Multifunctional packages
BIPVT roof system
The BIPVT system is the result of a previous research and development project, which has been successfully installed in several public buildings. The system is based on the transposition of curtain wall technology to roofs and can benefit from well-established techniques and methods. The obtained roof will be extremely resistant to climate-driven disruptive events such as heavy rain and strong winds, which usually negatively affect traditional tiles roof.
Innovation
The use of recycled aluminum profiles, biosourced PUR foam in the insulation/absorbing boxes and repurposed PV modules.
Smart-fan coils
The smart-fan coils are connected to the solar-assisted DC air-water heat pump as components of the HVAC system. They are designed to be connected to the building’s heating piping but can provide both heating and cooling. The units operate as small water-to-air heat pumps, by extracting or releasing heat to the hydronic network and thus providing heating/cooling/dehumidification in every room, according to punctual needs. These devices can also be equipped with air intakes connected to the façade air gap for mechanical ventilation and integrate several sensors to allow the precise control of room temperature/RH and the monitoring of detailed energy consumption and air quality. The use of this technology allows the introduction of summer air conditioning where it was not originally foreseen, avoiding heavy adaptation works. The RE- SKIN smart-fan coils have the possibility to perform air filtration and purification, have more compact size, and decreased operational noise.
Innovation
RE-SKIN's smart-fan coils are considered a ground-breaking technology for the following main reasons:
- It integrates a DC compressor to increase the thermal power coming from the centralised DC heat pump, according to the energy demand of each room. This allows to minimise heat losses on the existing distributions pipes and to avoid condensation in cooling mode;
- It allows the drainage of the condensation directly in the existing heat distribution pipes, avoiding connection of the units to the building drainage system;
- It enables smart functions, through an IoT interface;
Cloud-based platform
RE-SKIN will be supported by a cloud-based platform that will optimise the total energy performance and actively involve end- users in the building management. The platform will support control and regulation operations, but also intervene at an early stage of the decision-making and design phases. This will result to the selection of the most suitable system configuration, in terms of costs, consumption, embodied energy and emissions throughout the whole building's life cycle. The life-cycle cloud- based platform will ensure a user-friendly and quick operation both in the pre-retrofit evaluation and in the post-retrofit phase.
Innovation
RE-SKIN's cloud-based platform guarantees to the different users and stakeholders both accessibility to low level measured data and to high-level analytics.
Hydronic modular heat pump
The installation of solar assisted air-to-water DC heat pump, connected to the BIPVT system will result to an intensive exploitation of renewable energy (PV, solar thermal and aerothermal) for heating, cooling and DHW purposes. Each time that the air coming from the hybrid roof will be warmer than outdoor air, it will be sent to the evaporator, increasing the heat pump’s efficiency (COP). Moreover, the DC electric current from BIPVT feeds the HP avoiding AC conversion, and thus increasing the system’s efficiency.
Innovation
The hydronic air-to-water heat pump will allow indoor installation by avoiding the outdoor heat exchanger, and thus limiting the aesthetic and acoustic impacts.
Multi-input/Multi-output power converter
The energy produced by the PV modules is sent to a multifunctional (MIMO) power converter, which optimises the energy dispatch within the building and to external systems. Such a converter will be able to power the DC subcomponents (smart fan coils and heat pumps), allow the interface with batteries, manage the Electric Vehicle (EV) charging and interconnect the entire system with the AC grid. Additionally, Smart Grid features will reduce the impact of PV generation and electric loads on the grid. The MIMO power converter will also manage power fluxes based on the inputs received by the cloud-based platform. Through the converter, HVAC devices are powered in direct current, avoiding DC/AC conversion losses. The MIMO converter will be made ready for EV charging through the following process. An AC port will be added and a DC port ready to be connected to a DC charger will be also provided to manage electric vehicle charging, directly using PV electricity. Furthermore, the component will be modified to allow standalone operation in case of grid fault during natural disasters. The MIMO power converter will additionally be ready for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities, whenever these functionalities are integrated in the EV charging ports.
Innovation
The main advancement is to have an all-in-one component to manage all electricity fluxes in the building, also ensuring off- grid operation to increase resilience.
Repurposed EV batteries
Battery repurposing is the re-use of discarded electric vehicle batteries which are still effective for the construction sector. This is currently a cost-efficient and sustainable alternative to first-use battery storage systems. The battery pack will be able to integrate cells/batteries with a variety of capacities and chemistries coming from the automotive market. This solution is estimated to decrease the environmental impact of the battery system (e.g, GWP) up to 90%, with a significant life-cycle cost reduction.
Additionally, energy surplus can be stored in repurposed EV batteries, which offer good performance at low economic and environmental costs. In case of further overproduction, the energy is sent to vehicle charging stations installed by the building or to the grid, using a smart grid logic.
Innovation
Regeneration of electric batteries derived from the automotive sector.
Standing seam metal roof
The parts of the roof not occupied by the BIPV system will be covered with a standing seam roofing membrane. This subsystem is completely derivable from common commercial products, using sustainable steel from SSAB and bio-sourced PUR foam developed by INDRESMAT.
Innovation
The use of bio-sourced PUR foam and sustainable steel.
Multifunctional façade cladding
The modular multifunctional façade cladding will include an external thermal insulation system, thermal energy recovery, and versatile finishing. The first trial sandwich panels will be manufactured substituting traditional polyurethane (PUR) foam with the novel bio-sourced PUR foam produced by INDRESMAT. In addition, the standard metal sheets of the panels will be replaced with the Greencoat sustainable steel from SSAB. Along with the panel, also improvements of the mounting structure will be carried out by using recycled aluminium profiles and by optimising the mounting procedure to minimise installation time.
Innovation
The integration of beneficial results, such as dynamic thermal insulation, acoustic insulation, inner ventilation, weather protection and allowing for integration of wires, vents, sensors, and pipes integration.
Windows retrofit
The windows of the demo cases will be partially or totally substituted (glass, frame, whole window), by using cost-effective techniques and easy-to-apply components. The replacement techniques/components will increase the performance of the existing windows, adding low thickness insulated glass, shading systems or advanced coatings/films. The proposed solutions won’t affect daylighting, ensuring an optimised solar control with renovated windows. Additionally, the development of such replacement techniques/components will be carried out considering the features of the most widespread types of existing windows components, according to the detailed assessment on the features of the target buildings.
Innovation
The integration of new high-performance components mostly manufactured by recycled/natural materials will contribute to saving labour and material cost. Window retrofitting will result in life-cycle energy and cost reduction of 70% and 50%, respectively, compared to a new plastic/aluminium window.
Smart charger for electric vehicles
Smart EV charger integrated in RE-SKIN package will be composed by a DC charging and control unit integrated in the multifunctional MIMO converter and by a connected charging station to be installed nearby the demo buildings. By exploiting the capability of the RE-SKIN cloud platform, the system will define the best charging profile based on multiple factors, such as the available PV power, the building electric load, and the energy tariff. The overall aim will be to maximise PV self-consumption and to minimise grid overload. A dedicated service will be delivered by ENELX to allow the interaction of external users with the building’s EV charger.
Innovation
The system allows to increase renewable energy self-consumption.