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Testing innovative technologies for retrofitting: Coventry University as a living lab

Author

Listed:
  • Abdullahi Ahmed

    (Coventry University, United Kingdom)

  • Danny McGough

    (Coventry University, United Kingdom)

  • Monica Mateo-Garcia

    (Coventry University, United Kingdom)

Abstract

Retrofitting Solutions and Services for the enhancement of Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings (RESSEEPE) is an EU funded project which aims to bring together design and decision making tools, innovative building fabric manufacturers and a programme to demonstrate the improved building performance achievable through the retrofit of existing buildings at a district level. The RESSEEPE framework is being validated by a strong demonstration programme, envisaging the renovation of 102,000 square metres of public buildings. The core idea of the project is to technologically advance, adapt, demonstrate and assess a number of innovative retrofit technologies implemented on several pilot cases with different climate conditions across Europe (Coventry-UK, Barcelona-Spain and Skellefteå-Sweden) to ensure a high potential replication of the retrofit solutions. The three demonstration sites are involved as the main promoters of a very ambitious district level renovation, demonstrating a systemic approach to technology installation and evaluation, taking into account the benefits of a set of technologies, which properly combined in terms of cost effectiveness and energy performance could achieve reductions around 50% in terms of energy consumption. Coventry University is acting as a Living Lab in order to test some advanced technologies already in the market and others developed specifically within the RESSEEPE project. Those innovative technologies implemented in the pilot case are: Vacuum Insulated Panels, PCM tubes, Ventilated façade with Photovoltaic Panels, Electrochromic windows and Aerogel Mortar. The main feature of this installation is that it acts as a testing bed for where to install different advanced technologies covering specific areas of the building, rather than refurbishing it as a whole. This paper documents the testing of prototype technologies in a pilot case in Coventry University, analysing the process of selection of the different technologies and showing all the challenges faced during installation and coordination of installation activities. The installation process is shown and discussed, highlighting the difficulties, setbacks and challenges faced during the low carbon refurbishment. The key issues are related to technical and health and safety risks. Also, to financial, coordination, planning and legislation barriers etc. It will also show ways forward and solutions adopted. The study also analyses the process of monitoring the energy performance of the spaces retrofitted and the data obtained through the monitoring of the building before and after the installation of the different technologies. The idea behind the Living Lab pilot case is to monitor the performance of those installations in isolation in order to obtain results which allow us to make conclusions about the replicability of the technologies selected in other locations. Ultimately, what is discussed is the overall process followed. This discussion seeks to show the lessons learnt throughout the process and to obtain conclusions from the barriers and engagement issues faced during the installation when retrofitting a public building.

Suggested Citation

  • Abdullahi Ahmed & Danny McGough & Monica Mateo-Garcia, 2017. "Testing innovative technologies for retrofitting: Coventry University as a living lab," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 4(3), pages 257-270, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:ssi:jouesi:v:4:y:2017:i:3:p:257-270
    DOI: 10.9770/jesi.2017.4.3S(2)
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Iten, Muriel & Liu, Shuli & Shukla, Ashish, 2016. "A review on the air-PCM-TES application for free cooling and heating in the buildings," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 175-186.
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    Cited by:

    1. Najiba El Amrani El Idrissi & Ilham Zerrouk & Naoual Zerrari & Salvatore Monni, 2020. "Comparative study between two innovative clusters in Morocco and Italy," Insights into Regional Development, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 2(1), pages 400-417, March.
    2. Eugenia Panfiluk & Elżbieta Szymańska, 2017. "The measurement of the innovativeness of health tourism services using an adequacy matrix title of the article," Post-Print hal-01860905, HAL.
    3. Salvatore Monni & Francesco Palumbo & Manuela Tvaronavičienė, 2017. "Cluster performance: an attempt to evaluate the Lithuanian case," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 5(1), pages 43-57, September.
    4. Natalia Lasarte & Peru Elguezabal & Maialen Sagarna & Iñigo Leon & Juan Pedro Otaduy, 2021. "Challenges for Digitalisation in Building Renovation to Enhance the Efficiency of the Process: A Spanish Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-25, November.
    5. Eugenia Panfiluk & Elżbieta Szymańska, 2017. "The measurement of the innovativeness of health tourism services using an adequacy matrix title of the article," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 4(4), pages 400-420, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    low-energy retrofit; living lab; public buildings; stakeholder engagement; performance modelling and monitoring;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation

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