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
- Budget: 4.990.000 euro
- Start date: 1/06/2019
- End date: 31/05/2023