In May, InEExS hosted, alongside the ENERGATE and FORTESIE projects, the webinar from Tech to Transformation: Accelerating Building Energy Efficiency through ICT Solutions. The session, which was part of the EUSEW 2024 Sustainable Energy Days, presented all the innovative and interesting solutions that each project is working on to help the building sector become more energy efficient.
Hosted by Katerina Papapostolou (NTUA), the webinar zoomed in on the specific solutions and technologies that can help increase building renovation rates across Europe.
ENERGATE’s Ioanna Andreoulaki presented the energy efficiency marketplace the project is developing. By offering a matchmaking service through their user-friendly platform, the project breaks down the barriers that exist between building stakeholders and those in the financing community. Francisco Puente for InEExS, discussed the blockchain technology the project is working on that will generate smart energy contracts. InEExS is driving innovation by developing blockchain technologies specifically tailored to meet the needs of the energy sector. The ambition is to roll out these models and services for real-world application. Finally, FORTESIE’s Kostas Panagopoulos discussed the many innovative solutions the project was working on to boost building renovation rates, from an online marketplace for one-stop shops to collaborative business models.
During the panel discussion, speakers highlighted how innovative tech, such as blockchain, can aid building renovation by creating user-friendly tools to address the gaps in the energy value chain between different market segments. For example, blockchain is effective for monitoring energy savings and can be useful for application in energy efficiency measures. The next step is to integrate blockchain technologies into real pilots as InEExS is doing. The panellists also discussed blockchain barriers (technical constraints, security threats etc.) and the need for careful design, as blockchain is not a solution for all energy services.
Social acceptance was another important point raised: for new technologies like blockchain, there is still no understanding of how they work alongside safety concerns regarding the future use of the data collected.
Panelists also discussed the financial barriers to investing in buildings, such as the lack of standardisation and investment risks. For smaller projects, investment can be an issue, as investors perceive that it is not worth their time to go through all the stages of the due diligence process. ENERGATE is developing a solution to solve this, for instance, aggregating similar projects in one cluster and creating a package of energy efficiency projects, making it more relevant for investors. FORTESIE also discussed other innovative methods for helping smaller projects get funding, such as crowdfunding loans.
The session provided insights and examples of how tech can be an effective tool for the building sector and help to overcome some of its key challenges. As long as they are carefully designed, innovative solutions like those demonstrated by the projects can help the EU meet the targets in the Energy Efficiency Directive (EU) 2023/1791 to achieve a smooth and fair energy transition.
To hear in more detail the innovative solutions discussed, listen back to the recording or download the slides
