HOLISDER · Project

Smart Building Energy System That Cuts Costs by Optimizing When and How You Use Power

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Imagine your building could automatically shift when it uses electricity — running the AC a bit earlier or charging batteries when power is cheapest — and get paid for doing so. HOLISDER built a system that connects smart home devices, building controls, and energy markets so buildings can respond to grid signals in real time. It was tested across four countries in very different climates and building types. The result: buildings become active players in the energy market instead of just passive consumers.

By the numbers

~45%

Energy cost reduction target at consumer side

Large-scale pilot sites validated (Greece, UK, Finland, Serbia)

Consortium partners across 9 countries

77%

Industry partner ratio in consortium

Total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Buildings account for a massive share of energy consumption, yet most operate as passive energy users — paying whatever the grid charges at peak times. Building owners and facility managers have no practical way to automatically shift energy use to cheaper periods, bundle their flexibility for the grid, or participate in demand response markets. The result is inflated energy bills and wasted potential revenue from untapped flexibility.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered an open, modular interoperability platform (in two iterations — first and final versions) that connects building management systems and smart devices to demand response markets. It also produced a visualization platform for end users, along with 35 total deliverables covering tools for personalized billing, load scheduling, intelligent controls, self-consumption, and predictive maintenance.

Audience

Who needs this

Facility managers of large commercial or mixed-use buildings seeking to cut energy costsEnergy aggregators and retailers looking to offer demand response services to building portfoliosESCOs developing energy performance contracts for building retrofitsBuilding automation companies needing interoperable demand response integrationDistrict energy operators managing multi-building energy systems

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Commercial Real Estate & Facility Management

enterprise

Target: Facility management companies operating office buildings, shopping centers, or mixed-use districts

If you are a facility manager dealing with rising energy bills and complex building systems that don't talk to each other — this project developed an open, modular platform that connects your existing building management systems and smart devices to demand response programs. It was validated in 4 pilot sites across diverse building types and climates, targeting ~45% energy cost reduction by automatically shifting loads to cheaper periods.

Energy Services & Aggregation

mid-size

Target: Energy retailers, aggregators, or ESCOs looking for new revenue from demand flexibility

If you are an energy aggregator or ESCO struggling to unlock demand-side flexibility from buildings — this project built tools for intermediaries to manage consumers' energy flexibility and participate in markets on their behalf. The system integrates commercial technologies (JACE, EF-i) with open standards like OpenADR and OneM2M, letting you bundle flexibility from diverse building types into tradeable market products.

Smart Home & Building Automation

any

Target: Building automation vendors or smart home device manufacturers seeking interoperability

If you are a smart home or building automation company facing interoperability headaches across different protocols and platforms — this project created an open data management platform that enables standards-based communication across the entire demand response value chain. It was designed to work on top of any existing building or district energy management system, reducing integration costs and time-to-market for your products.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much can this actually save on energy costs?

The project objective targets approximately 45% energy cost reduction at the consumer side. This was validated across 4 large-scale pilot sites in Greece, UK, Finland, and Serbia covering diverse building types and climatic conditions.

Does this work at industrial scale or just in lab conditions?

HOLISDER was validated in 4 large-scale demonstrator sites spanning 4 countries, incorporating diverse building types, multiple energy carriers, and heterogeneous building management systems. The project used an Innovation Action funding scheme, which is specifically designed for near-market deployment rather than basic research.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

The platform integrates two existing commercial products (JACE and EF-i) and uses open standards (OpenADR, OneM2M). IP arrangements would need to be discussed with the consortium, led by Tecnalia Research & Innovation in Spain. The open-standards approach suggests licensing may be available for the interoperability layer.

How does this integrate with our existing building systems?

The platform was specifically designed as an open, modular system that operates on top of any existing Building and District Energy Management System, as well as smart home devices. It uses OpenADR and OneM2M standards for communication, which means it connects to equipment you likely already have rather than requiring a full replacement.

What types of demand response does it support?

HOLISDER supports both implicit DR (where consumers respond to price signals) and hybrid DR schemes. It includes tools for personalized billing, load scheduling, intelligent controls, self-consumption promotion, cost-effective storage, and predictive maintenance — covering the full range of flexibility options.

Is this compliant with current energy regulations?

The system was built around open standards (OpenADR, OneM2M) that are widely recognized in energy regulation. It was designed to enable consumer participation in energy markets as active players, aligning with EU Clean Energy Package requirements for demand-side flexibility. Specific regulatory compliance should be verified for your market.

How long would deployment take?

Based on available project data, the platform went through two development iterations (first and final versions of the interoperability platform are listed as deliverables). The modular design and use of existing commercial components (JACE, EF-i) suggest deployment could build on proven technology rather than starting from scratch.

Consortium

Who built it

The 13-partner consortium across 9 countries is heavily industry-oriented at 77%, with 10 industry partners and 5 SMEs — a strong signal that this was built for commercial application, not just academic research. Led by Tecnalia (Spain), one of Europe's largest applied research organizations, the team spans from the Czech Republic to the UK. The absence of universities is notable: this was an engineering and deployment effort, not a science project. The geographic spread across Southern, Northern, Central and Southeastern Europe means the system was stress-tested across very different energy markets, building codes, and climatic conditions.

FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATIONCoordinator · ES
BEOGRADSKE ELEKTRANEparticipant · RS
CAVERION SUOMI OYparticipant · FI
SOLINTEL M & P SLparticipant · ES
NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNOparticipant · NL
KIWI POWER LTDparticipant · UK
ASM RESEARCH SOLUTIONS STRATEGY SPOLKA Z OGRANICZONA ODPOWIEDZIALNOSCIAparticipant · PL
HYPERTECH (CHAIPERTEK) ANONYMOS VIOMICHANIKI EMPORIKI ETAIREIA PLIROFORIKIS KAI NEON TECHNOLOGIONparticipant · EL
ETRA INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO SAparticipant · ES
METLEN ENERGY AND METALS MONOPROSOPI AEparticipant · EL
PREDUZECE ZA INFORMACIONE TEHNOLOGIJE I ELEKTRONSKO TRGOVANJE BELIT DOOparticipant · RS
HONEYWELL, SPOL. S.R.Oparticipant · CZ
KONCAR - INZENJERING DOO ZA PROIZVODNJU I USLUGEparticipant · HR

How to reach the team

Tecnalia Research & Innovation (Spain) led the consortium. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the project team.

Order a report on this consortium See FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATION profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how HOLISDER's demand response platform could reduce energy costs in your buildings? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the project team and help evaluate fit for your specific setup.

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