BuildHEAT · Project

Ready-Made Retrofit Packages That Cut Residential Heating Costs at Scale

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Imagine your apartment building is an old car that guzzles fuel — you'd love to upgrade the engine, insulate the body, and add smart controls, but the cost is huge and dozens of owners need to agree. BuildHEAT created a kind of "renovation kit" — modular façade panels, smart heat pumps, and clever financing models — so buildings can be upgraded faster and cheaper, like snapping together LEGO pieces instead of custom-building everything from scratch. They tested these kits on real buildings across Europe and showed that deep energy renovation doesn't have to be a nightmare of cost overruns and endless construction. The goal is to make it as straightforward as possible for building owners, contractors, and investors to work together on upgrades.

By the numbers

2300 TWh/y

Residential heating consumption in Europe

500 TWh/y

Domestic hot water consumption in Europe

100 TWh/y

Cooling consumption in residential sector (less than)

1-1.5%

Annual replacement rate of existing building stock

50%

Residential buildings owned by private single owners (more than)

95%

Construction market dominated by SMEs (more than)

Consortium partners

SME partners in the consortium

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Europe's residential buildings consume around 2300 TWh/y in heating alone, yet the renovation rate crawls at just 1-1.5% per year. The market is extremely fragmented — more than 50% of residential buildings are owned by individual private owners, and over 95% of construction firms are SMEs, making coordinated deep renovation extremely difficult and expensive.

The solution

What was built

BuildHEAT developed industrialised, modular retrofit packages combining active façade systems, reversible heat pumps, waste heat recovery, diffuse storage, and ICT-based control strategies. They also created financing models leveraging structural funds. All solutions were validated through completed demo case renovations, with 25 deliverables produced across the project.

Audience

Who needs this

Renovation contractors looking for standardised deep-retrofit solutionsHousing associations and property managers with aging residential portfoliosHVAC manufacturers seeking modular retrofit-ready product linesMunicipal energy agencies planning district-level renovation programmesESCOs (Energy Service Companies) needing proven retrofit packages with financing models

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Building renovation and construction

SME

Target: Renovation contractors and general construction firms specializing in residential retrofits

If you are a renovation contractor struggling with the high cost and complexity of deep energy retrofits — this project developed industrialised, modular façade and HVAC systems that simplify installation. The approach was validated on real demo buildings. With over 95% of the construction market made up of SMEs, these standardised packages let smaller firms compete on large-scale retrofit projects without needing custom engineering for every job.

Real estate and property management

enterprise

Target: Housing associations and property management companies with aging residential portfolios

If you are a property manager responsible for aging residential buildings where heating alone accounts for a share of 2300 TWh/y consumed across Europe — this project created systemic retrofit packages combining façade upgrades, reversible heat pumps, and ICT-based controls. They also developed financing models that leverage European structural funds to unlock private investment, making deep renovation financially viable even for buildings with fragmented private ownership where more than 50% are owned by single private owners.

HVAC manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Manufacturers of heating, cooling, and ventilation equipment looking for next-generation product lines

If you are an HVAC manufacturer looking to enter the building retrofit market — this project developed reversible heat pump systems, waste heat recovery solutions, and diffuse storage technologies specifically designed for modular integration into existing residential buildings. With a consortium of 16 industry partners and 9 SMEs across 6 countries, the technologies were designed for manufacturability and tested in real renovation demo cases.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement these retrofit solutions on my buildings?

The project explicitly acknowledges that innovative solutions are more expensive compared to off-the-shelf ones. However, BuildHEAT developed financing models designed to leverage European structural funds to unlock large private investments, reducing the upfront burden on building owners. Specific per-unit costs are not available in the project data.

Can these solutions scale to large housing portfolios or entire districts?

Yes — BuildHEAT was specifically designed for district-level deployment, not just individual buildings. The modular, industrialised approach to façade and HVAC systems means solutions can be replicated across multiple buildings. The project promoted retrofit actions at quarter level to achieve economies of scale.

What about intellectual property and licensing for these technologies?

The consortium includes 16 industry partners and 9 SMEs who co-developed the technologies. Based on available project data, specific IP or licensing terms are not publicly detailed. Interested companies should contact the consortium through SciTransfer for licensing discussions.

Were these solutions actually tested on real buildings?

Yes. The project completed renovation of demo cases as confirmed by their deliverables. This was an Innovation Action (IA) under Horizon 2020, which requires demonstration in real-world conditions. The demo renovations were finalised during the project period.

How do these solutions integrate with existing building systems?

BuildHEAT developed modular and flexible HVAC, façade, and ICT systems specifically designed for retrofit into existing residential buildings. The approach uses industrialised components and control strategies to integrate renewable heating and cooling, waste heat recovery, and reversible heat pumps into buildings without requiring complete reconstruction.

Does this comply with current EU energy efficiency regulations?

The project aligns with EU goals for decarbonising the building sector and accelerating renovation rates beyond the current 1-1.5% per year replacement rate. The technologies address heating (2300 TWh/y in residential sector) and cooling demands using renewable sources. Specific regulatory certification details should be confirmed with the consortium.

What kind of support is available for implementation?

The consortium of 24 partners across 6 countries includes manufacturers, research organisations, and construction professionals who were involved from design through demonstration. The project produced 25 deliverables covering technical solutions, financing models, and deployment guidance. SciTransfer can facilitate introductions to the right partners.

Consortium

Who built it

BuildHEAT assembled a strong, industry-heavy consortium of 24 partners across 6 European countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, UK). With 16 industry partners making up 67% of the consortium and 9 of those being SMEs, this project was clearly built for market impact rather than academic research. Only 1 university and 4 research organisations participated, meaning the vast majority of effort went into developing commercially viable products. The coordinator, Accademia Europea di Bolzano (Italy), is a research institution, providing scientific rigour while the industry partners drove practical implementation. This composition signals that the outputs are designed for real-world deployment, not lab shelves.

ACCADEMIA EUROPEA DI BOLZANOCoordinator · IT
YOURIS.COMparticipant · BE
FUNDACION CIRCE CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION DE RECURSOS Y CONSUMOS ENERGETICOSparticipant · ES
CLIVET SPAparticipant · IT
TECNOZENITH SRLparticipant · IT
OVE ARUP & PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL LIMITEDparticipant · UK
SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC SPAparticipant · IT
DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EVparticipant · DE
FONDAZIONE LINKS - LEADING INNOVATION & KNOWLEDGE FOR SOCIETYparticipant · IT
THE UNIVERSITY OF SALFORDparticipant · UK
PINK GMBH - ENERGIE- UND SPEICHERTECHNIKparticipant · AT
ACCIONA CONSTRUCCION SAparticipant · ES
SOCIEDAD MUNICIPAL ZARAGOZA VIVIENDA SLparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

Coordinated by Accademia Europea di Bolzano (Italy). SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction to the project team.

Order a report on this consortium See ACCADEMIA EUROPEA DI BOLZANO profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how BuildHEAT's retrofit packages could work for your buildings or product line? Contact SciTransfer for a tailored briefing and introduction to the right consortium partners.

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