and combinable technologies that, when properly designed and operated, can significantly contribute towards those ambitious goals.
The ENSNARE project aims to boost the market uptake of novel and highly efficient solutions for building renovation via a comprehensive methodology, tools, and technologies that intend to accelerate the current renovation rate in Europe. Focused on residential buildings, the project proposes two working environments that interconnect all building components: a physical environment, composed by an envelope mesh, and a digital environment supported by a platform. The mesh is fully modular and facilitates the assembly of all components and energy/data networks. The Platform supports stakeholders with a clear structure and access to a wide range of technologies for deep renovation of buildings.
The project’s main technical objective implies the development of those new frameworks and related solutions. The industrialized envelope mesh will provide the framework to incorporate adaptable multi-functional windows together with renewable energy-harvesting devices, also coupled to energy storage and generation components. Similarly, the digital platform will host the automated Data Acquisition Tool, the easy to-use Decision Support Tool and a Digital Twin.
By applying these to the project’s pilots in three real buildings and three virtual demos, the project aims to demonstrate the performance of the integrated NZEB renovation solutions.
The final goal is to boost the European industry of energy renovation solutions fostering the collaboration and enhancing communication to promote cooperation between stakeholders and, ultimately, to contribute to the necessary the digital transformation of the building industry.
In parallel, the innovative products, providing high insulation and solar technology for NZEBs will allow to reduce installation time by 60% and the cost of the process by 50%. The support of digital tools for data acquisition, early decision, design and manufacturing will be also contribute towards this objective. Additionally, the use and waste of material will be reduced up to 90% onsite thanks to the prefabrication and reusability at the end of life. Lastly, a reduction of 80% in fatal incidences at construction site is foreseen thanks to the change of onsite installation approach to a prefabricated and digital aided concept.
Summarized, main achievements towards the main objectives for M1-M19:
1) Specifications for the main working frameworks (digital and physical) have been defined. To support its design and optimal operation, ENSNARE System’s Specifications have been described (Milestone MS1) for the digital platform, the EDST and for modular façade:
- For the platform, structured in 6 different modules, main relevant information that is required has been identified, involving the extraction, combination, and visualization of the data in the retrofitting process.
- For the EDST, alternative use cases have been identified and further developed. The main one is the comparative analysis of the performance of different renovation scenarios.
- For the modular façade, main characteristics of the components and the energy systems integrated were established by means of target values for different parameters.
Based on the requirements established in MS1, the effective development of the main elements composing the digital and physical frameworks was carried out.
2) The first version of the Façade Prototypes was achieved (MS2). Although still under development, these prototypes are the outcome of complementary developments carried out in cooperation:
- On one side, elements were defined in its first version: envelope mesh, active window, and complementary layers. These developed independently but designed to be assembled in an integrated solution. Mockups of some specific profiles were also manufactured.
- In parallel, active layers have been developed, assessing substrates to laminate photovoltaic technologies and for solar thermal absorbers. Also, a combination of both in a PVT concept was defined. Samples were tested at small scale level in this initial iteration.
- Once the samples, mockups and details were validated independently in the first reduced size approach, the façade system and the active elements are combined and scaled up. This first version of prototypes was tested for fire reaction.
- During the whole design and definition activities, the architectural projects for the pilots have been considered.
3) Additionally, significative progresses towards forthcoming milestone MS3 were performed, defining significative elements of the “Design Oriented ENSNARE Platform Prototype” - DP4ER.
- Architecture of the platform was defined.
- Online and Semi-automated Building Modelling tool was defined and developed. The automated layout definition to design renovation interventions in the building model was developed as well.
- The Matching Kit (MK) interface for connectors was considered for onsite activities and the first tests demonstrated that installation time was reduced up to 73% in installing.
- For the Digital Twin (DT), a monitoring and data acquisition architecture has been defined addressing the general software, sensors and actuators that are going to be necessary in the pilots.
1) Specifications for the main working frameworks (digital and physical) have been defined. To support its design and optimal operation, ENSNARE System’s Specifications have been described (Milestone MS1) for the digital platform, the EDST and for modular façade:
- For the platform, structured in 6 different modules, main relevant information that is required has been identified, involving the extraction, combination, and visualization of the data in the retrofitting process.
- For the EDST, alternative use cases have been identified and further developed. The main one is the comparative analysis of the performance of different renovation scenarios.
- For the modular façade, main characteristics of the components and the energy systems integrated were established by means of target values for different parameters.
Based on the requirements established in MS1, the effective development of the main elements composing the digital and physical frameworks was carried out.
2) The first version of the Façade Prototypes was achieved (MS2). Although still under development, these prototypes are the outcome of complementary developments carried out in cooperation:
- On one side, elements were defined in its first version: envelope mesh, active window, and complementary layers. These developed independently but designed to be assembled in an integrated solution. Mockups of some specific profiles were also manufactured.
- In parallel, active layers have been developed, assessing substrates to laminate photovoltaic technologies and for solar thermal absorbers. Also, a combination of both in a PVT concept was defined. Samples were tested at small scale level in this initial iteration.
- Once the samples, mockups and details were validated independently in the first reduced size approach, the façade system and the active elements are combined and scaled up. This first version of prototypes was tested for fire reaction.
- During the whole design and definition activities, the architectural projects for the pilots have been considered.
3) Additionally, significative progresses towards forthcoming milestone MS3 were performed, defining significative elements of the “Design Oriented ENSNARE Platform Prototype” - DP4ER.
- Architecture of the platform was defined.
- Online and Semi-automated Building Modelling tool was defined and developed. The automated layout definition to design renovation interventions in the building model was developed as well.
- The Matching Kit (MK) interface for connectors was considered for onsite activities and the first tests demonstrated that installation time was reduced up to 73% in installing.
- For the Digital Twin (DT), a monitoring and data acquisition architecture has been defined addressing the general software, sensors and actuators that are going to be necessary in the pilots.
The envelope mesh is based in an industrialized and unitized concept and has a built-in design flexibility that can adapt the manufacturing process to suit a wide range of buildings. The rest of components of the system, are defined under a Design for Manufacturing (DfM) approach aiming to reduce manufacturing costs.
Complementarily, the digital platform and modules inside it, give the possibility to develop a model-based process to perform renovation projects. Starting from a basic model in the early stage, the model will increase in complexity and potentialities as the project develops, and ultimately will become a Digital Twin of the building to optimize its operation after the intervention.
This holistic approach combining components and software under a common environment will allow to demonstrate the potentiality of retrofitting plug & build solutions and tools to meet NZEB standards as well as demonstrating their suitability for mass production. This will also enable the access to more technological products as well as improving the knowledge around those.
Compared to current renovation processes ENSNARE will decrease retrofitting time to 60% and the cost of the process by 50%. The progresses made for the online data acquisition tool and matching kit interface are promising to achieve these time reduction objectives.
Finally, the benefits both environmentally and economically of these prefabricated and plug and play solutions are intended to be better quantified and demonstrated by means of improved Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) standards that conveniently represent the advantages achieved as, for example, the reduction of waste material generated onsite.
Complementarily, the digital platform and modules inside it, give the possibility to develop a model-based process to perform renovation projects. Starting from a basic model in the early stage, the model will increase in complexity and potentialities as the project develops, and ultimately will become a Digital Twin of the building to optimize its operation after the intervention.
This holistic approach combining components and software under a common environment will allow to demonstrate the potentiality of retrofitting plug & build solutions and tools to meet NZEB standards as well as demonstrating their suitability for mass production. This will also enable the access to more technological products as well as improving the knowledge around those.
Compared to current renovation processes ENSNARE will decrease retrofitting time to 60% and the cost of the process by 50%. The progresses made for the online data acquisition tool and matching kit interface are promising to achieve these time reduction objectives.
Finally, the benefits both environmentally and economically of these prefabricated and plug and play solutions are intended to be better quantified and demonstrated by means of improved Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) standards that conveniently represent the advantages achieved as, for example, the reduction of waste material generated onsite.