The SmartBuilt4EU project has set up four task forces investigating issues related to smart buildings: their objective is to identify transversal issues and solutions for smart buildings and enable efficient sharing of good practices between projects and experts.

Final SB4EU White Papers: Topic C

Recently, the project has released its final four white papers. These White Papers result from the collaborative work performed over the last six months by the four open task forces, respectively focusing on:

• Task Force 1:  Interactions with users “Responsive end-user”

TF1 investigates how the interactions between any smart building and its users can be facilitated and improved, as a key success factor for the market uptake of smart building solutions.

This topic C paper aims to provide an overview on the occupants’ expectations in terms of interaction with the building, the type of smart building functionalities that can lead to actual occupants’ behaviour change and trust issues related to data privacy and usage.

• Task Force 2:  Efficient building operation “Smartness to reduce building’s environmental impacts”

TF2 focuses on the optimal integration and use of smart solutions to allow an efficient building operation.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the existence of a direct link between a building’s smartness and automation level; and the reduction of the environmental impacts linked with the operational phase of the building. Also, it assesses the possibility of quantifying the net benefit taking into account the emissions released in the entire lifecycle of the installed smart devices.

• Task Force 3:  Interactions with the external environment “Data driven indicators for smart buildings”

TF3 investigates how smart buildings can interact at best with their external environment.

The following topic C paper provides a state of the art regarding the following issues, with specific attention being paid to EC-funded projects:

• The smart readiness indicator: status and ongoing activities to automatise its calculation and link it to real-time building data
• The energy performance certificates: status and ongoing activities towards harmonisation of energy performance assessment and convergence with other indicators
• Other building performance indicators that are connected to building smartness.

• Task Force 4: Crosscutting issues “Education and upskilling”

TF4 addresses the transversal requirements (Business & finance, data, education & upskilling) to support the market uptake of smart buildings, and the strengthening of the related ecosystem.

This paper explores how the evolution of businesses (digitalisation) can be better supported through training and providing the needed tools to enable mutual recognition of skills and qualifications. It also assesses how to promote and implement the upskilling of the construction sector workforce for skills related to smart buildings (e.g., energy efficient and smart solutions, user-centric dimensions), together with continuous improvement.

SB4EU White Papers: Topic A and B

As a reminder,  the first White Papers addressed the following topics:

• Task force 1: Interactions with users.

1. End user acceptance and attractiveness: solutions to improve end-user acceptance      and adoption of smart building functionalities​
2. Occupant-centric building for enhanced quality of life: integrating smart solutions for enhanced well-being, inclusiveness and health of occupants​

• Task Force 2: Efficient building operation

1. Interoperability among building components & systems​
2. Optimised building costs: Integrating tools for optimised costs over full life cycle (incl. BIM, digital twin, predictive maintenance, AI, weather forecast, predictive control)​

• Task Force 3: Interactions with the external environment

1. Providing flexibility to power grids: data interoperability to provide flexibility to the electricity grid​
2. Smart building as enabler of new energy practices and communities: Smart buildings & electromobility; Local Energy communities, Energy efficiency​

• Task Force 4: Crosscutting issues​

1. Financing and business models: new services, financing & business models (incl. Building as a Service), integration of new technologies (Blockchain)​
2. Data governance, security and privacy: Cyber-security; Data privacy & protection

To find final version of last four White Papers.

During September 2021 and November 2022, SmartBuilt4EU published 12 White Papers on different topics related to Smart Buildings, from the interaction with the grid to user acceptance, including smart financing. All the White Papers can be accessed here: https://www.ectp.org/projects/smart-buildings/  and on Open AIRE.