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BRE partners on cross-Europe energy performance research project

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Four-year QUANTUM project aims to close the gap between predicted and actual energy performance in European buildings through quality management

QUANTUM, a new research project funded by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, is aiming to close the estimated average 25% gap between designed and actual energy performance and 1.5% for comfort performance in European buildings. Research indicates that poorly commissioned and operated building management systems are often responsible for this gap, generally caused by the lack of appropriate and coherent quality management systems for building performance. On this basis, the project is focused on developing and demonstrating pragmatic services and tools with high replication potential that support quality management for building performance in the design, construction, commissioning and operation phases. The core mechanism is to ‘design for testability’ by specifying transparent performance targets with cost effective testing methodologies.

The project will apply three innovative ICT-driven tools to enable effective quality management in all relevant services within a building’s lifecycle:

  • HPS/NG9 (by Energy Team SPA, Italy) – cost-effective and easy to install in-situ energy metering devices with online data analysis
  • Performance Test Bench (by Synavision GmbH, Germany) – first tool for the specification and automated validation of BMS functions using Active Functional Specifications (AFS)
  • Comfortmeter (by FACTOR 4 BVBA, Belgium) – first completely web-based questionnaire for perceived user comfort

To support market uptake, the tools and services will be demonstrated in a representative set of typical European buildings from seven countries. The tools will also be further developed over the course of the project and BRE will be looking to develop supporting tools and processes in line with the project.

“This project and its outcomes has the potential to make a significant difference to real world energy performance in buildings”, Andy Sutton, Associate Director, BRE Wales. “We are delighted to be partnering on this vital work and to be contributing our in-depth knowledge and expertise.”

The four-year collaborative project, which debuted its first workshop earlier this year, brings together 14 partners from 12 different countries within the EU. Along with BRE in the UK, partner organisations are from Germany, Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway, Greece, Latvia, Italy, Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands.

More information about the QUANTUM project is at www.quantum-project.eu

Press enquiries 

For further information please contact Linda McKeown, email [email protected] T: 0333 321 8811


NOTES TO EDITOR

BRE

We are a world leading building science centre and the authority on all aspects of the built environment. We generate new knowledge through research that is used to create products, tools and standards that drive positive change across the built environment. We enable our government and private sector clients to meet the environmental, social and economic challenges they face by delivering higher performing, better quality, safer, more secure and more sustainable products homes, buildings and communities. We are owned by the BRE Trust, a registered charity, which funds research and education that advances knowledge of the built environment.  We are committed to building a better world together. We are BRE. www.bre.co.uk