HEART · Project

Smart Retrofit Toolkit That Turns Old Buildings Into Energy-Efficient Smart Buildings

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Imagine giving an old apartment building a complete energy makeover — better insulation, smart heating and cooling, solar panels on the walls, and a brain in the cloud that manages it all. That's what HEART built: a modular toolkit where every piece — from window upgrades to heat pumps to a building management system — talks to each other and works together. The cloud platform helps building owners plan the renovation, then keeps optimizing energy use once everything is installed. It was designed especially for the kind of older residential buildings you see across Southern and Central Europe that are now struggling with both winter heating and summer cooling peaks.

By the numbers

consortium partners across Europe

countries represented in consortium

SME partners in the consortium

47%

industry ratio in consortium

total project deliverables produced

demonstration-specific deliverables

demonstration activities (3+3 targeting different groups)

The business problem

What needed solving

Older residential buildings across Central and Southern Europe are energy disasters — poor insulation, outdated heating, no cooling, and zero intelligence in how they consume energy. Retrofitting them today means hiring separate contractors for insulation, HVAC, solar, and controls, with no guarantee the pieces will work together. Building owners and managers need a single integrated solution that cuts energy waste without tearing the building apart.

The solution

What was built

HEART delivered a complete modular retrofit toolkit: envelope components (insulation and windows), BIPV solar panels, DC heat pumps with thermal storage, smart fan-coils, MIMO control units, BEMS hardware and software, and a cloud-based computing platform that ties it all together for planning, monitoring, and optimization. All 45 deliverables were completed, including 11 demonstration deliverables with hardware units tested in real operational environments.

Audience

Who needs this

Energy service companies (ESCOs) offering building retrofit packagesResidential property managers with aging building portfoliosHVAC manufacturers looking to enter the smart retrofit marketMunicipal housing authorities planning large-scale renovation programsBuilding automation integrators seeking interoperable retrofit solutions

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Building renovation and retrofit

SME

Target: Building renovation contractors and ESCO companies

If you are a renovation contractor or energy service company struggling to offer integrated retrofit packages — this project developed a modular toolkit combining insulation, BIPV, heat pumps, smart controls, and a cloud-based management platform that were demonstrated across 6 pilot sites in 10 countries. The plug-and-play approach with 19 consortium partners behind it means reduced installation time and a single system instead of juggling separate vendors.

Property management

mid-size

Target: Residential property managers and housing associations

If you are a property manager dealing with rising energy costs and tenant complaints about comfort in older residential buildings — this project built and field-tested envelope components, DC heat pumps, thermal storage, smart fan-coils, and a building energy management system (BEMS) specifically designed for existing residential stock. The cloud platform handles energy monitoring and optimization, giving you real-time visibility into building performance across your portfolio.

Smart building technology

any

Target: HVAC and building automation manufacturers

If you are an HVAC or building automation manufacturer looking to expand into the retrofit market — this project developed interoperable hardware components including MIMO control units, DC heat pumps with thermal storage, smart fan-coils, and BEMS hardware that were delivered and tested in operational environments. With 9 industry partners and 9 SMEs in the consortium, there are proven integration pathways and potential licensing or partnership opportunities.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this retrofit toolkit in our buildings?

The project data does not include specific per-building costs. However, the toolkit was designed with affordability as a core principle — all components were structured for reduced installation time and non-invasiveness, which typically lowers labor costs. Contact the consortium for pricing based on building type and size.

Can this scale to large building portfolios or entire districts?

The system was demonstrated across 6 pilot activities spanning 10 countries in Central and Southern Europe, covering both residential and potentially commercial buildings. The cloud-based platform was designed to manage multiple buildings, and the consortium of 19 partners across 10 countries provides a broad deployment network.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

This was an EU Innovation Action with 19 partners including 9 industry players and 9 SMEs. IP is shared among consortium members under the EU grant agreement. Businesses interested in licensing specific components — BEMS software, MIMO units, envelope solutions — should contact the coordinator at Politecnico di Milano or the relevant industrial partner.

Does this comply with EU energy performance regulations?

The toolkit was built to achieve high levels of energy efficiency in existing residential buildings, aligned with EU building renovation targets. As a 2017-2022 EU-funded Innovation Action under the Energy-efficient Buildings topic (EEB-05-2017), it was designed with current and upcoming EU energy directives in mind.

How long does a retrofit take with this toolkit?

Based on available project data, the toolkit was specifically designed for reduced installation time and non-invasiveness. The modular approach — where envelope, HVAC, BIPV, and BEMS components are pre-designed to work together — eliminates the integration delays typical of multi-vendor retrofits. Exact timelines depend on building size and scope.

How does this integrate with existing building systems and smart grids?

Interoperability is a core design principle. The cloud-based platform handles data exchange between all subsystems and supports Smart Grid interactivity, meaning the building can respond to grid signals. The Energy Internet of Things approach ensures the BEMS, heat pumps, fan-coils, BIPV, and storage systems all communicate through standardized protocols.

Consortium

Who built it

The HEART consortium is unusually large with 19 partners from 10 countries, giving it broad European reach. What stands out for a business buyer is the 47% industry ratio — 9 of the partners are from industry, and 9 are SMEs. This means the toolkit wasn't built in a university lab alone; companies were deeply involved in development and testing. Politecnico di Milano coordinated, bringing academic rigor, while the heavy industry and SME participation suggests the technology was built with real-world constraints — cost, installation speed, and practicality — in mind. Partners span Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and the UK, covering the Central and Southern European markets the toolkit targets.

POLITECNICO DI MILANOCoordinator · IT
AZIENDA CASA EMILIA ROMAGNA DELLA PROVINCIA DI REGGIO EMILIAparticipant · IT
COMITE EUROPEEN DE COORDINATION DE L'HABITAT SOCIAL AISBLparticipant · BE
TURBO POWER SYSTEMS LTDparticipant · UK
FUNDACION CTIC CENTRO TECNOLOGICO PARA EL DESARROLLO EN ASTURIAS DE LAS TECNOLOGIAS DE LA INFORMACIONparticipant · ES
ECOLE NATIONALE DES TRAVAUX PUBLICS DE L'ETATparticipant · FR
ACCADEMIA EUROPEA DI BOLZANOparticipant · IT
CONSTRUCCIONES GARCIA RAMA SLparticipant · ES
ZH SRLparticipant · IT
Quantis Sarlparticipant · CH
FONDAZIONE POLITECNICO DI MILANOthirdparty · IT
UNIVERZA V LJUBLJANIparticipant · SI
REVOLVE PLANETparticipant · BE

How to reach the team

Politecnico di Milano, Italy — reach out to the Department of Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering

Order a report on this consortium See POLITECNICO DI MILANO profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the HEART consortium for licensing or partnership? SciTransfer can connect you with the right technical lead. Contact us for a matchmaking consultation.

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