ePANACEA

Smart European Energy Performance AssessmeNt And CErtificAtion
 

The EPC (energy performance certification) for buildings is an EU-wide information tool which was introduced by the energy performance of buildings directive (EPBD) in 2002. The current EPC faces several challenges such as little convergence amoug EU member states and lack of accuracy regarding both, the energy performance assessment and recommendations for renovation measures. Besides that, current literature points out a cap between theoretical and real energy performance, which is partially due to the non-consideration of user behavior.

The aim of the project is to adress these challenges by developing a holistic methodology for the energy performance assessment and certification of buildings. The new methodology shall allow for an EU-wide implementation, such that EPCs provide valid information, which is not only more accurate and understandable, but which can also be compared within the EU. In addition, the EPC is understood as a tool to increase the energy awareness of users. On these grounds, the new EPC shall incentivize new measures which contribute to forward the energy transition in the building sector.

In the project ePANACEA a prototype of a smart energy performance assessment platform (SEPAC) will be developed. The platform will encompass the most advanced techniques in dynamic and automated simulation modelling, big data analysis, machine learning, inverse modelling, the estimation of potential energy savings and an econmic viability check.

In order to ensure a fluent dialogue with European policy makers, certification bodies and end users ePANACEA incorporates two types of participatory actions: On the one hand, a feedback-loop with policy makers is established and carried out by Regional Exploitation Boards (REBs) which cover the EU member states and Norway. On the other hand, a dialogue with end-users will be enabled through thematic workshops. In this way, ePANACEA ensures that the acceptance of the developed methology is tested and validated.

 

Project objectives

  • Demonstrating the potential of improvement of the effectiveness of energy performance assessments and related EPCs
  • Generating trust in the market, in order to contribute to trigger investments in buildings to increase energy efficiency
  • Faciliating the wide exploitation of the new EPC methodology in the EU member states
  • Developing a standardized data form, which will enable building data exchange

 

Project design

Das project consists of 8 work packages (WP):

  • WP1 - Project management
  • WP2 - Common framework for a modular methodology
  • WP3 - User perceptions
  • WP4 - Methodology development
  • WP5 - Demonstration and validation
  • WP6 - Dissemination, exploitation and replication potential
  • WP7 - Communication
  • WP8 - Ethics requirements

The IZES gGmbH is mainly working on WP3. The work can be divided into three main thematic strands

  1. The identification of stakeholders, who use EPCs
  2. a user-need-analysis of EPCs to provide input for the tool development of the new EPC, followed by two tests of acceptance of the developed methodology
  3. exploring energy behaviors in buildings in order to integrate behavioral patterns in the calculation of the energy performance in the new methodology developed in ePANACEA

 

Partners

 

Funding

 

Laufzeit: 
06/2020 to 05/2023
Kontakt: 
Jan Hildebrand
Arbeitsfeld(er): 
Environmental Psychology