"BUILD UP Newsletter" Newsletter Issues

H2020 projects on Smart buildings (31/03/2021)

With almost 75% of the existing building stock estimated to be energy inefficient, the building sector represents a tremendous potential for energy savings that still needs to be unlocked. To that end, buildings need to transform from passive isolated elements to become energy-efficient, while responding to the needs of occupants.

Topic of the month: Integration of renewable energy sources in buildings (31/03/2021)

Every month BUILD UP highlights publications covering specific topics. April’s Topic of the Month is ‘Integration of Renewable Energy Sources in Buildings’. The website is already available for your contributions, and BUILD UP’s editorial board is eager to receive your discussion papers, exciting news, and thought-provoking articles.

Expert Interview - Michael Moradiellos del Molino, Head of Real Estate at EPEA Benelux (31/03/2021)

Graduated Architect from ISAVH in Brussels, Michael Moradiellos also holds a PHD in sustainable urban planning and has co-founded several companies. He is an expert in Circular Economy and Cradle to Cradle, with a focus on innovative co-creation with stakeholders. His aim is to develop good practices that have a positive impact for humans and the planet, while demonstrating their economic viability.

Renovation wave approaches Czechia and Slovakia: 15 new training courses for construction professionals presented by the CraftEdu project (31/03/2021)

Seven Czech new training courses created within the international CraftEdu project were presented along with five Slovak, two Bulgarian and one Austrian. This confirms the benefits of the appropriate education of construction craftsmen, and the advantages of co-operation between EU member states and joint initiatives in the construction sector.

RES4BUILD project advances development of integrated renewable energy-based solutions tailored to end user needs and requirements (31/03/2021)

The EU-funded RES4BUILD project is working to improve the performance while reducing the cost of the most innovative components. The project aims to increase the uptake of renewable energy solutions for heating and cooling, decarbonising energy consumption in buildings, and contributing to EU energy and climate goals.

A successful renovation: the story of Mariënheuve (31/03/2021)

Mariënheuvel is a residential building for elderly people located in Soest and owned by the social housing agency Woonzorg Nederland. The 4RinEU intervention consisted of the installation of timber prefabricated façade modules with integrated sun shadings, and the placement of an upgraded HVAC system which couples mechanical ventilation and heat recovery.

Have your say in shaping the future of big data in the building sector! (31/03/2021)

The aim of the project Better data for better buildings - understanding the role of big data is to carry out a holistic analysis of big data usage in the EU built environment, focusing on the identification of possible challenges. The following questionnaire aims to bring a wide range of the most important stakeholders and map their needs and experiences in order to develop solutions supporting the future development of big data in the EU built environment sector.

A Paris-proof retail real estate sector: Taking stock of regulatory and market developments (31/03/2021)

Delivering the vision of climate-neutrality by 2050 as defined in the Paris Agreement is only achievable if the whole building stock, including retail real estate portfolios, is thoroughly renovated and sustainable design of new buildings is adopted. The UNEP 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction shows that decarbonisation efforts and energy efficiency improvements are being outpaced.

Review of 50 years of EU Energy Efficiency Policies for Buildings (31/03/2021)

This paper offers a review of EU energy policies spanning over the last half century with a focus on policy instruments to encourage measures on energy efficiency in new and existing buildings. The review also explores the progress made over the last 50 years in addressing energy efficiency in buildings and highlights successes as well as remaining challenges.

Glaserhaus - Affoltern im Emmental, Switzerland (31/03/2021)

This restoration was concerned with the preservation of the overall appearance of the building, while repairing the roof, facades and surroundings and carefully restoring the prestigious south facade. From a technical point of view, the building is solidly stabilised and energetically brought up to the latest standards.

Hastings Visitor Centre built with straw (31/03/2021)

The 'Bale House' is the new Visitor Centre in Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve, funded by Hastings Borough Council with grant aid from the Interreg NWE programme. From the foundations to the facade, it is constructed from natural and recycled materials which are healthy, fireproof, breathable, and they lock up carbon from the atmosphere by creatively recycling agricultural by-products.

HIPERMAT project (31/03/2021)

The main objective of the EU-funded HIPERMAT project is the empowering of future low carbon technologies with new materials and components, by their enhanced environmental impact reduction across the value chain.

RE-FRACTURE2 project (31/03/2021)

The overarching objective of the EU-funded RE-FRACTURE2 project is to develop new computational models for refractory materials that should enable for the first time the simulation of their behaviour over the entire working temperature range.

NRG-DEAL project (31/03/2021)

Thermal insulation of construction and building elements has become the most important measure to enhance energy savings in new and existing buildings. This proposed project deals with the improvement of cementitious lamellae of concrete foams for buildings insulations.

ngCon project (31/03/2021)

Concrete is one of the most consumed materials on the planet. It is cost-effective and efficient for the construction of buildings, but it has an enormous carbon footprint, emitting large amounts of CO2 during its production. The EU-funded ngCon project aims to address this challenge by researching and introducing several disruptive cement production processes that are better for the environment.

Webinar | Smart buildings: meet EU innovators (31/03/2021)

The building sector represents a tremendous potential for energy savings. Buildings need to transform from passive isolated elements to energy-efficient and smart-grid ready buildings. A number of EU funded projects are currently developing and testing solutions that will further push the smart readiness of buildings and their interactions with the environment. This webinar gives you the opportunity to meet 10 of these exciting projects.

Webinar | The experience of VEEP and other projects promoting circular economy for buildings (31/03/2021)

Watch this webinar and know more about the amazing VEEP project. VEEP received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme to develop and demonstrate a series of technological solutions for the massive retrofitting of our built environment, aiming at cost-effectively reducing building energy consumption.

New implementation model for Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) (31/03/2021)

Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) is a well-tested and successful tool that has been helping building owners reach their energy and climate targets, and much more quickly than with the traditional implementation of energy saving measures.

HARP online tool (31/03/2021)

Use the HARP online tool to find out where your installed heating appliance fits on the energy label. The tool is also there to help you find a replacement! Fill in a few details about the characteristics of your dwelling and get an overview of the possible suitable alternatives and their benefits, as well as contact details of installers and an overview of available subsidies.

SBE21 Sustainable Built Heritage Conference (31/03/2021)

The SBE21 Heritage Conference brings together scholars and practitioners working in the fields of energy efficiency and historic building conservation to foster multidisciplinary dialogues and find new retrofit approaches to save our vital common heritage and guarantee a sustainable future.

International Online Conference of CoMS (31/03/2021)

The main purpose of this conference is to disseminate research results, exchange experiences and identify key issues and challenges in the thematic areas of the forum. The conference will provide a platform for an active dialogue of participants.

BEHAVE 2020-2021 (31/03/2021)

BEHAVE 2020-2021 is the 6th version of the biannual EnR event that focuses on the application of behavioural insights in energy efficiency. As an important conference for national energy agencies across Europe, BEHAVE provides a unique forum for policymakers, academia, industry, and practitioners to share ideas and experiences in promoting effective solutions for energy efficiency improvements and climate mitigation.

40th Euroheat & Power Congress | #21EHPcong (31/03/2021)

The Euroheat & Power Congress focuses on topics related to District Energy. The congress provides a unique forum for discussing and enhancing knowledge on major issues of importance for European and Global District Energy sectors.

Build Up on Twitter (31/03/2021)

Join #MAGNITUDE workshop and learn more about #EnergyIntegration! 18/03 - 9.20 CET. Registrations are open!

Build Up on LinkedIn (31/03/2021)

Read the chapter of the #EnergyEfficiency 2020 report by International Energy Agency (IEA) focuses on Buildings. A complex interplay of factors will determine how the Covid-19 crisis influences energy intensity in the buildings sector in the coming years.

Topic of the Month: Low carbon construction materials (01/03/2021)

Every month BUILD UP highlights publications that cover specific topics. March’s Topic of the Month is ‘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.

Expert Interview - Stijn Verbeke, senior researcher at EnergyVille/VITO and University of Antwerp (01/03/2021)

Stijn Verbeke is a senior researcher at EnergyVille/VITO and the University of Antwerp. He is an expert on smart buildings and data-driven tools for improving the energy performance of buildings and districts. Stijn holds a PhD in applied engineering and lectures on building physics courses and on the energy performance of buildings for engineering students at the University of Antwerp.

From nearly-zero to user-centric positive energy buildings with sophisticated simulation tools (01/03/2021)

The EXCESS project has set out to demonstrate how nearly-zero energy buildings can be successfully transformed into positive energy buildings (PEBs) across four different European Climatic Zones (Nordic, Continental, Mediterranean, and Coastal).

Continued EU funding commitment to support energy efficiency in urban areas (01/03/2021)

The European Commission has provided fresh funding to continue the work of the European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA) facility, implemented by the European Investment Bank (EIB). Under the new agreement, the initiative will support projects across its sustainable energy (€30 million) and sustainable transport (€5 million) portfolios.

The re-MODULEES project website is now live! (01/03/2021)

re-MODULEES is a project funded under the EU's Horizon 2020 programme, having as an overall aim the creation of the EU-wide retrofit market activation framework in the residential building sector. This excellent initiative is supported by digital and physical Renovation Hubs at member state and EU level.

Position Paper: Towards a Quantification of the Demand-side Flexibility of Buildings (01/03/2021)

SmartEn brought out this paper to set out its position on the need to quantify the Demand Side Flexibility of a building as a component of the local energy system’s carbon footprint. In this paper, SmartEn outlines the benefits of a building energy performance quantification metric that incorporates DSF and recommends an ideal format of expressing the Actual Performance Metric.

Buildings and climate change adaptation: A call to action (01/03/2021)

This report is the first output of the GlobalABC ‘adaptation’ working group. Launched at COP24 in Katowice, this was coordinated by the Green Building Observatory (OID, Paris) with the support of the French Ministry of Ecological Transition.

Lisbjerg Bakke sustainable social housing – Aarhus (01/03/2021)

On the outskirts of Aarhus lies Lisbjerg Bakke, a 4,100m2 hybrid timber building and winner of the 2014 Sustainable Social Housing of the Future Competition. In a joint venture between the architects and engineers, the full lifecycle of the building has been taken into consideration from the outset, with a flexible design that allows for the reconfiguration of the building into new layouts or office space, and building components that can be easily upgraded.

Brinova Arena Karlskrona sport centre – Karlskrona (01/03/2021)

Brinova Arena Karlskrona is a multi-functional venue suitable for large events and sports activities. It is built to the PHI Low Energy Standard and was completed in 2019. Heating from the district heating net is distributed using ceiling panels, underfloor heating in sanitary rooms and changing rooms, and ventilation air post heating and radiators.

REScoopVPP project (01/03/2021)

Many more energy communities are being established across Europe, and an estimated 98 million more Europeans are expected to join them by 2050. The EU-funded REScoopVPP project will establish the most advanced community-driven smart building ecosystem for all energy communities.

METABUILDING LABS project (01/03/2021)

To achieve the COP21 goal of nearly-zero energy, zero emission buildings MBLabs Labs strives to unleash the innovation potential of the SMEs of the Construction sector by lowering the entry barriers to test innovative solutions in a network of testing facilities in RTOs and Living Labs in 13 countries.

Smart Readiness Indicator for Buildings (01/03/2021)

This indicator will allow for rating the smart readiness of buildings, i.e. the ability of buildings (or building units) to adapt their operation to the needs of the occupant, while also optimizing energy efficiency and the overall performance and to adapt their operation in reaction to signals from the grid (energy flexibility).

IRIS project (01/03/2021)

The European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC) aims to improve urban life through sustainable solutions. IRIS project is committed to actively participate in the 6 ‘Action Clusters’ set by the EIP-SCC's, therefore all of the Action Cluster's objectives are targeted in the project, and the IRIS Lighthouse cities are all active participants in the Action Clusters.

Webinar | Calculations with the EPB standards (IV) - Focus on non-residential buildings (01/03/2021)

This 10th webinar was focussed on building energy performance calculations for non-residential buildings. At this webinar we demonstrated how the EPB standards can be used to deal with various types of buildings and systems, considering different conditions of use (EN 16798-1) and various control strategies, for diverse climates.

Webinar | Lightweight solutions for high insulating building envelopes – The EENSULATE project (01/03/2021)

The ‘Lightweight solutions for high insulating building envelopes – The EENSULATE project’ webinar raises awareness of the most innovative building renovation and energy saving solutions and presents the technologies developed by the EENSULATE project, which is co-funded by the European Commission in the framework of Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

The ERA Equipment CO2 Calculator (01/03/2021)

This Calculator determines the carbon footprint of construction equipment over its entire lifecycle and is applicable to all types of equipment, from mini excavators and wheel loaders to generators, boom lifts and access platforms.

Tecnological Solutions (01/03/2021)

EFFECT4buildings is mapping and spreading knowledge on technology solutions for energy efficiency in buildings to achieve economic savings. Building managers gain from better knowledge on their profitability, performance and how to prioritise them to benefit from the highest possible value.

Webinar on the experience of VEEP and other H2020 projects promoting circular economy for buildings (01/03/2021)

VEEP has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No: 723582 on 1 October 2016 to develop and demonstrate a series of technological solutions for the massive retrofitting of our built environment, aiming at cost-effectively reducing building energy consumption.

ISH digital 2021 (01/03/2021)

ISH will take the form of a purely digital event from 22 to 26 March 2021. Take advantage of the numerous digital business functions for greater interaction and networking.

Bio360 Expo 2021 – Nantes (01/03/2021)

Bio360 Expo attracts over 7,000 professionals and 450 exhibitors from across 35 countries and 5 continents. Its highly international character is further enhanced through a rich conference programme with simultaneous translation, a large panel of international speakers, and international B2B business meetings.

6th International Conference on Technological Innovation in Building (CITE 2021) (01/03/2021)

CITE 2021 provides the perfect platform to discuss the latest developments in the field of projects and innovations in new technologies applied to building, architecture, engineering, and research.

Build Up on Twitter (01/03/2021)

Use Level(s) to bring your building project into the circular economy! EULevel(s) is a new European approach to assess and report on the sustainability performance of buildings, throughout the full life cycle of buildings. #BuildCircular

Build Up on LinkedIn (01/03/2021)

Read the chapter of the #EnergyEfficiency 2020 report by International Energy Agency (IEA) focuses on Buildings. A complex interplay of factors will determine how the Covid-19 crisis influences energy intensity in the buildings sector in the coming years.

3D printing in the construction sector (01/02/2021)

3D printing, also referred to as additive manufacturing (AM), is a major element of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and has the potential to transform the construction sector by introducing robotisation into it. 3D printing is the process of creating an object by solidifying a raw material (e.g. plastic, metal, wood or concrete) by using computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided manufacturing (CAM) interfaces to guide the 3D printer nozzle.

Topic of the Month: Building operation and smart buildings (01/02/2021)

Every month, BUILD UP highlights publications covering a specific topic. February’s Topic of the Month is ‘Building operation and smart buildings’. The website is already available for contributions and BUILD UP’s editorial board is eager to receive your discussion papers, news and articles.

Expert talks – Myriam Olivier, PhD in civil engineering, mission head at ASTUS-construction, France (01/02/2021)

This edition of BUILD UP Expert Talks hosts Myriam Olivier, PhD in civil engineering and mission head at ASTUS-construction, France. She has worked in the energy efficiency and building information management and modelling sectors for several years and has coordinated and worked on several international research projects, including the recently completed H2020 BIMplement project.

Surface synergies and conflicts in smart cities (01/02/2021)

Surface area is an important but limited resource in cities that are aiming to become climate neutral. It can be used, for example, to generate heat or electricity through active solar systems, improve air quality via greening, or provide cooling thanks to highly reflective and emissive materials. Scientists at the Italian institute EURAC have now developed a multi-factor approach to studying the synergies and conflicts that arise from using ground, facade and roof space in urban communities.

Q&A: ‘We need to reduce the “embodied energy” of buildings’ (01/02/2021)

Retrofitting Europe’s buildings for energy efficiency is not enough to slash the carbon footprint of the construction sector and cut emissions in time to meet the Paris climate agreement goals, according to Dr Catherine De Wolf, assistant professor of design and construction management at the University of Technology Delft in the Netherlands.

Building sector emissions hit record high, but low-carbon pandemic recovery can help transform sector – UN report (01/02/2021)

CO2 emissions increased to 9.95 GtCO2 in 2019. The sector accounts for 38 % of all energy-related CO emissions when adding together building and construction industry emissions. Direct building CO2 emissions must be halved by 2030 to get us on track for net-zero-carbon building stock by 2050. Governments must prioritise low-carbon buildings in pandemic stimulus packages and updated climate pledges.

Promoting energy-efficiency standards and technologies to enhance energy efficiency in buildings (01/02/2021)

An important goal for public policy to stimulate transition to a sustainable energy system is to improve energy efficiency –a target clearly set out in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 7. Indeed, improving energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective options for meeting growing energy demand, ensuring more rational use of energy, securing economic well-being and an improved quality of life, and contributing to a better environment and to energy security in most countries.

Study on developing an EU framework for digital building logbooks (01/02/2021)

This study provides the basis for the development of a European Union framework for Digital Building Logbooks. The definition of such logbooks has been created as part of this work, based on a thorough stakeholder consultation, interviews with experts, and detailed analysis of 40 existing building logbook initiatives across Europe and beyond.

Kohlerhaus (01/02/2021)

The Kohlerhaus, a building dating back to the 14th century in Innichen, San Candido, Italy, was renovated to accommodate 10 apartments offering high standards of comfort and efficiency. The historical research carried out by the architect revealed the building’s rich past, previously serving as a priest house, hotel and guest house.

Charles de Gaulle school in Tourcoing (01/02/2021)

The Charles de Gaulle is a pre- and elementary school building located in Tourcoing, France. It is a certified passive house new build responding to the primary energy requirement of 79 kWh/(m2a) on heating installation, domestic hot water, household electricity and auxiliary electricity, calculated according to the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP).

ENSNARE project (01/02/2021)

The methodology and tools provided by the project will facilitate the necessary market uptake of novel and highly efficient solutions for nZEB. This will accelerate the current retrofitting rate and support the transformation of the European building stock into a highly efficient and technologically advanced built environment.

COGITO project (01/02/2021)

The acceleration of digitalisation in lean building/infrastructure construction will facilitate the industrialisation of the construction sector. The EU-funded COGITO project proposes to materialise the benefits of digitalisation through a digital Construction 4.0 toolbox that harmonises digital twins with the Building Information Model concept.

INFINITE project (01/02/2021)

The EU-funded INFINITE project will pave the way for the decarbonisation of the EU building stock by facilitating the market uptake of all-in-one industrialised envelope technologies. INFINITE's approach to the deep renovation of buildings will reduce both cost and time, with attention being paid to the life-cycle perspective and design for assembly and disassembly, including end-of-life residual value and construction and demolition waste.

PLATOON project (01/02/2021)

Digitalisation of the energy sector enables higher levels of operational excellence with the adoption of disrupting technologies. The EU-funded PLATOON project provides a methodology that deploys distributed/edge processing and data-analytics technologies for optimised real-time energy system management in a simple way for energy sector experts.

Webinar | Calculations with the set of EPB standards (III) – whole-building calculations, from components to overall primary energy (01/02/2021)

This 9th webinar focused on whole-building energy-performance calculations for residential buildings. During this webinar, we demonstrated how the EPB standards enable identification of the impact of building and system design (insulated/non-insulated, system technology choice, renewables inclusion), outdoor climate (cold to hot) and assumed use patterns (such as occupancy and comfort schedules) on overall energy performance.

Webinar | Building airtightness improvements in the building stock – analysis of European databases (01/02/2021)

This webinar presented three major European databases (in the UK, Flanders, and France) and focused on comparing their structures and measurement data-acquisition protocols. The weaknesses and strengths in the different aspects of the existing database set-ups were also identified.

Green lease contracting (01/02/2021)

Reaching energy and climate goals requires helping building users to understand what energy savings can be achieved through changes in their behaviour. Green lease contracts (GLCs) provide a model with a structural platform for cooperation between building owners and tenants.

Prosumerism guide and PV plant calculation tool (01/02/2021)

This provides insights into the legislation framework in the EU and in each participating country, alongside support schemes, tools and guidelines. The documents give information about photovoltaic market trends and costs, including installed capacity trends, price trends for modules and installation, and PV technology and its efficiency trends, both globally and in each country.

Energy Evaluation Europe 2021 Conference (01/02/2021)

Energy Evaluation Europe 2021 will be more than online presentations. It will be an engaging and inspiring event, as Energy Evaluation conferences (previously IEPPEC) have always been where you will be able to chat and network with your peers. The theme of the conference is ‘Accelerating the energy transition for all: evaluation’s role in effective policy making’.

10th International Conference on Clean and Green Energy (ICCGE 2021) (01/02/2021)

The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities in clean and green energy. It also aims to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working in Barcelona and abroad.

BauZ! Vienna Congress on Sustainable Building (01/02/2021)

BauZ! 2021, the 18th Vienna Congress for Sustainable Building, is joining the industry’s fresh start in 2021. Following on from the Advantage Austria B2B matchmaking event ‘Future of Building’, over two days, forward-looking solutions and concepts will be presented and discussions held with both a domestic and international audience.

World Sustainable Energy Days 2021 + European Energy Efficiency Conference (01/02/2021)

In 2021, this conference – which attracts over 600 participants from over 60 countries each year – shows how we can make the green recovery happen in practice and how the energy transition can become an investment engine in the deep transformation needed to respond to Europe’s ambitious goal of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

Build Up on Twitter (01/02/2021)

The EU-funded EnergyMEASURES project combats energy poverty in seven European countries. It works with energy poor households to improve their #EnergyEfficiency with low-cost measures and changes in practices and behaviours.

Build Up on LinkedIn (01/02/2021)

The Institute of Zero Energy Buildings published an enlightening report about #EnergyPoverty. This report analyses energy poverty, unravels its strong link with #EnergyTransition and provides recommendations to tackle this issue.

How can BIM help contractors achieve better project outcomes? (24/12/2020)

General and speciality contractors are buying into BIM because of its potential benefits. Similar to other construction technologies, BIM has gained significant traction. The use of cloud-based software and mobile devices has helped contractors to adopt BIM to deliver projects better and faster.

E-learning for building professionals (24/12/2020)

The building sector presents a considerable unexploited potential for cost-effective energy savings. Nearly Zero-Energy Building (NZEB) standards have become a mandatory requirement in Europe for new construction from 2020, however increasing the rate, depth, quality and effectiveness of building renovation remains a challenge since the current European average rate of renovation is only 1.2 % per year.

Topic of the Month: Digitalisation of the building and construction sector (24/12/2020)

Every month, BUILD UP highlights publications covering a specific topic. January’s Topic of the Month is ‘Digitalisation of the building and construction sector’. The website is already available for contributions and BUILD UP’s editorial board is eager to receive your discussion papers, news and articles.

Expert Talks – Dragomir Tzanev, Executive Director of the Center for Energy Efficiency EnEffect (24/12/2020)

The 11th edition of our Expert Talks hosts Dragomir Tzanev, Executive Director of the Center for Energy Efficiency EnEffect and official representative of the Municipal Energy Efficiency Network EcoEnergy, Bulgaria.

Expert Interview – Eugenio Quintieri, Secretary General of the EBC (24/12/2020)

Eugenio Quintieri has been Secretary General of the European Builders Confederation (EBC) since June 2017. In addition to managing the secretariat, Eugenio represents the EBC on the European social dialogue committee, supervises several legislative fields, including digitalisation of the construction sector, and acts as the EBC’s leading spokesperson.

Horizon 2020 project NEWCOM reaches its final stages (24/12/2020)

On 1 January.2021, the nearly-zero-energy building standard will be implemented in new buildings across EU countries. Thus, the construction sector is facing both the major task of achieving the lowest energy standard in buildings and ongoing changes in the labour market.

Seven H2020 projects partner up to advise EU leaders on preparing buildings for the energy transition (24/12/2020)

The transition to a forward-looking climate-neutral economy, announced in the European Green Deal, demands an action plan whereby public- and private-sector investments are channelled towards climate-friendly technologies and business models.

'First line of defence': COVID-19 prompts rethink in role of buildings (24/12/2020)

From office workers to students, Americans facing colder weather and more time indoors have a pressing question: How can we keep safe amid a pandemic that scientists say thrives in indoor settings? The search for answers has prompted a new look at what architects and their buildings can do to help, both now and in the future.

Skills Agenda – Towards a job-rich recovery with sustainable buildings (24/12/2020)

In its recent Renovation Wave, the European Commission outlined its vision for making Europe’s current building stock more energy efficient and sustainable by at least doubling the annual energy renovation rate of buildings by 2030.

Updated Framework Guidelines for Energy Efficiency Standards in Buildings –United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) (24/12/2020)

The Joint Task Force on Energy Efficiency Standards in Buildings of the Group of Experts on Energy Efficiency was established in 2015 by the Committee on Sustainable Energy and the Committee on Urban Development, Housing and Land Management for 2016-2017 with the possibility of an extension.

Office building in Couëron (24/12/2020)

The aim of the main features of the building, designed by Paumier Architectes, is to represent the company’s specificities and strengths. It has been constructed around a courtyard to highlight the company’s know-how, and adjoining the building's exhibition hall.

Saints Pierre-et-Paul: new complex of 36 passive apartments in an urban setting (24/12/2020)

Nestled in the heart of a residential neighbourhood in the north of Brussels, the project closes off a fairly diverse square with a parking lot at its centre and faces a large church and an uninteresting housing structure.

Constr-HaVi project (24/12/2020)

The aim of this fellowship is to develop the professional prowess, advanced training, interdisciplinary skills, high-impact dissemination, and practical experience commensurate with a leading independent researcher in the EU. The goal of the project is to investigate the building and engineering techniques used in constructing Hadrian’s Villa, in Italy.

SUBLime project (24/12/2020)

The EU-funded SUBLime project will develop the most advanced technology in lime-based materials modelling and description for industrial use that will surpass existing solutions in the new construction and conservation sectors.

METABUILDING project (24/12/2020)

The European construction industry must improve innovation among its SMEs in order to extend its value chain and integrate new dynamic industrial sectors. To achieve critical mass and promote internationalisation, the European Construction Technology Platform (ECTP) has initiated synergy with the ICT, additive manufacturing, nature-based solutions and the industrial recycling sectors.

procuRE project (24/12/2020)

procuRE brings together 6 procurers from 6 countries, responsible for over 21 000 public buildings, to invest over €EUR 7 million in research and development to tackle their common challenge of achieving 100 % renewable energy sources (RES) in the existing stock.

Webinar | Transforming the existing building stock – a toolkit to make buildings smarter (24/12/2020)

This webinar provided an overview of HEART technologies and their potential for reducing energy consumption. Participants learnt about the renovation experience of a four-storey building located in Italy and selected as a case study for the installation of the innovative set of solutions developed.

Webinar | Introducing the TripleA-reno Combined Labelling Scheme (24/12/2020)

This webinar presented the Combined Labelling Scheme, one of the project tools specifically conceived for the renovation of dwellings. The scheme can provide clear evidence-based data on energy performance, indoor environmental quality, and well-being indicators.

Step-by-step tool for energy retrofitting in condominiums (24/12/2020)

If you are from a public authority, wishing to support co-owners in their endeavour, do not hesitate to spread the guide amongst your city's condominiums. The guide is divided into three big phases: “First steps”, “Taking-off” and “The real thing”.

‘My Europe 2050’ e-learning tool (24/12/2020)

My Europe in 2050 lets you choose how we will change the European "Machine" in the next decades. How we will move, live, eat and consume, how we will change the agriculture, transport, energy generation, building sector and production systems.

22nd European Energy Transition Conference 2021 – 100 % digital and free of charge (24/12/2020)

As happens every year, representatives of the public authorities, the economic and academic worlds and civil society will meet up to debate and share their experience of local energy transition around a programme comprising over 100 events – plenary sessions and workshops.

Webinar | Calculations with the set of EPB standards (III) – whole building calculations, from components to overall primary energy (24/12/2020)

Following the successful first series of six webinars on the Energy Performance of Buildings standards (EN/ISO) supporting the implementation of the EPB Directive, an additional series of four webinars has been scheduled on the set-up and results of a series of example calculations on buildings and systems using the EPB standards.

FOR PASIV trade fair for low-energy, passive and zero-energy buildings (24/12/2020)

The 9th FOR PASIV trade fair for low-energy, passive and zero-energy buildings, an event held under the auspices of the prestigious institutions in the country, will again present leading companies in the passive building sector. The trade fair will be promoted in the media through an exhaustive advertising campaign.

Energy efficiency policy and regulations – VEF Virtual Series (24/12/2020)

The Vienna Energy Forum is going online with the launch of the VEF Virtual Series – a series of online consultations to help countries around the world to align their recovery efforts with inclusive and sustainable industrial development.

Build Up on Twitter (24/12/2020)

Welcome to our #BuildUpSkills online event! Our topic today is “Leveraging the skills of building professionals to deliver on the European Green Deal”. Follow us here for a live coverage of the different sessions

Build Up on LinkedIn (24/12/2020)

The Commission has launched 2 public consultations today on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive. The objective of these 12 week consultations is to seek a wide range of views on to what extent and how these 2 directives should be revised. This will feed into the preparation of Commission proposals next year.

OVERVIEW | Integrated kits for building renovation (01/12/2020)

This method is mainly suitable for deep renovation operations. Insulation and additional layers can be superimposed to the outside of the pre-existing façade thereby improving the thermal envelope, with the substitution of windows, the integration of shading systems, the installation of mechanical ventilation systems, and the installation of photovoltaic or solar thermal modules in the façade.

The crest of the Renovation Wave: a toolkit to decarbonise the European building stock (01/12/2020)

On 14 October 2020, the European Commission launched the new Renovation Wave initiative under the EU Green Deal, aiming to rally popular support behind plans to cut polluting emissions from buildings and to reduce energy bills. Three-quarters of Europe’s buildings are energy-inefficient by modern standards, and many are heated using fossil fuels.

Topic of the Month: SKILLS and training for NZE building sector (01/12/2020)

Every month, BUILD UP highlights publications covering a specific topic. December’s Topic of the Month is ‘SKILLS and training for NZE building sector’. The website is already available for contributions and BUILD UP’s editorial board is eager to receive your discussion papers, news and articles.

Expert Talks – Adrian Joyce, Secretary General of EuroACE (01/12/2020)

The 10th edition of our Expert Talks hosts Adrian Joyce, Secretary General of EuroACE and Campaign Director of the Renovate Europe Campaign, which was initiated by EuroACE in 2011 in order to stop energy waste in buildings.

EU launches ‘Renovation Wave’ for greener, more stylish buildings (01/12/2020)

The European Commission launched a renovation wave and a ‘new European Bauhaus’ on 14 October, with the aim of rallying popular support behind plans to cut emissions from buildings and reduce energy bills.

The hidden treasures of renovation: results of the HQE Performance LCA renovation test (01/12/2020)

A renovation wave, which will accelerate the decarbonisation of buildings, is an initiative highlighted in the European Green Deal as essential to achieving a carbon-neutral Europe by 2050. Buildings account for 40 % of the European Union's energy consumption and 36 % of its greenhouse gas emissions. Now is the time to act and reduce this footprint.

The construction sector can pave the way for a green economic recovery (01/12/2020)

In recent weeks, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development has participated in several events centered around how the building sector is key to reviving the global economy and the importance of reinforcing sustainability going forward. During the 11th annual World Green Building Week and Climate Week New York, there was an unequivocal consensus among all participating organisations that we must build our way out of the social and financial crisis provoked by COVID-19, without losing sight of our net-zero targets.

Untapping multiple benefits: hidden values in environmental and building policies (01/12/2020)

The untapped / hidden benefits of environmental policies are huge, this piece of research showcases and places a monetary value on the added benefits to our health, society and the economy that environmental investments and policy linked to energy efficiency can bring.

iBRoad ‘Stepwise and structured’ (01/12/2020)

The ‘Stepwise and structured’ report investigates how surrounding policy instruments can be used to increase the dissemination, adoption, and impact of the iBRoad building renovation roadmaps developed within the iBRoad project.

Renovation of a six-storey office building in Saint-Étienne, France (01/12/2020)

The French Atelier Architecture Rivat, part of the Architecte Associé: atelier des vergers, designed the renovations for an office building originally constructed in masonry. In 2017, the renovation work was completed on the site which is located in the Rhône-Alpes region, in the suburbs of the town of Saint-Étienne, in a wooded area near Villeboeuf.

4RinEU deep renovation: the case of Mariënheuvel in Soest (01/12/2020)

The European Commission’s H2020 project 4RinEU, coordinated by Eurac Research, aims to define technologies, methodologies and business models to increase the uptake of deep renovation in the European building stock.

e-SAFE project (01/12/2020)

The EU-funded e-SAFE project will develop a deep retrofitting system combining energy efficiency, seismic resistance, financial feasibility and other social- benefits. It uses a multidisciplinary approach integrating experimental research and participatory design applied to one real and two virtual pilot projects.

EUROPA project (01/12/2020)

The EUROPA project will develop an energy efficiency subscription (a set of technical specifications, procedures and standard contractual arrangements) to ensure guaranteed energy savings from the deep renovation of residential buildings.

EnDurCrete project: demonstration site – Krk bridge (01/12/2020)

Watch the installation process of the EnDurCrete elements at the Krk Bridge demonstration site in Croatia.

C - R.E.A.L. project (01/12/2020)

The main objective of C-REAL is to establish a permanent, structural collaboration between a mortgage lender (Onesto) and a renovation adviser (Dubolimburg) to increase the degree of renovation and improve renovation quality in the province of Limburg in Belgium.

The ALDREN webinars (01/12/2020)

The ALDREN Project – ALliance for Deep RENovation in buildings – focuses on increasing the rate and quality of building renovations by developing performance assessments and certification schemes for deep renovation projects. ALDREN is targeted at office buildings and hotels.

Webinar | Designing, constructing and monitoring net-zero-energy (NZE) settlements (01/12/2020)

The purpose of this webinar is to open up the novel ZERO-PLUS approach to energy efficiency stakeholders from different fields of practice (i.e. architects, engineers, industry and professionals, utilities, large vendors, and other building-energy related companies and project owners) and to demonstrate the benefits of its implementation.

Energy-saving tools (01/12/2020)

This web page includes a set of tools for introducing energy-saving actions in our daily life. It provides tips for energy efficiency in the field of building performances, electrical appliances, use of renewables and mobility.

TripleA-reno combined labelling scheme: a resource for municipal buildings (01/12/2020)

The TripleA-reno combined labelling scheme is the first such approach developed especially for the renovation of dwellings, covering energy performance, indoor environmental quality, and well-being indicators.

Introducing hybridGEOTABS –comfort supplied in a sustainable way! (01/12/2020)

hybridGEOTABS buildings offer huge potential to meet the key goals set for buildings in the European Green Deal. Building-integrated radiant heating and cooling systems and geothermal heat pumps are a match made in heaven, enabling very high energy efficiencies and the flexibility of thermal storage, providing giving users freedom of space and high thermal comfort.

BAU ONLINE - Future of Building Forum (01/12/2020)

BAU ONLINE will feature talks and discussions from the forums as live streams and recorded videos- for a global audience. In addition, companies will have the opportunity to present their products virtually via their own online sessions.

Online conference ‘So you think you're green? Focus on Housing’ (01/12/2020)

This second event will focus on the impacts of housing, due in particular to energy use and building options. Based on scientific outcomes, we will learn how different solutions can help to reduce Luxembourg’s carbon footprint, and whether or not there are any trade-offs to be considered before changing our home lifestyles.

Klimahouse 2021 (01/12/2020)

Klimahouse 2021, the leading trade fair for sustainable building and energy efficiency, has reinvented itself into Klimahouse Digital! The new, fully digital format will present numerous conferences and experts, and presentations of the most innovative products from the best companies,. It will be accessible to a wide audience via live streaming so you will not have to move from your desk.

Build Up on Twitter (01/12/2020)

Faster #deeprenovation? The PLURAL project aims to design validate and demonstrate a palette of versatile, adaptable, scalable, off-site prefabricated plug and play facades accounting for user needs (“Plug-and-Use” kits).

Build Up on LinkedIn (01/12/2020)

Europe’s building stock is both unique and heterogeneous in its expression of the cultural diversity and history of our continent. But not surprisingly, it is also old and changes very slowly. More than 220 million building units, representing 85% of the EU’s building stock, were built before 2001

De-risking energy-efficiency investments for the EU building stock (30/10/2020)

Currently, risks related to energy-efficiency investments in buildings are still mainly evaluated on a case-by-case basis, without a standardised approach. This is due to a lack of sufficient track records related to financial risk. In particular, there is a shortfall in generally accepted key performance indicators and benchmarks providing a clear and comprehensive economic rationale for improving energy efficiency in buildings.

A holistic approach to energy renovation in the Mediterranean’s residential built environment: the HAPPEN project (30/10/2020)

Developing the retrofitting market is proving to be a significant challenge throughout Europe, in particular in the Mediterranean region. Therefore, a specific approach is needed when it comes to promoting retrofitting of the residential built environment in this area. To this end, the H2020 HAPPEN project has developed the Mediterranean Zero Energy Building (MedZEB) approach.

Topic of the Month: Renovation of existing buildings (30/10/2020)

Every month, BUILD UP highlights publications covering a specific topic. November’s Topic of the Month is ‘Renovation of existing buildings’. The website is already available for contributions and BUILD UP’s editorial board is eager to receive your discussion papers, news and articles.

Expert Talks – Ursula Hartenberger, expert in energy efficiency and finance in the building sector (30/10/2020)

For the 9th edition of the Build Up Expert Talks, the invited interviewee is Ursula Hartenberger, member of a series of international sustainable-development and responsible-investment platforms and sustainable finance expert with a track record of initiating and managing research, capacity-building and awareness-raising projects at organisational as well as value-chain stakeholder level.

Successful sustainable measures through innovative financing (30/10/2020)

Local energy-efficiency and sustainability policies are mainly defined by the EU’s legal framework, how it is interpreted by cities and regions, and how they will turn it into regional or local measures. Cities and regions across Europe are key in leading and achieving EU climate targets. The result is that, more often than not, they will implement more ambitious measures than they are required to.

What role can finance play in the green recovery? EIT Climate-KIC and UNEP Finance Initiative ask leading thinkers to weigh in (30/10/2020)

Stakeholders in financial markets, capital and investment are key players in tackling climate change, supporting solutions for climate adaptation, and reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. But to enable the transition of our economy and society to net-zero, finance requires a fundamental overhaul.

Renovation Wave: doubling the renovation rate to cut emissions, boost recovery and reduce energy poverty (30/10/2020)

The European Commission has published its Renovation Wave Strategy to improve the energy performance of buildings. The aim is to at least double renovation rates in the next 10 years and to ensure renovations lead to higher energy and resource efficiency. This will enhance the quality of life for people living in and using the buildings, reduce Europe's greenhouse gas emissions, foster digitalisation, and improve the reuse and recycling of materials.

A review of EU Member States’ 2020 Long-term Renovation Strategies (30/10/2020)

This report assesses the compliance of the 14 available LTRS (as published on the website of the European Commission on 8 September 2020) against the provisions in Article 2a of the amended 2018 Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

Understanding the housing affordability risk posed by building performance policies (30/10/2020)

To meet ambitious climate goals, leading local and state governments are adopting ambitious energy-efficiency policies that require building owners to make substantial capital investments in their properties. In affordable multi-family buildings, these costs could threaten the viability of owners’ operations, resulting in financial burdens for low-income residents and disproportionately impacting communities of colour, thereby exacerbating economic and racial inequities.

Viviendas Arroyofresno: Plus Energy apartment house in Madrid (30/10/2020)

The building, a residential construction designed by DMDV Arquitectos and built in 2020, represents an exemplary nZEB that has also achieved Passivhaus Plus certification. The overall area of 2 475.54 m2 is shared between common spaces and 14 apartments, constructed on a rectangular building site of 1 287.85 m2.

Passive office renovation in Vienna (30/10/2020)

The Dachverbandes der österreichischen Sozialversicherung administration building in Vienna, Austria, built at the end of the seventies, has recently undergone a general renovation. The building has 16 floors above ground and a total gross floor area of approximately 22 600 m2. Thanks to the various interventions during the renovation, it was awarded ‘EnerPHit Plus’ and ‘klimaaktiv Gold’ certification (996 out of 1 000 points).

SMAFIN project (30/10/2020)

The overall aim of this project is to set up permanent discussion forums on energy-efficiency investment topics bringing together government, local and regional authorities, the financial sector, energy service companies, homeowners, and the industry, construction and SME sectors. The focus of the round tables should include existing private and public buildings, industry and SMEs.

AÚNA project (30/10/2020)

In order to extend the work of the Sustainable Energy Investment Forums, AÚNA proposes to create a permanent, multi-level, multilateral discussion FORUM in Spain. It will be fully focused on sustainable building financing, for the effective and wide implementation of the Smart Finance for Smart Buildings initiative.

MATRYCS project (30/10/2020)

The decentralisation of the energy system coupled with advancements in the Internet of Things, big data, artificial intelligence and distributed computing are creating a new momentum for exploiting data-driven services to improve buildings’ energy efficiency. Although a large number of data hubs and vocabularies are now available for buildings, some barriers continue to hamper the exploitation of such potential.

REBECCA project (30/10/2020)

The EU-funded REBECCA project aims to prove the potential of circular and innovative actions to unlock public and private funds, meet energy-efficiency investment requirements, and contribute to a relaunch of the renovation and construction sector.

Webinar | Calculations with the set of EPB standards – introduction and overarching calculation procedures (30/10/2020)

The goal of these example calculations is to demonstrate the functionality, sensitivity, and usability of individual calculation modules and of the whole building calculation procedure.

Webinar | Are architects ready for digitalisation? (30/10/2020)

The SMARTER Finance for Families H2020 project intends to replicate the success of the Green Homes/Green Mortgages programme initiated by the Romanian Green Building Council.

Low Energy Building Database (30/10/2020)

The Low Energy Building Database is a repository of low-energy building information created to support the planning and development of low-energy new build and refurbishment using exemplary case studies.

MOBISTYLE – the Expert tool (30/10/2020)

The MOBISTYLE Expert tool, which has been developed in the EU-funded H2020 project MOBISTYLE, aims to enable the visualisation and management of a big volume of data available from a building monitoring. Experts can use the tool to filter the information they need, calculate predefined KPIs, as well as to set up their own KPIs.

Greenbuild International Conference & Expo 2020 (30/10/2020)

This cutting-edge virtual experience will include all the key elements attendees and partners have come to expect from our physical event: interactive and collaborative education sessions, continuing education, virtual booths, future-focused keynotes from high-profile voices and valuable networking.

4th edition of Colloque Build & Connect (30/10/2020)

It is time to register for BtoB meetings. Organised by the Enterprise Europe Network, offered for participants present or remotely, these 20-minute meetings maximise useful contacts. The EEN teams will guide you in defining your needs, the type of partner you are looking for and allow you to exchange with the conference participants.

Leveraging the skills of building professionals to deliver on the European Green Deal (30/10/2020)

This event provides an opportunity for an exchange of views between stakeholders and EU policymakers on the role of skilled building professionals to deliver the European Green Deal, in particular the so-called ‘renovation wave’ in public and private buildings.

Climamed 2020, the 10th HVAC Mediterranean Congress (30/10/2020)

Climamed 2020, which will be hosted by Ordem dos Engenheiros, will have as its motto ‘Towards climate-neutral Mediterranean buildings and cities. It aims to provide a meaningful contribution towards solutions to the problems facing humanity as the result of climate change.

Build Up on Twitter (30/10/2020)

Have you heard of Facades-as-a-Service? This method provides a customisable and dismantable facade service. It gives buildings ventilation, sunlight regulation and energy generation, all adjustable by remote control.

Build Up on LinkedIn (30/10/2020)

€1 BILLION for research & innovation to boost the EU´s green recovery. The European Commission tables €1 billion under Horizon 2020 to respond to the climate crisis, provide more protection to Europe’s biodiversity and habitats under threat, and accelerate a sustainable recovery. The world is facing unprecedented challenges and Europe is responding with the European Green Deal, an ambitious yet attainable action plan for a systemic transformation towards a climate-neutral continent by 2050.

Architecture 4.0 (02/10/2020)

This overview explores the concept of Architecture 4.0 and its relationship with digital information and communication technologies. It is important to emphasise that the digital transformation is characterised by a fusion of advanced technologies and the integration of physical and digital systems, the predominance of innovative business models and new processes, and the creation of smart products and services.

Topic of the Month: Financing energy efficiency in buildings (02/10/2020)

Every month, BUILD UP highlights publications covering a specific topic. October’s Topic of the Month is ‘Financing energy efficiency in buildings’. The website is already available for contributions and BUILD UP’s editorial board is eager to receive your discussion papers, news and articles.

Expert Talks – Armand Paardekooper Overman, associate architect at Mecanoo (02/10/2020)

The 8th edition of our Expert Talks feature hosts Armand Paardekooper Overman, associate architect at Mecanoo. He is also a founding partner of fUSE Architecture and, in 2014, he founded the real estate development company Urban Sync. He has extensive experience in realising spatial quality within the context of complex multi-stakeholder processes.

Algorithms are designing better buildings (02/10/2020)

At a basic level, algorithms can be a powerful tool for providing exhaustive information for the design, construction and use of a building. Building information modelling uses comprehensive software to standardise and share data from across architecture, engineering and construction which used to be held separately.

How to grow a ‘living’ building (02/10/2020)

The core idea behind living buildings was popularised by the International Living Future Institute. It is really about a building being regenerative – whether that means generating more energy than it uses, harvesting and treating water onsite, or diverting waste from landfill and reusing materials.

Sustainable Places 2020 (02/10/2020)

Sustainable Places is the only annual international conference focused on showcasing the results of EU projects on innovation for the built environment. The 8th edition, Sustainable Places 2020 (27-30 October 2020), will be held over four days in a virtual format to facilitate thematic presentations and fruitful discussion on topics such as the circular economy, digital twins, BIPV, local energy communities, sustainable digital infrastructure, etc.

A guidebook to European building policy: key legislation and initiatives (02/10/2020)

The guide focuses on the key EU legislation aimed at transforming and decarbonising the European building stock. This includes an overview of the Clean Energy Package for all Europeans, a new Circular Economy Action Plan, and EU energy product policy.

Assessment Model of End-of-Life Costs and Waste Quantification in Selective Demolitions: Case Studies of Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings (02/10/2020)

Innovative designs, such as those featured in nearly zero-energy buildings, need to tackle life-cycle costs because reducing the impact of use can create other collateral and unexpected expenses. For example, it is interesting to include the evaluation of end-of-life costs by introducing future selective dismantling and waste management activities which also improve the environmental performance of the demolition project.

BUILDHEAT demo case: Zaragoza, Spain (02/10/2020)

The building is a large multi-family house in a small quarter in the outskirts of Zaragoza. It has 53 dwellings available in two main sizes (i.e. 85 m² and 55 m²) situated on four floors accessed by five staircases. The building, which was constructed in 1988, is owned by Zaragoza Vivienda, the city’s social housing agency, to provide sheltered housing.

Energy savings thanks to quality management: Karl Landsteiner University (02/10/2020)

The newly constructed building in Krems an der Donau in Austria fulfils a dual function as an office and an educational institution. It is equipped with a reversible ground source heat pump providing warm and cold water for room heating and cooling, a compression chiller as a back-up system for cooling as well as several air handling units and a photovoltaic system on the building’s roof.

domOS project (02/10/2020)

Digitisation in existing buildings is not as widespread as in other sectors. As a consequence, building owners and occupants generally have a limited understanding of their building as an energy system. Improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings can and should be achieved through deep renovation.

Quad2BIM project (02/10/2020)

Quad2BIM's mission is to promote smart heritage to turn BIM into a functional instrument of knowledge, design and management for historical architecture. It aims to define a new working protocol for building surveyors and BIM technicians, or rather a collaborative approach for issuing as-built parametric models efficiently integrated into the development design process of existing and historical buildings.

ePANACEA Horizon 2020 project (02/10/2020)

Funded under the EU's Horizon 2020 programme, the aim of ePANACEA is to develop a holistic methodology for energy performance assessment and building certification. The project’s vision is to become a relevant instrument in Europe’s energy transition through the building sector.

D^2EPC project (02/10/2020)

This project ambitiously aims to set the grounds for the next generation of dynamic energy performance certificates (EPCs) for buildings. The proposed framework sets its foundations on the smart-readiness level of the buildings and the corresponding data-collection infrastructure and management systems.

Webinar | Heating systems in the EPB standards (02/10/2020)

This sixth webinar focused on the CEN standards related to heating and domestic hot water systems developed under the EC Mandate M/480 and published in 2017. In the long term, the EU is pushing towards a change in the energy carriers and technologies applied to provide comfort services in buildings.

Webinar | Are architects ready for digitalisation? (02/10/2020)

The webinar presented a European state-of-the-art analysis, examining just how digitalised the construction industry is and the possible points for knowledge transfer. Furthermore, experts in the field of architecture and digitalisation highlighted the need for the involvement of architects in the 4.0 revolution.

MOBISTYLE dashboard (02/10/2020)

The MOBISTYLE dashboard is a tool that enables different kinds of users to receive information about the buildings they interact with, through specific authentication. Buildings connected to MOBISTYLE are sensorised by groups of sensors which have been installed according to the parameters suggested by experts to monitor and analyse.

CRAVEzero life cycle management web tool (02/10/2020)

The tool has been developed within the H2020 project CRAVEzero. Its scope is to provide a support to track and manage a nZEB project throughout the entire life cycle. The final result is a table that can be exported and saved in an Excel file, with all the selected actions, main descriptions and information inserted and a Gantt provided for the process.

18th European Week of Regions and Cities 2020 (02/10/2020)

The European Week of Regions and Cities is the biggest annual Brussels-based event dedicated to regional policy. The event has grown to become a unique communication and networking platform, bringing together regions and cities from all over Europe.

Chillventa – International Exhibition Refrigeration│ AC & Ventilation│ Heat Pumps (02/10/2020)

Be there when experts from the international refrigeration, air-conditioning and ventilation and heat pump community meet online! Experts from research and practice will share their knowledge during numerous lectures as part of Chillventa Congress and the official supporting programme.

100% RHC EVENT 2020 / The RHC ETIP Annual Conference Online (02/10/2020)

This conference, organised by Smart Energy Systems ERA-Net, will bring together online a powerful impact network: funded projects, SET-Plan Action 4 contributors, associated partners and other partners for development and exploitation.

BEYOND 2020 – SBE Conference (02/10/2020)

BEYOND 2020 embraces a global perspective that reaches across academia as well as private and public sectors. We will work together to develop concrete solutions and achievable implementation plans. These solutions will incorporate research, policy, finance, education and innovative thinking needed to create the resilient and sustainable built environments of tomorrow.

Build Up on Twitter (02/10/2020)

Cultural Heritage Buildings in Europe are threatened by weak structures and low energy performance. The STRETCH project aims to develop techniques to do seismic-plus-energy retrofitting and Structural Health Monitoring for old buildings. Learn more!

Build Up on Linkedin (02/10/2020)

45 experts on energy efficiency in buildings, infrastructure, and planning from across Europe were surveyed for a new report authored by BPIE. Published as part of the ENEFIRST project, the report identifies persisting barriers to implementing the decision-making principle of efficiency first in energy system planning and policymaking.

Building automation as a means to efficient building operation (01/09/2020)

Thermal comfort, indoor air quality and daylight are key factors regarding the comfort of building occupants. Despite the interconnection of these aspects and their related requirements, the way to achieve indoor air quality and thermal comfort are not sufficiently clear in some EU countries. This situation underlines the importance of addressing the topic of building operation, which is crucial for ensuring adequate comfort and quality levels while, at the same time, achieving effective energy efficiency.

Topic of the Month: Architecture and Construction 4.0 (01/09/2020)

Every month, BUILD UP highlights publications covering a specific topic. September’s Topic of the Month is ‘Architecture and Construction 4.0’. The website is already available for contributions and BUILD UP’s editorial board is eager to receive your discussion papers, news and articles.

Expert Talks – Carsten Druhmann, lecturer and researcher at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (01/09/2020)

The 7th edition of our Expert Talks series hosts Carsten Druhmann, lecturer and researcher at the Institute of Facility Management (Zurich University of Applied Sciences) and head of the Real Estate Management Competency Group. The questions addressed focus on the roles of facilities management and buildings operation and maintenance in ensuring that the foreseen performance of a project is achieved and in contributing to energy efficiency, health and sustainability.

What special reopening considerations are required for HVAC systems? Here is what ASHRAE says (01/09/2020)

Recently, global sustainable building technology society ASHRAE’s Epidemic Task Force has released guidance on mitigating potential health risks during the reopening of buildings which were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus is on heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Health and wellness will be the new normal for office buildings (01/09/2020)

The coronavirus pandemic will create a fundamental shift in how the workspace is conceived, designed and operated. Never before has implementing strategies to benefit occupants’ mental health and physical well-being been more critical than it is now. Indeed, health and wellness strategies will be inextricably linked to the new norm for office design and operations. ‘Health and wellness will move from a “nice to have” to a “must have”,’ says Paul Scialla, founder and CEO of Delos, and founder of the International WELL Building Institute.

Reopening buildings safely, with LEED guidance, and tools and analytics from Arc (01/09/2020)

The U.S. Green Building Council released four new LEED Safety First Pilot Credits in response to COVID-19 to support environmental and occupational health. The credits outline sustainable best practices that align with public health and industry guidelines related to cleaning and disinfecting, workplace re-occupancy, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) and plumbing operations. The credits can be used by LEED projects that are already certified or are undergoing certification.

REHVA journal special issue focuses on the CEN-CE project (01/09/2020)

A special edition of the REHVA journal provides a quick guide to understanding the CEN-CE Horizon 2020 project which is developing an EU-wide common large-scale training and qualification scheme for building professionals.

Monitoring and continuous commissioning of new and existing buildings (01/09/2020)

In the building industry, quality control practices during the design stage, implementation, introduction and use varies. In addition, the owner’s project requirements may also vary. The instrumentation, measurements and the control options are different. The final product resulting from the building process is the indoor environment. When evaluating the need to renovate existing buildings and to control the performance of a new building, certain procedures are required.

Smart City project SINFONIA: renovation of the via Passeggiata dei Castani housing complex in Bolzano, Italy (01/09/2020)

Renovation of the Via Passeggiata dei Castani residential complex is one of the interventions developed during the European Commission’s FP7 Smart City project SINFONIA which was concluded at the beginning of 2019.

Ambition and sustainability - the case of SKYSAWA Building (01/09/2020)

This building, which is a very ambitious construction in Warsaw’s city centre, has been nominated for the BREEAM energy award 2020. The site was originally occupied by a 10-storey block of flats built in 1960. That was demolished in 2017 to allow for the construction of the new complex, which is more closely aligned to the latest demands of Warsaw’s office market.

IFMA - Facility Management (01/09/2020)

Facility management (FM) is a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure the functionality, comfort, safety and efficiency of the built environment by integrating people, place, process and technology.

COST (01/09/2020)

European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) is an organisation funding the creation of research networks, known as COST Actions. A COST Action is open to all science and technology fields, Institutions, career stages and COST Members. Some of these actions are strictly related to buildings.

Ug, Uf, Uw, Uwhat?: An intro to the U-value and those most important to Passive House design (01/09/2020)

For someone outside the building sector, many of the shorthand symbols frequently used in Passive House related content – including educational videos, press releases, webinars, and even some posts – can be quite confusing. What the heck is a U-value? What are all those different subscripts? And what the heck is this symbol Ψ? Don’t fret. We will get into all of those.

The Million Homes Programme (01/09/2020)

Join the community to work on the biggest renovation challenge ever: 1 million homes to be transformed into near-energy neutral houses by 2023. Many enthusiastic local and regional governments, funders, corporates, SMEs and citizens groups are already part of our ‘1 Million Homes’ community.

Webinar | H2020 MOBISTYLE – showcasing the final results (01/09/2020)

Particularly in times of pandemics, it is important that different building occupants are aware of the invisible correlation between indoor environmental quality, personal health and energy efficiency. By raising such awareness, we can provoke new behaviour that can result in better well-being and more energy-efficient buildings.

Webinar | New business models to de-risk investments and kick start the EU building renovation wave (01/09/2020)

To effectively de-risk investments in the building sector and facilitate the upgrading of building performance and energy efficiency services in Europe, policy, financing and technical tools need to work together in a coordinated and coherent manner.

Renovate Europe: online source map (01/09/2020)

The website of the Renovate Europe Campaign presents a huge number of building renovation best practices across Europe. The scope is to provide a set of exemplary case studies to be further replicated in order to boost the building renovation rates among the EU Member States towards the reduction of 80% of energy demand by 2050.

CRAVEzero project result: an interactive case study dashboard on building life-cycle and cost performance analysis (01/09/2020)

The interactive tool enables the user to navigate through the results of the multi-objective building life-cycle cost and performance analysis of the CRAVEzero case studies. In particula there is information on office buildings (Välå Gard, Aspern), multi-family residential buildings (Isola Nel Verde, Solallén, Alizari, Les Heliades, Green Home Nanterre) and single-family residential buildings (MORE).

BauSIM 2020 – 8th Conference of IBPSA Germany and Austria (01/09/2020)

Building and district simulations and associated methodologies are the focus of this event. Emphasis is also placed on complementary topics such as building information modelling (BIM), component-level simulations, and monitoring and operation of buildings and urban systems.

6th International Symposium on Occupant Behaviour & 5th Expert Meeting of IEA-EBC (01/09/2020)

The 6th International Symposium on Occupant Behaviour will focus on designing and operating buildings supported by digital technologies with an occupant focus, and the underlying comfort, behaviour and energy considerations.

2020 Slovakian Sustainable Buildings - Living Future Europe (01/09/2020)

By and large, the building and construction industries determine how residents interpret their surroundings and built environment. As such, it is vital to re-engineer our cities and towns to correspond more directly to the natural landscapes they inhabit.

Sustainable Places - SP2020 (01/09/2020)

Sustainability targets and climate change objectives cannot be met without addressing buildings and the built environment at the building, district and urban scale to include our transport and energy infrastructures.

Build Up on Twitter (01/09/2020)

The @H2020EE Energy Efficiency newsletter is out! You'll find: News @Novice_Project, training professionals, @LIFEprogramme ...) #EUSEW20 special. Tips for your project proposal. Read it!

Build Up on Linkedin (01/09/2020)

Psychological studies point out the risk of the so-called rebound effect, a sort of recoil leading us not to use the full potential of an innovation. In other words, people use more energy because they can afford it... Learn more.

Energy in Buildings at the 2020 EU Sustainable Energy Week #EUSEW 2020 (29/07/2020)

This year marks the 15thEuropean Sustainable Energy Week EUSEW. Under the circumstances with Covid-19 the event was adapted to provide a dynamic, interactive and carefully organised online format. This effort has proved successful with more than 6300 registered participants and 4600 active online participants.

Topic of the Month: Building operation (29/07/2020)

Every month, BUILD UP highlights publications covering a specific topic. August’s Topic of the Month is ‘Building operation’. The website is already available for contributions and BUILD UP’s editorial board is eager to receive your discussion papers, news and articles.

Expert talks: Christophe Sykes, Director General at Construction Products Europe (29/07/2020)

For the 6th edition of the expert talks series, the interviewee is Christophe Sykes, Director General at Construction Products Europe AISBL. The questions addressed in this edition relate to the pathways to recovering from the 2020 coronavirus crisis and the provisions for the building sector included in the Green Deal and associated European policies and regulations.

Housing: an essential piece of the ‘Next Generation EU’ puzzle (29/07/2020)

The coronavirus pandemic has put the spotlight on Europe’s housing crisis, exposing the shortcomings of our housing policies, which have increased inequalities and destabilised our societies. Now, the ‘stay at home’ guidelines have pushed us more than ever before to take stock of the state of housing.

The EU has an opportunity to accelerate the shift to a cleaner and more resilient energy future as it rebuilds from COVID-19, says new IEA policy review (29/07/2020)

A new IEA policy review from the International Energy Agency states that the EU is strengthening its efforts to make its energy systems cleaner and more resilient, reinforcing its global leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Green Deal: coal and other carbon-intensive regions and the Commission launch the European Just Transition Platform (29/07/2020)

The Just Transition Platform has been launched to help Member States to draw up their territorial Just Transition Plans and access funding provided by the over EUR 150 billion Just Transition Mechanism. This online platform will provide technical and advisory support for public and private stakeholders in coal and other carbon-intensive regions.

Energy-efficient home improvements and the green stimulus (29/07/2020)

The discussion paper outlines the urgent need to increase the pace and scale of investment in sustainable renovation programmes, provides case studies on previous renovation waves that were introduced in stimulus packages, and offers principles and suggestions to facilitate the mobilisation of resources towards sustainable renovation programmes.

Towards net-zero emissions in the EU energy system by 2050 (29/07/2020)

This report presents a comparison of 8 scenarios achieving more than a 50 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990, and 16 scenarios aiming for climate neutrality by 2050. This is similar to the ambitions presented in the European Green Deal.

The renovation of Doragno Castle – Rovio, Switzerland (29/07/2020)

The aim of renovating this residential building included the conservation of the ancient walls of the medieval castle, and incorporating modern comfort standards to create a building boasting a high standard of energy efficiency (i.e. the NZEB standard).

Alnatura Campus – Darmstadt, Germany (29/07/2020)

The building is the workplace for 500 employees on three floors covering an area of approximately 10 ,000 m2. The construction’s location and orientation have been determined according to the microclimatic conditions and in order to maximise the use of the natural resources available in the area.

SHEERenov project (29/07/2020)

The aim of SHEERenov is to develop and test a model for the provision of integrated residential renovation services in the territory of Sofia in Bulgaria. The implementation of this project will support the Bulgarian government's intended transition from the current multifamily buildings energy efficiency renovation model, financed fully from public resources and administered entirely by public institutions, to a market oriented model.

Green Growth Knowledge Partnership (GGKP) (29/07/2020)

The Green Growth Knowledge Partnership is a global network of experts and organisations dedicated to providing the policy, business, and finance communities with knowledge, guidance, data and tools to transition to an inclusive green economy.

Superhomes2030 project (29/07/2020)

The aim of Superhomes2030 is to dramatically scale up the Superhomes offer (a concept developed by TEA) in Ireland from a model which completed 100/€6m worth of retrofits per annum in 2019 to 500/€36m per annum by 2023, and 3 000/€150m per annum by 2030 (10 % of national target).

Women driving the passive house industry: interview with Ann-Marie Fallon (29/07/2020)

Women driving the passive house industry is the iPHA’s newest interview series, which, aims to highlight the remarkable women working in the passive house community. The iPHA team interviewed a handful of the many women who have contributed substantially to the growth of the passive house standard around the world. Here is our first interview featuring Ann-Marie Fallon.

Webinar | Catalysing the EU renovation wave in the transition to the next-generation energy performance certificates (29/07/2020)

Three Horizon 2020 projects – QualDeEPC, U-Cert and X-tendo – come together in this webinar to present issues related to current Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) schemes in Europe and potential solutions to shift from just an informative tool to a multifaceted one supporting all stakeholders in the value chain, e.g. call-to-action, quality assurance.

Webinar | How can BIMplement be implemented in other European countries? (29/07/2020)

The webinar presented three BIMplement tools and methodologies developed by the Horizon 2020 project BIMplement to promote learning through BIM in the working place, such as the construction sites on the two areas of building airtightness and ventilation.

CYPETHERM Improvements tool (29/07/2020)

CYPETHERM Improvements is a tool for energy audits and the analysis of improvement measures in buildings. It has been developed and improved within the H2020 project RenoZEB and released by the company CYPE. Its main objective is to compare the energy performance of a building before and after renovation.

CRAVEzero pinboard: how to build an effective low life-cycle cost, nearly-zero energy building – the process map (29/07/2020)

The CRAVEzero project aims to increase the viability of nearly-zero-energy buildings through solutions and tools to support cost reduction during the life cycle of buildings. In particular, one of the backbones of the project is the CRAVEzero pinboard, a structured platform that includes all the tools and supporting materials developed within the project.

International Conference on Energy, Environment and Economics – ICEEE 2020 (29/07/2020)

ICEEE2020 focuses on energy, environment and the economics of energy systems and their applications. The conference will provide a forum for both researchers and academicians around the world to present original research papers.

35th Plea Conference 2020 – Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design (29/07/2020)

The 35th PLEA Conference, organised from the University of A Coruña, will take place online between the 1st and 3rd of September 2020. Don't miss your chance to be part of this global discourse on sustainable architecture and urban design.

3rd SPACE International Conference 2020 on Sustainable Architecture Planning and Urban Design + SPACE International Conference 2020 on Building and Construction (29/07/2020)

The conference addresses all the aspects of sustainability from different perspectives and research areas. The meeting always attracts a substantial number of participants from all over the world.

18th European Week of Regions and Cities 2020 (29/07/2020)

The European Week of Regions and Cities is the biggest annual Brussels-based event dedicated to regional policy. The event has grown to become a unique communication and networking platform, bringing together regions and cities from all over Europe.

Build Up on Twitter (29/07/2020)

The Construction 2050 Alliance unites 46 European associations to advance the industry! The sector as a solution to #COVID19 recovery and the built environment’s contribution to the #EUGreenDeal - just of its priority areas.

Build Up on Linkedin (29/07/2020)

What path ahead for the climate? This report by UNA-UK addresses the implementation of the climate deal agreed by UN member states in Paris in 2015.

From nearly-zero to plus energy buildings (01/07/2020)

The general definition of nZEB was stated by the EPBD 2010/31/EU as ‘a building that has a very high energy performance’. Following this statement, EU Member States introduced their own specific definition and requirements based on their own context. A comprehensive overview at European level is provided by this paper written by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) which reports the energy targets, balance of approaches and the main specificities of each country.

nZEB policies and support tools in eCentral project target countries (Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary) (01/07/2020)

The EU has established legislative frameworks as EPBD (Directive 2010/31/EU and update) and EED (2012/27/EU) in order to increase the energy performance of buildings, and requiring the nearly-zero energy building (nZEB) target for public buildings as from January 2019.

Topic of the Month: The Green Deal (01/07/2020)

Every month, BUILD UP highlights publications covering a specific topic. July’s Topic of the Month is the ‘Green Deal’. The website is already available for contributions and BUILD UP’s editorial board is eager to receive your discussion papers, news and articles.

Expert Talks – Duygu Erten, Senior Sustainability Executive (01/07/2020)

For the 5th edition of the Expert Talks series, the interviewee is Dr Duygu Erten, Senior Sustainability Executive, Green Building certification expert and board member of Turkeco Construction and Energy Inc, the SME she started in 2009. Among other awards, she was recognised as a BREEAM Fellow (2016) and received the Women in Sustainability Leadership Award WSLA (2017) from the US Green Building Council.

Towards zero-carbon building (01/07/2020)

In its 2018 landmark report, Global Warming of 1.5 °C, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned of a catastrophic climate breakdown if global average temperatures rose by 2 °C. Negative consequences for our communities and planet would be long-lasting and, in some cases, irreversible.

Cultural-E data visualisation survey: an easy-to-understand visualisation library for positive energy buildings (01/07/2020)

The Cultural-E survey aims to identify major targeted questions and performance indicators that are meaningful to designers and stakeholders in order to define automated data visualisation charts and outputs, generated by energy simulation tools.

EIB and Unión de Créditos Inmobiliarios join forces to boost energy efficiency projects in Spain and Portugal (01/07/2020)

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Unión de Créditos Inmobiliarios (UCI) are set to finance green investments in Iberia ranging from the refurbishment of existing buildings to the construction of nearly-zero-energy properties. These investments have been made possible thanks to the provision of energy efficiency mortgages and consumer loans for the market.

Regenerative technologies for the indoor environment (02/07/2020)

Proper technology solution-sets can enable a regenerative indoor environment for building users and for the planet, thereby ensuring occupant wellbeing and health. Several aspects are considered for high indoor environmental quality, such as hygro-thermal comfort, visual comfort, indoor soundscape, indoor air quality and a pleasant ambiance.

Energy - generating buildings in Germany: the Efficiency House Plus initiative (01/07/2020)

With its Efficiency House Plus initiative, the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community is giving research and development a new stimulus in the field of energy-efficient building. At the same time, the principles of economy, technological freedom, simplification and the voluntary aspect of measures continue to apply.

Svart hotel in Norway: how to reach the Plus Energy target (01/07/2020)

The architect firm Snøhetta, in collaboration with Arctic Adventures of Norway, Asplan Viak and Skanska, has designed ‘Svart’, the world’s first Plus Energy hotel in a northern climate. The hotel will have about 100 rooms, an onsite education and design lab, and a sustainable farm producing ingredients for the hotel’s four restaurants.

Smart City project SINFONIA: renovation of the via Brescia housing complex in Bolzano (01/07/2020)

The building, which is divided up into 5 staircases with 7 floors each housing 21 apartments, has an overall surface area of around 32 000 m3 and is managed by IPES-WOBI, the Province of Bolzano’s social housing institute.

IEA EBC Annex 83: Positive energy districts (01/07/2020)

The aim of Annex 83 is to develop an exhaustive definition of PED and the technologies, planning tools and planning, and the decision-making process related to positive energy districts. The experience and data to be used in the Annex will be gathered from demonstration cases.

ICEBERG project (01/07/2020)

ICEBERG will make significant advances in the uptake of the circular economy in the building industry by developing innovative circular reverse logistics’ tools and high-value secondary raw materials production technologies to establish market confidence and acceptability of recycled end-of-life building materials (EBM).

IDR TOOLKIT (01/07/2020)

Europe’s population is ageing and its changing needs are constantly shaping the way we live and interact in communities and environments. Accessibility, sustainability and inclusivity are now prominent keywords that are driving the design of products and of the built environment.

The Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment (02/07/2020)

The Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment (the Commitment) challenges companies, cities, states and regions to reach Net Zero operating emissions in their portfolios by 2030, and to advocate for all buildings to be Net Zero in operation by 2050.

Webinar | Renovation wave in Europe: how to equip building professionals with future-proof skills? (01/07/2020)

This webinar discusses the importance of education and training to achieve high-energy-performing buildings, in particular in the context of large-scale renovation interventions. How do we get more skilled workers involved in renovations? Are building professionals prepared for nearly-zero-energy buildings?

Webinar | EPB standards linked to health and well-being (01/07/2020)

This webinar introduces the definition of indoor climate and other health-related indoor conditions requirements, as set out in one of the EPB standards, EN 16798-1. It shows the thermal comfort requirements and how they can be evaluated by the calculation methods defined in the EPB standards.

RenoZEB collaborative platform (01/07/2020)

The RenoZEB platform is a web-based environment where different actors and software tools can work together managing a renovation project, sharing the data and the BIM models, centralising the files and assigning tasks.

2030 Palette: a resource for the design of zero-carbon, adaptable and resilient built environments (01/07/2020)

The 2030 Palette is a free online platform that succinctly puts the principles and actions behind carbon-neutral and resilient-built environments at the fingertips of designers, planners, builders and policymakers worldwide.

3rd International Conference on Renewable Energy and Environment Engineering - REEE (01/07/2020)

This annual conference provides an annual platform for delegates and members to present and discuss the latest research. Our delegates and members will have numerous opportunities to engage in dialogues about renewable energy and environmental engineering.

8th European Conference on Renewable Energy Systems - ECRES 2020 (01/07/2020)

ECRES aims to bring together researchers, engineers and natural scientists from all over the world who are interested in advances in all branches of renewable energy systems. Wind, solar, hydrogen, geothermal, solar concentrating and other energy-related topics are welcome.

24th Annual International Passive House Conference (01/07/2020)

The International Passive House Conference is the year's premium Passive House event, where over 1000 thought leaders and innovators from around the world gather. Here you will find a wide range of networking opportunities.

IEA EBC 6th Annex Meeting (01/07/2020)

The International Energy Agency (IEA) Energy in Buildings and Community (EBC) Programme carries out research and development activities on near-zero energy and carbon emissions in the built environment.

Build Up on Twitter (01/07/2020)

As part of the #EUGreenDeal, @EUClimateAction is launching a European Climate Pact. The Pact will give everyone a voice to design new climate actions and showcase solutions. Take part now.

Build Up on Linkedin (01/07/2020)

The European Investment Bank (EIB) in cooperation with the European Commission have initiated the Private Finance for Energy Efficiency #PF4EEE) instrument, and thus provide access to adequate and affordable financing for energy efficiency.