Smart2B

In order to achieve a more sustainable and flexible energy ecosystem, the EU has set targets to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy use by 2030. The current EU building stock is, however, energy-intensive and inefficient, causing a significant contribution to the EU's carbon emissions (about 36% of EU CO2 emissions) and energy consumption (about 40%): for this reason, it is crucial to intervene in the building sector and make it more dynamic and efficient, utilising new technologies, innovative solutions and renewable energy sources.

To address the issue, the Smart2B project, part of the Horizon 2020 programme, endeavours to create a smart building system consisting of:

• Devices that facilitate the integration of various building energy systems,
• A Digital Platform that, as a middle layer, enables integration, knowledge extraction and control,
• AI Services that can support the analysis and preparation of the data collected from the devices.

This system is the key element to centralise the building of energetic transition around residents, industry players and Citizens Energy Communities (CECs): the human-computer interaction is crucial, in fact, in the development of social and technological innovation and the improvement of the energy system flexibility and efficiency.

Smart2B will also bring three positive impacts in the building sector;

• Technical: the project is leveraging emerging ICT and IoT technologies to implement the smart upgrade of existing buildings,
• Environmental: by utilising demand-response techniques, it is possible to unleash local flexibility potentials and achieve significant energy savings,
• Social: CECs are fundamental to promoting synergies among citizens.

The initiative is now working on five pilots all around Europe that showcase the implementation of Smart2B solutions in different kinds of buildings to analyse the positive effects:

• Albertslund Retirement Home (ARH) in Albertslund (Denmark): in the building, whose heating is provided by a district heating/cooling system, it is possible to observe a Building Management System (BMS), a daylighting, a window shading control system, and an indoor air temperature monitoring system.
• Lisboa Social Community (LSCs) in Lisboa (Portugal): this building block aims to provide the residents with intellectual and moral development, encouraging their inclusion in society.
• Lisboa Airbnb Buildings (LABs) in Lisboa (Portugal): these historic buildings have installed daylighting, deferrable DHW and motion sensor systems.
• Citycon Jakobsberg Centrum (CJC) in Jӓrfӓlla (Sweden): this shopping centre showcases the use of AHU and HVAC equipment.
• Alcantarilla Office Complex (AOC) in Alcantarilla (Spain): the building has installed lightning, HVAC, and computing appliances.