EXCESS: FleXible user-CEntric Energy poSitive houseS

 

EXCESS has a mission: showing that it is possible to create buildings that produce energy – more specifically: transforming nearly-zero energy buildings into positive energy buildings or PEBs. This four years project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme, merges technical concepts for Positive Energy Buildings with new opportunities for the production of renewable energy and self-consumption as provided by the EU Clean Energy Package. It also advances technical developments for positive energy building materials to address specific climate-related needs in order to meet the PEB requirements.

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The integration of technologies is key in EXCESS: upgrading single technologies to be part of a larger system, enabling local trading of energy and offering new services to grid operators and utilities. This unlocks additional revenue streams that reduce the lifetime cost of the developed PEB solution – making them affordable also to large parts of society, who so far could not afford them. In addition to the integration of technology, another key aspect in EXCESS is the involvement of stakeholders throughout all the implementation phases of the project. Both on the local and European level, this engagement of key stakeholders and users allows EXCESS to successfully navigate complex local situations, find novel solutions to existing and newly identified issues and ensure that these solutions are fit for purpose.

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Four demonstration cases provide the testbed for EXCESS: First, the Nordic climate in Finland: an 800m deep borehole with a system of pumps will use heat from different sources in the ground. During the transitional months, surplus heat produced by the building itself will also be used to charge the ground. Second, the Austrian demo case features a multi-functional façade element with integrated photovoltaic solar panels and a geo-thermal heat pump linked with an energy community smart control system and energy billing concept. Third, in the Belgian demo site, photovoltaic solar panels for a system of pumps using heat from sources in the ground will be added on a social housing complex, and also integrate power-to-heat flexible thermal storages in the district heating units. Fourth but not least, in the Spanish demonstration site, maximised electricity production from conventional photovoltaic solar panels will be consumed directly in the building and the surplus stored in a battery for daily use.

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Prospex Institute's Role

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Prospex Institute is designing the stakeholder engagement strategy for the Excess project. We coordinate detailed stakeholder mapping in the four case studies as well as on the European level. We design and support the implementation of local co-innovation workshops, engaging and integrating key stakeholders in the demonstration sites. With the user engagement plans we can ensure that the solutions designed in the project are fit for purpose. We will also be running Advisory Boards which will support the overall implementation of the project.