Towards 100% renewable and energetically autonomous buildings

Title of the research project

RE-COGNITION - REnewable COGeneration and storage techNologies IntegraTIon for energy autONomous buildings

Scientific area 

Renewable energy, Intelligent control and optimization, Zero Energy buildings

Abstract 

RE-COGNITION project proposes a holistic framework towards energy positive buildings, integrating new technologies for renewable energy and systems dedicated to choice and optimization of local resources, with a focus on small and medium sized buildings in Europe.

Description of the research project 

The building sector is accountable for the 40% of the energy consumed and 36% of carbon emissions in the European Union. At the same time, EU has set ambitious energy targets for staying at the forefront of the clean energy domain, aiming at reaching a 20% share of renewables by 2020and  increasing to at least 27% share by 2030. It is thus necessary to develop specific technologies and solutions to integrate renewable energy systems into buildings.

RE-COGNITION develops a decentralized approach to renewable energy systems, aiming at delivering the production needed at the places where it is consumed.

The project is articulated into five blocks respectively dedicated to planning, placement and  development of new technologies, intelligent monitoring interfaces, engagement of relevant stakeholders from civil society and industrial world.

Concerning the new technologies, the project will deliver: Building Integrated Photovoltaics, Vertical-Axis Wind turbine, a Micro combined heat and power system, an hybrid system for solar cooling, Latent-Heat Thermal Storage technology and a controllable EV charger.

RE-COGNITION will thus contribute to the need of synergy between production, transformation, storage and consumption of electric energy, in order to optimize the energy balance at the local level, for a single building.

Impact on society

The project will make possible the design of energy autonomous buildings, allowing a precise planning of technologies to be chosen and considering both already existing and ad hoc developed systems. The final objective is to propose solutions to reduce fossil energy consumption for heating, cooling and electricity supply in buildings. Moreover, the proposed systems will be tested in six different places in Europe.

Working group @Polito 

At the Department of Mechanical Aerospace and Engineering

Vittorio Verda, Full Professor, Project coordinator

Elisa Guelpa, Researcher

Andrea Lanzini, Researcher

Marco Simonetti, Researcher

Mariapia Martino, Administrative officer

National and International partners 

Ethniko Kentro Erevnas Kai Technologikis Anaptyxis, Grecia

Energy@Work Societa' Cooperativa A R.L. , Italia

Intracom Sa Defense Electronic Systems, Grecia

Zh Srl, Italia

Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne [Epfl], Svizzera

Csem Centre Suisse D'electronique Et De Microtechnique Sa - Recherche Et Developpement, Svizzera

Windcity Srl, Italia

Micro Turbine Technology Bv, Olanda

Ellinika Petrelaia, Grecia

Servelect Srl, Romania

University Of Bristol, United Kingdom

Electric Corby Community Interest Company, United Kingdom

Etrel Svetovanje In Druge Storitve Doo, Slovenia

Universitatea Tehnica Cluj-Napoca, Romania

RE-COGNITION project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under grant agreement No 815301