HYBUILD · Project

Compact Hybrid Storage Systems That Cut Building Energy Costs by Up to 40%

energyPilotedTRL 6

Imagine a fridge-sized box in your building basement that stores both heat and electricity, switching between them depending on what's cheapest or most available. HYBUILD built exactly that — compact units (1 to 2 cubic meters) that combine thermal storage with battery storage and smart controls. They tested these in three real buildings across southern and northern Europe, showing energy savings of 20 to 40% per year. Think of it like a rechargeable battery, but for your entire building's heating and cooling needs.

By the numbers

20-40%

yearly energy savings in both Mediterranean and Continental climates

1-2 m³

compact hybrid storage system volume

demo sites with near-life operation monitoring

EUR 5,995,840

EU research investment

consortium partners across 9 countries

TRL4 to TRL6

technology readiness advancement target

The business problem

What needed solving

Building owners and property managers in Europe face rising energy costs and tightening EU regulations on building efficiency. Current heating and cooling systems waste energy because they cannot store surplus renewable energy or balance thermal and electrical loads intelligently. Retrofitting existing buildings with effective energy storage has been limited by bulky equipment, complex installation, and disconnected thermal and electrical systems.

The solution

What was built

Full-scale compact hybrid storage systems (1 to 2 m³) combining sorption thermal storage, latent heat storage with phase-change materials, and electrical batteries — all managed by smart building energy management software. These were installed and commissioned at 3 demo sites across Mediterranean and Continental climate zones, with 36 deliverables documenting the technology from component design through system integration and real-world testing.

Audience

Who needs this

Commercial property managers with large heating/cooling bills in Southern or Central EuropeDistrict heating and cooling network operators integrating renewablesHVAC and energy retrofit companies seeking compact storage add-onsBuilding developers targeting near-zero energy building certificationsEnergy service companies (ESCOs) offering performance-based contracts

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Commercial Real Estate

mid-size

Target: Property management companies operating office or retail buildings in Southern or Central Europe

If you are a property manager dealing with rising cooling and heating bills across your building portfolio — this project developed a compact hybrid storage unit (1 to 2 m³) that combines thermal and electrical storage with smart controls. Tested across 3 demo sites in Mediterranean and Continental climates, the system delivered energy savings of 20 to 40% on a yearly basis, directly reducing operating costs.

District Energy Networks

enterprise

Target: District heating and cooling operators looking to integrate renewables and reduce peak loads

If you are a district energy operator struggling with peak demand spikes and renewable intermittency — HYBUILD developed hybrid storage that connects to district networks and balances thermal and electrical energy flows. The system uses advanced building energy management (BEMS) to optimize interactions between building-level storage and the district grid, tested in both connected and non-connected building configurations across 3 demo sites.

Building Renovation and HVAC

SME

Target: HVAC installers and energy retrofit companies targeting existing buildings

If you are an HVAC company looking for plug-and-play energy upgrades for existing buildings — HYBUILD designed its hybrid storage specifically to upgrade existing building configurations without major reconstruction. The compact size (1 to 2 m³) and DC-coupled integration with solar panels and heat pumps makes it installable during standard renovations, with demonstrated energy savings of 20 to 40% yearly.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would a system like this cost to install?

The project data does not include specific unit pricing or installation cost estimates. However, with EUR 5,995,840 in EU funding across 23 partners, significant R&D went into making the system compact and integration-friendly. Cost details would need to come from the consortium partners who built the prototypes.

Can this scale to large commercial or multi-building installations?

The system was designed for both non-connected buildings and district-connected buildings, meaning it can scale from single buildings to entire networks. The 3 demo sites tested both configurations. The compact size of 1 to 2 m³ per unit makes modular deployment across building portfolios feasible.

Who owns the intellectual property and can I license this technology?

The core innovations include a patented sorption storage design integrating adsorbent material within a high-surface heat exchanger, plus an aluminum micro-channel latent storage with PCM layers. IP is held within the 23-partner consortium led by COMSA SAU (Spain). Licensing terms would need negotiation with the consortium.

Does this meet current EU energy regulations for buildings?

The system targets energy savings of 20 to 40% yearly, which aligns well with EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive goals. It was funded under the EEB-06-2017 topic (Energy-efficient Buildings) and was designed specifically for low-energy building compliance in both Mediterranean and Continental European climates.

How long was this tested and what were the results?

The project ran from October 2017 to March 2022, with full-scale hybrid storage systems monitored in 3 demo sites under near-life operation conditions. Commissioning reports document the setup and execution at these sites. The target of 20 to 40% energy savings was validated across both climate zones.

How does this integrate with existing building systems and solar panels?

The system uses DC-coupled integration for electrical components, meaning it connects directly to solar panels and batteries without conversion losses. Compression and adsorption heat pumps convert surplus electricity and renewable thermal energy. The BEMS (building energy management system) handles optimization automatically.

Consortium

Who built it

The 23-partner consortium across 9 European countries has a strong commercial orientation with 52% industry participation (12 industry partners) and 7 SMEs. Led by COMSA SAU, a major Spanish construction and services company, the consortium includes 6 research organizations and 3 universities providing the science base. The geographic spread across Austria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, and Italy covers both Mediterranean and Continental climate zones where the technology was tested. This industry-heavy mix suggests the technology was developed with commercial deployment in mind, not just academic research.

COMSA SAUCoordinator · ES
AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBHparticipant · AT
CSEM CENTRE SUISSE D'ELECTRONIQUE ET DE MICROTECHNIQUE SA - RECHERCHE ET DEVELOPPEMENTparticipant · CH
ETHNICON METSOVION POLYTECHNIONparticipant · EL
OCHSNER WARMEPUMPEN GMBHparticipant · AT
RINA CONSULTING SPAthirdparty · IT
COMSA INSTALACIONES Y SISTEMAS INDUSTRIALES SAthirdparty · ES
UNIVERSIDAD DE LLEIDAparticipant · ES
ACCADEMIA EUROPEA DI BOLZANOparticipant · IT
CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHEparticipant · IT
R2M SOLUTIONparticipant · FR
SVILUPPO TECNOLOGIE E RICERCA PER L'EDILIZIA SISMICAMENTE SICURA ED ECOSOSTENIBILE SCARLparticipant · IT
FAHRENHEIT GMBHparticipant · DE
ENGINEERING - INGEGNERIA INFORMATICA SPAparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITY OF CYPRUSparticipant · CY
DIMOS LEFKOSIASparticipant · CY
PINK GMBH - ENERGIE- UND SPEICHERTECHNIKparticipant · AT
DAIKIN AIRCONDITIONING HELLAS SAparticipant · EL
NOBATEKparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

COMSA SAU (Spain) — a major construction and infrastructure services company — led the consortium. Contact their innovation or energy division.

Order a report on this consortium See COMSA SAU profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the HYBUILD team to discuss licensing or pilot deployment? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right technical contacts in the consortium.

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