DRIMPAC · Project

Smart Building System That Cuts Energy Costs by Automating Demand Response

energyPilotedTRL 7

drimpac-h2020.eu

Imagine your office building could automatically shift when it uses electricity — like running the AC a bit earlier when power is cheap, and easing off when prices spike — all without anyone noticing a comfort difference. DRIMPAC built the software that connects thermostats, heaters, and appliances to energy markets so buildings can "play the price game" automatically. It was tested with 4 real energy retailers across France, Cyprus, Germany, and Spain, covering homes, offices, and schools. Think of it as autopilot for your building's energy bill.

By the numbers

Energy retailers involved in pilot validation

EU national markets tested (France, Cyprus, Germany, Spain)

Energy carriers supported (electricity, natural gas, district heating)

Consortium partners

Countries represented in the consortium

Total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Buildings waste enormous amounts of energy because they cannot communicate with the power grid or respond to price signals. Energy retailers are stuck selling electricity and gas as basic commodities while their customers pay flat rates regardless of when they consume. Meanwhile, the grid desperately needs demand flexibility to balance renewable energy — but the technology to unlock it from millions of buildings simply was not there.

The solution

What was built

DRIMPAC built an interoperability platform that connects building energy systems (heating, cooling, appliances) to energy markets using OpenADR and OneM2M standards, plus an intelligent energy management system that automatically optimizes building loads based on dynamic prices while maintaining occupant comfort. The project produced 25 deliverables including a common information model and ontology for demand response, and validated the complete solution through pilots with 4 energy retailers in 4 EU countries.

Audience

Who needs this

Energy retailers wanting to transition from commodity sales to digital energy servicesCommercial property managers looking to reduce energy costs across building portfoliosBuilding automation and BMS companies seeking demand response integrationDistrict heating operators exploring flexible load managementEnergy aggregators building demand response portfolios from commercial buildings

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Energy Retail

enterprise

Target: Electricity, gas, or district heating retailers looking to offer digital energy services

If you are an energy retailer still selling electricity or gas as a pure commodity — DRIMPAC developed a turnkey platform that lets you offer demand response services to your customers. It was validated with 4 retailers supplying 3 energy carriers across 4 EU markets, covering residential, office, and educational buildings. This gives you a tested path from commodity supplier to digital energy service provider.

Commercial Real Estate

mid-size

Target: Property management companies operating office or mixed-use buildings

If you are a property manager struggling with rising energy costs across your building portfolio — DRIMPAC built an intelligent building energy management system that automatically adjusts loads based on dynamic pricing while preserving occupant comfort. It was piloted across multiple building types including offices and educational buildings in 4 countries. The system infers user comfort preferences so tenants never notice the optimization happening.

Building Automation

any

Target: BMS vendors and system integrators wanting to add demand response capabilities

If you are a building automation company whose clients keep asking about demand response but your systems lack grid interoperability — DRIMPAC created a standards-compliant layer (OpenADR, OneM2M) that connects legacy building systems to energy markets. It was tested with 12 consortium partners across 9 countries, proving it works with existing equipment. You can integrate this to unlock new revenue from demand flexibility without replacing installed hardware.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to deploy this in our buildings?

The project data does not include specific deployment costs or licensing fees. However, DRIMPAC was designed to work with legacy building systems, which means it avoids costly hardware replacement. The business models developed target energy retailers as the primary deployers, suggesting costs may be bundled into energy service contracts.

Can this work at scale across a large building portfolio?

DRIMPAC was validated across 4 national markets (France, Cyprus, Germany, Spain) with 4 different energy retailers and multiple building types including residential, office, and educational. The interoperability layer supports OpenADR and OneM2M standards, which are designed for large-scale deployment across diverse building systems.

Who owns the technology and can we license it?

The technology was developed by a 12-partner consortium coordinated by ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS (CERTH) in Greece. As a completed Innovation Action, the consortium members hold the IP. Licensing would need to be negotiated with the relevant consortium partners.

Does this comply with EU energy regulations?

DRIMPAC was built to be standards-compliant, specifically supporting OpenADR and OneM2M protocols. It was funded under the Horizon 2020 Energy Efficiency topic (EE-12-2017), aligning with EU directives on demand response and consumer empowerment in energy markets.

How long does integration take with existing building systems?

Based on available project data, the system includes a common information model and ontology mapped to DR-relevant standards like OpenADR and OneM2M. This standards-based approach was specifically designed for connecting legacy building systems, reducing integration complexity compared to custom solutions.

What energy carriers does this support?

DRIMPAC was validated with 3 energy carriers: electricity, natural gas, and district heating. This multi-carrier approach was tested across 4 EU pilot sites, making it applicable to buildings with diverse energy supply configurations.

Is this ready for commercial deployment now?

The project ended in August 2022 after completing pilot demonstrations in 4 countries with real energy retailers. As an Innovation Action (higher technology readiness than research projects), it reached demonstration stage. Commercial deployment would depend on the consortium partners' go-to-market plans post-project.

Consortium

Who built it

The DRIMPAC consortium brings together 12 partners from 9 EU countries, with a strong commercial orientation: 50% are industry players (6 out of 12), including 4 SMEs. This is a well-balanced team with 2 universities providing research depth, 2 research organizations for technical development, and 6 industry partners ensuring market relevance. The geographic spread across Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, and Romania — combined with pilots in 4 different national energy markets — means the solution was stress-tested against diverse regulatory environments and energy market structures. For a potential business partner, this means the technology has already proven it can adapt to different market conditions across the EU.

ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXISCoordinator · EL
ARCHI ILEKTRISMOU KYPROUparticipant · CY
SIEMENS SRLparticipant · RO
SOREA SOCIETE DES REGIES DE L'ARCparticipant · FR
SWT ANSTALT DES OFFENTLICHEN RECHTSDER STADT TRIERparticipant · DE
MY ENERGIA ONER SLparticipant · ES
E7 GMBHparticipant · AT
HYPERTECH (CHAIPERTEK) ANONYMOS VIOMICHANIKI EMPORIKI ETAIREIA PLIROFORIKIS KAI NEON TECHNOLOGIONparticipant · EL
KARLSRUHER INSTITUT FUER TECHNOLOGIEparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUSparticipant · CY
STAM SRLparticipant · IT
JRC -JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE- EUROPEAN COMMISSIONparticipant · BE

How to reach the team

The coordinator is CERTH (Centre for Research and Technology Hellas) in Greece. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to discuss licensing or partnership opportunities.

Order a report on this consortium See ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXIS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how DRIMPAC's demand response technology could work for your energy retail business or building portfolio? Contact SciTransfer for an introduction to the right consortium partner.

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