Trial / Demo
Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES) leads the European StepUP project, which develops affordable solutions and technologies aimed at transforming the energy renovation market and making the decarbonisation of existing buildings a reliable, attractive and sustainable investment.
To this end, StepUP "uses occupants’ feedback and promotes an iterative approach to energy renovation, based on real and simulated data, which minimises performance problems, reduces financial barriers and optimises investments", underlines the coordinator of the project from IES, Giulia Barbano.
“StepUP will offer a real opportunity to reach net zero emission buildings, by developing a non-intrusive, quick and reliable deep renovation intervention solution that will minimise the duration of onsite works and the risk of installation errors”, adds Barbano.
The solutions developed in the project will be applied to three different building typologies, such as multi-family residential apartment blocks, public schools and private offices.
Based on plug & play components, the StepUP technologies reduce installation time on site, drastically minimising the inconveniences to building occupants that renovations usually entail. The project also tackles the development of data intelligence solutions to make solid decisions in the design stage and to monitor the performance after implementation.
In addition, the project promotes new financing models for the optimisation of energy, comfort and cost performance over the life of the building.
Among StepUP novel deep renovation technologies, a novel plug & play façade integrating windows and provisions for the technical systems and a heating solution allowing flexible consumption of energy are being developed.
As coordinator of the StepUP project, IES is overseeing the project’s implementation, ensuring its smooth progress and liaising with the European Commission. As an existing provider of cutting-edge digital twin technology, IES will also play a vital role in leading development of integrated software solutions for the StepUP platform, building extensively on their existing iSCAN and Virtual Environment (VE) technologies. This will enable creation of robust baseline models of the project pilot sites to support decision making, allowing optimisation of various renovation scenarios and helping identify options with the highest impact and value.
In this sense, StepUP "addresses the European challenge of achieving the decarbonisation of existing buildings by 2050" in line with the recently launched Renovation Wave, an objective "that will be effective only if cost-effective deep energy renovation technologies and integrated solutions are developed, a key action to reduce energy demand in buildings", according to Barbano.
The project is made up of a consortium of ten partners from 7 European countries, including two technology transfer institutions (Eurecat, Unismart), six industrial companies (IES Ltd and IES R&D, Manni Group, Suntherm, ABUD, Energinvest) and two owners and contractors (ACR and Municipality of 18th District of Budapest).
To expand the information or request interviews you can contact the StepUP team here.
Full Project Title: Solutions and Technologies for deep Energy renovation Processes UPtake
Project Acronym: StepUP
Start: 1 August 2019
End date: 31 January 2023
Budget: 4,941,737,50 €
Coordinator: Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES)
The StepUP project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 847053.
About Integrated Environmental Solutions (IES)
IES believe that every building of every city in the world can be decarbonised. Our purpose is developing the technology to make that happen. Our ultimate aim is to create a built environment that is resource and energy efficient. Eliminating global reliance on fossil fuels and promoting comfort, health and wellbeing, and fairer access to energy for every citizen in the world.
IES Ltd. coordinates the StepUP project and carries out the development of the data intelligence solutions and lifecycle software platform.
About Unismart
Unismart is a foundation of the University of Padova in charge of managing the technology transfer and innovation consulting activities directed to public and private bodies. It focuses its activities in the provision of innovation and business support services in several market sectors.
Unismart leads the innovation management, exploitation, and market strategies for the StepUP results.
About Manni Group
Manni Group, founded in Verona in 1945, drives the international market of steel processing, insulating panels and renewable energy and energy efficiency. The Manni Group holding comprises 14 companies operating in 3 different business areas. Manni Group promotes innovation in the processing and use of steel and a sustainable, safe and efficient construction through constant efforts in the R&D.
Manni Group develops a Plug & Play Envelope solution for deployment in pilots.
About Suntherm
SUNTHERM is a young start-up company, build on the idea of bringing an innovative heating solution on the market. The company have successfully attracted investors and soft funding to make it possible to develop and test the SUNTHERM SmartHeat solution, of which the first generation is currently on the market.
Suntherm develops a SmartHeat energy production and storage solution for deployment in pilots.
About Eurecat
Eurecat is the leading Technology Centre of Catalonia, providing the industrial and business sector with differential technology and advanced expertise. The centre offers solutions to their innovation needs and boosts their competitiveness in a fast-paced environment. It brings together the expertise of 650 professionals who generate a volume of income of 50M€ per year. Serving more than a thousand companies, Eurecat is involved in 200 projects of R&D national and international with high strategic value.
Eurecat leads the prototype development activities, together with outreach and stakeholder engagement.
About ABUD
ABUD is a Budapest-based consultancy company powered by engineers, architects and researchers, specialized in sustainable building and urban design. The company has broad practical and research experience in the energy efficient refurbishment of existing buildings, including involvement in dynamic energy simulation and sustainability consultancy for renovation projects, especially historical heritage buildings, and research on district level renovation potential.
ABUD leads the pilot design, installation deployment and feedback loop processes.
About Energinvest
Energinvest is a strategic, financial and operational consulting firm specialized in the development and implementation of public and/or private energy efficiency initiatives to scale up investments in energy transition, in particular sustainable and large-scale building energy retrofit investment programs.
Energinvest develops business models for owners and smartEPCs for deep renovation.
About ACR
Construcciones ACR is a construction company which was founded in 1973 and belongs to ACR Group. The company initiated the extensive business activity which has low lasted over four decades. Since it started business, ACR Group has stood out as a company with a clear industrial vocation in project management on the building sector, ensuring deadlines, guaranteeing levels of quality, and taking its customers’ commitments on board as though they were its own.
ACR manages the Spanish pilot and develop guidelines for lean P&P construction.
About Municipality of 18th District of Budapest
The 18th District is located South-East of Budapest and it operates a large number of public buildings. It is the responsibility and also the interest of the municipality to achieve better energy performance related to its public buildings. It is also of high priority to increase the share of renewable energy in the energy resource portfolio.
BP18 manages the Hungarian pilot, engaging with the local stakeholders and end users.
About IES R&D
IES R&D leads innovation in the use and development of IES solutions by engaging with stakeholders to drive user-focussed products, and lead research projects in new markets.
IES R&D will lead the intelligence deployment and monitoring activities, and the overall scientific and technical direction of the StepUP project.
