BUILD UP

Digitalisation provides people with more ways to conceive, design, implement, monitor and assess a wide range of activities. IoT represents another step as it opens the way to new services that are more user-centric and more focused on improving the user environment. Users have the ability to interact with more and more elements of this environment in a simpler way.

This article, from BIMcert, provides a summarised insight into how BIM can actively contribute to improving the building stock, making the AEC industry more focused, and achieving sustainability and energy efficiency goals and targets more effectively. It also details why upskilling the industry is a key requirement.

Every month, BUILD UP highlights publications covering a specific topic. February’s Topic of the Month is ‘Energy efficiency technologies and low carbon construction materials’. The website is already available for contributions and BUILD UP’s editorial board is eager to receive your discussion papers, news and articles.

The Green Deal aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and thus promote economic growth. The document acknowledges that the annual renovation rate of building stock must at least double (currently it ranges between 0.4 and 1.2% across Member States). Therefore an impressive "Renovation wave" is necessary to transform all European cities.

From home automation to bill management, our relationship with the electric systems in buildings is nowadays mainly based on the use of applications. In 2019 energy-saving software is hardly a novelty, and app stores are full of solutions to help consumers to manage electricity in the most efficient way.

The EU launched the BUILD UP Skills initiative in 2011 to address the lack of adequate construction skills. This lack hampers the development of NZEBs and effective renovations. This initiative aimed to increase the number of qualified trade professionals by developing national qualification platforms and roadmaps, and provide training in the field of energy efficiency and renewable energy in buildings.

BPIE's latest report, published within the Horizon 2020 project BUILD UPON2, identifies synergies between Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) and Long Term Renovation Strategies (LTRS), and suggests how local renovation initiatives can be incorporated in LTRS drafting and implementation.

This report presents an overview and brief descriptions of the recommended actions to improve the current state of digitalisation of the construction sector. In total, 10 actions with several sub-actions are proposed by this study. The report proposes that the European Commission prioritise three of these and execute them within three years in cooperation with stakeholders from the construction industry.

DOKVAST developed a sustainable and high-quality distribution centre for Rhenus Contract Logistics at the industrial area Het Laar in Tilburg. The distribution centre, named “The Tube”, consists of three linked compartments with mezzanine floors at two levels that are suitable for Value Added Services (VAS) and/or the (future) expansion of the office.

The building was the first prefabricated building in Copenhagen. The result was the characteristic building, which has gained recognition from architects and engineers and which today is considered worthy of preservation. The challenge was to energy renovate a former industrial building, now in use as culture centre, among other things by using daylight and natural ventilation to improve the indoor climate.

The aim of the ZERO-PLUS research project is to search for a buildings design for new highly energy performing buildings. In this project, a comprehensive, cost-effective modular system for Net Zero Energy (NZE) settlements will be developed and implemented in a series of case studies across the EU.

Switch2save will be demonstrated in two representative buildings – a hospital in Athens, Greece and an office building in Uppsala, Sweden by replacing more than 50 windows and 200 m² glass façade area. Continuous monitoring of energy demand at thermal comfort levels inside the buildings for at least one year before and after TC/EC integration will verify the energy saving potential of Switch2save solution.

The SHERPA project will investigate, analyse and synthesise our understanding of the ways in which smart information systems impact ethics and human rights issues. It will develop novel ways of understanding and addressing SIS challenges, evaluate these with stakeholders, and advocate the most desirable and sustainable solutions.

The buildingSMART project is committed to the creation and adoption of open, international standards and solutions for infrastructure and buildings. Its focus is on standardising processes, workflows and procedures for openBIM, enabling a digital transformation.

This webinar provides guidance and examples for the EPB standards’ flexibility applying the principle of subsidiarity. Flexibility means that national choices are possible in the methodology, input data and references to other standards.

BIMcert is a European wide project aimed at providing a training and qualification scheme for the skills required to support the implementation of BIM across the construction supply chain. The BIMcert project will develop a blended, fully supported suite of Building Information Modelling training curriculum and tools.

Hotmaps is GIS-based online software that supports authorities and energy planners who are setting up a strategic heating and cooling plan for their region. The definite version of the tool is now available at www.hotmaps.eu and tool developers will continue to improve it and add new calculation modules for heating and cooling planning until the end of the project’s life.

The Odyssee database contains detailed energy consumption by end-use and their drivers as well as energy efficiency and CO2 related indicators. The latest available data is provided by national representatives, such as energy agencies or statistical organisations, from all EU countries as well as Norway, Switzerland and Serbia.

The event will focus on exploring and tackling the biggest challenges impacting the industry and is a unique destination for visitors to gain unrivalled insight and hands-on experience on the latest innovations, products and materials in order to address these challenges.

This event will present successful examples of integrated home renovation services. The European Commission will provide an overview of one-stop shops across Europe, and expert speakers from EU funded projects will participate in a roundtable discussion.

The conference is mainly addressed to academic, researchers and energy efficiency experts, buildings energy managers, engineers and architects, with the aim to promote and diffuse the concept of energy efficiency in new and existing non-residential buildings and enlarge the market for energy neutral and sustainable non-residential buildings.

Greenbuild Europe offers a forum for the green building community to unite, change lives, revolutionise business and address pressing issues. Attend Greenbuild Europe to hear from leaders on their vision about the future of green building in Europe. Learn about current research and best practices, connect with sustainability experts and see innovative technologies.