GREENSOUL · Project

Smart Plug-In Devices That Cut Public Building Energy Bills by Over 20%

energyPilotedTRL 6

greensoul-h2020.eu

Imagine every printer, lamp, and coffee machine in your office building had a tiny brain that knew when nobody was using it — and could dim down or switch off on its own. That's what GreenSoul built: smart adaptors you plug between the wall socket and any device, plus an app that nudges people to waste less electricity. They tested it in five real buildings across Europe and aimed to prove you can cut energy use by more than 20% without replacing any equipment — just by making existing devices smarter and people more aware.

By the numbers

20%+

Targeted energy savings in public buildings

Building pilots across different climatic areas

EUR 1,881,500

EU contribution to project

Consortium partners

Countries involved (AT, EL, ES, UK)

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Public and commercial buildings waste enormous amounts of electricity because the people inside them — employees, visitors, students — have no personal incentive to switch things off. They don't pay the electricity bill, so lights stay on, printers idle all night, and personal appliances run unchecked. Building owners and facility managers absorb these costs with limited tools to change occupant behaviour at scale.

The solution

What was built

The project built four concrete things: a GreenSoul ICT platform for centralized energy monitoring and control, smart energy consumption monitoring devices, plug-in smart adaptors ("GreenSoul-ed Things") that add intelligence to existing appliances without replacing them, and a suite of persuasion and incentivisation mechanisms including apps and information screens. All were prototyped, refined, and deployed across 5 pilot buildings.

Audience

Who needs this

Commercial property managers with multi-tenant office buildingsMunicipal facility directors managing public buildings (libraries, town halls, civic centres)University and hospital campus energy managersCo-working space operators looking to reduce overhead costsESG compliance officers at large corporations with building portfolios

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Commercial Real Estate & Facility Management

mid-size

Target: Property management companies operating office buildings, co-working spaces, or municipal buildings

If you are a facility manager dealing with rising electricity costs in shared office spaces where tenants don't pay their own energy bills — this project developed a smart adaptor and monitoring platform that plugs into existing devices and aims to cut energy consumption by over 20%. The system was piloted in 5 buildings across different climate zones, so it's been tested in conditions similar to yours.

Public Sector & Municipal Buildings

enterprise

Target: City councils, government agencies, and public institutions managing libraries, town halls, and civic centres

If you are a municipal building manager struggling with energy waste in public spaces where users have no incentive to save electricity — this project built persuasion tools (apps, screens, notifications) combined with smart energy monitoring devices tested across 5 pilot sites. The platform tracks individual device consumption and automatically adjusts operation modes when wasteful behaviour is detected.

University & Education Campus Management

enterprise

Target: University estates departments and school district facility teams managing large campus portfolios

If you run campus facilities where thousands of students and staff leave computers, printers, and lights running — this project created plug-in smart adaptors that learn usage patterns and act autonomously to reduce waste. The system was designed specifically for shared environments and aims to deliver energy savings surpassing 20% without replacing existing equipment.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to deploy this in my building?

The project was funded with EUR 1,881,500 across 12 partners and 5 pilot buildings. Exact per-building deployment costs are not published in available project data. The system uses plug-in smart adaptors rather than equipment replacement, which suggests lower upfront capital costs than full retrofits.

Can this scale beyond a single building to a portfolio of properties?

The system was designed as an integrated ICT platform and tested across 5 building pilots in different climatic areas with different usage patterns. This cross-building design suggests it was built to scale across multiple sites. The platform includes centralized monitoring and a decision-support engine.

Who owns the intellectual property and how can I license it?

The project was coordinated by Wellness Telecom SL, a Spanish SME, with 12 consortium partners across 4 countries. IP ownership would follow the Horizon 2020 grant agreement terms. Contact the coordinator for licensing discussions on the platform, smart adaptors, or persuasion mechanisms.

What kind of energy savings can I realistically expect?

GreenSoul aimed to prove that combined behavioural and ICT interventions result in energy savings surpassing 20% in public buildings. This target was tested across 5 pilot sites in different climatic areas. Actual results may vary depending on building type, occupancy patterns, and current energy management practices.

How does this integrate with my existing building management system?

The GreenSoul smart adaptors are designed as plug-in devices — you connect them between the wall socket and existing equipment without replacing anything. The platform includes energy consumption monitoring devices and a decision-support engine. Based on available project data, specific BMS integration protocols are not detailed in the public deliverable descriptions.

How long does it take to install and see results?

The project ran from April 2016 to October 2019, with prototypes developed and then deployed across 5 pilot buildings. Based on available project data, exact installation timelines per building are not specified in the public deliverable descriptions, but the plug-in nature of the smart adaptors suggests faster deployment than full retrofits.

Consortium

Who built it

The GreenSoul consortium of 12 partners across 4 countries (Austria, Greece, Spain, UK) has a strong commercial orientation with 42% industry participation and 5 SMEs — well above average for EU research projects. The coordinator, Wellness Telecom SL, is a Spanish SME, which means the technology was developed with a commercial mindset from day one. With 5 industry partners alongside 3 research organisations and 1 university, the balance leans toward practical deployment rather than pure academia. The mix of 3 research institutes provides scientific credibility while the SME-heavy composition suggests the consortium was built to take results to market.

WELLNESS TELECOM SLCoordinator · ES
FUNDACION DEUSTO-DEUSTU FUNDAZIOAthirdparty · ES
ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXISparticipant · EL
DIMOS PYLAIAS CHORTIATIparticipant · EL
UNIVERSIDAD DE LA IGLESIA DE DEUSTO ENTIDAD RELIGIOSAparticipant · ES
4WARD ENERGY RESEARCH GMBHparticipant · AT
WEIZ IMMOBILIEN GMBHparticipant · AT

How to reach the team

Wellness Telecom SL (Spain) — Spanish ICT SME that coordinated the project. Use SciTransfer's coordinator lookup service to find the right contact.

Order a report on this consortium See WELLNESS TELECOM SL profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore whether GreenSoul's smart building technology fits your energy reduction targets? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the development team and provide a tailored briefing for your building portfolio.

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