Authors
Sofía Mulero-Palencia, Centro Tecnológico CARTIF | LinkedIn profile
(Note: Opinions in the articles are of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the EU)
On the road to sustainable and energy-efficient buildings, digitalisation offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance building performance. Responsible for approximately 40% of Europe's energy consumption, the building sector faces significant challenges in reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, as outlined in the EU's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The European Union's climate targets under the Paris Agreement demand a transformative approach to building management, integrating advanced digital tools that enhance energy efficiency and sustainability.
Integrating smart technologies into building operations is not just a technological upgrade, but a must to prepare our living spaces for the future. Smart buildings with digital tools can significantly reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions [1] by optimising their operations and maintenance. This article presents a simplified approach to transforming buildings into smart entities capable of dynamic and efficient operation, leveraging their ability to self-manage effectively and interact with their users and the wider energy ecosystem.
The focus is on the BuildON Smart Transformer Toolbox (STT), a digital toolkit designed to enhance the smart readiness of buildings. This toolbox aims to provide building managers and occupants with the necessary tools to monitor, assess, predict, and optimise building performance. By streamlining the integration of diverse systems and harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the toolbox enables automation, control, and real-time monitoring, which are essential for improving building efficiency[2].
Funded by the Horizon Europe Programme, BuildON promotes the digital transformation and decarbonisation of buildings through smart technologies. To this end, the STT has been designed as a holistic solution to enhance the smart readiness of buildings, bridging the gap between current building operations and a future where buildings are fully automated and energy-efficient [3].
The STT consists of three interconnected components designed to enhance the automation, efficiency, and intelligence of buildings:
User interfaces: user-friendly applications designed to be intuitive, reducing barriers to the effective use of smart building technologies. These range from dashboards to advanced digital twins for simulating and controlling building equipment.
Smart buildings are a cornerstone of Europe’s sustainable energy transition. The Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) provides a standardised metric for assessing how effectively a building integrates digital automation, energy flexibility, and occupant-focused solutions. The BuildON STT aligns directly with the SRI framework, supporting:
The BuildON approach supports the gradual enhancement of smart readiness levels, providing building owners and policymakers with a practical pathway to future-proof existing infrastructure.
A core innovation within BuildON is its AI-driven automation and digital twin technology. Digital twins enable dynamic, real-time building management and can be implemented in two distinct configurations:
By providing data-driven insights, digital twins improve a building’s ability to detect inefficiencies, forecast energy demand, and optimise resource allocation—essential capabilities for future-ready, self-regulating buildings.
Figure 1. The BuildON Smart Transformer Toolbox.
To validate its STT, BuildON is conducting five large-scale demonstrations across Europe. These pilots represent a diverse range of building typologies and climatic conditions.
In Valladolid, the focus is on improving the energy efficiency of buildings where conventional renovations pose challenges. This pilot aims to enhance occupant comfort and reduce fossil fuel consumption through advanced energy management systems and smart controls.
In Helsinki, the project seeks to improve the energy performance of multi-storey flats by reducing reliance on gas heating and increasing operational efficiency in cold climates. Smart assessment tools and enhanced energy management systems are being introduced alongside interfaces for resident interaction.
The Gdynia pilot integrates efficient automation and control to optimise operations and minimise gas consumption. Facility managers and public building users are the primary beneficiaries, thanks to improved building conditions and performance.
In France, the initiative focuses on monitoring and optimising energy use in office environments to improve indoor environmental quality and reduce consumption. The project will introduce advanced lighting and air quality strategies to sustain energy efficiency.
The Greek pilot enhances maintenance and integrates renewable energy in commercial buildings. Existing platforms will be expanded to improve performance monitoring using innovative technologies for real-time operational optimisation.
These pilots will assess real-world energy savings, user adaptability, and operational scalability, ensuring that the STT is both technically and commercially viable for widespread deployment.
The BuildON project stands at the forefront of the smart building revolution, providing scalable, AI-driven solutions that bridge the gap between digital intelligence and energy efficiency. By integrating digital twins, IoT automation, and predictive analytics, BuildON ensures that buildings are not only energy-efficient but also adaptive, resilient, and user-centric.
As the project advances towards Technology Readiness Level 8 (TRL8) by 2026, its outcomes will shape the future of smart buildings, policy development, and sustainable energy management across Europe.
[1] F. S. Hafez, B. Sa'di, M. Safa-Gamal, Y. H. Taufiq-Yap, M. Alrifaey, M. Seyedmahmoudian, A. Stojcevski, B. Horan, and S. Mekhilef, ‘Energy Efficiency in Sustainable Buildings: A Systematic Review with Taxonomy, Challenges, Motivations, Methodological Aspects, Recommendations, and Pathways for Future Research,’ Energy Strategy Reviews, vol. 45, 2023, Art. no. 101013, ISSN 2211-467X, DOI: 10.1016/j.esr.2022.101013.
[2] H. Liu, J. Liang, Y. Liu, and H. Wu, ‘A Review of Data-Driven Building Energy Prediction,’ Buildings, vol. 13, no. 2, 2023, Article 532, DOI: 10.3390/buildings13020532.
[3] S. Mulero-Palencia, S. M. Toral, D. Rovas, G. Kormpakis, V. Marinakis, and A. V. Belver, ’A Smart Toolbox for the Digital Transformation of Buildings,’ in Proc. 2024 15th International Conference on Information, Intelligence, Systems & Applications (IISA), Chania Crete, Greece, 2024, pp. 1-6, DOI: 10.1109/IISA62523.2024.10786633.
