IDEAS · Project

Integrated Solar System That Generates Electricity, Heat and Cooling for Any Building

energyTestedTRL 5

horizon2020ideas.eu

Imagine a building that produces its own electricity, heat, and air conditioning — all from a single solar installation that outperforms anything currently on the market. The project stacked three technologies together: smarter solar panels using light-concentrating techniques, a heat-storage material that acts like a thermal battery releasing warmth on demand, and a heat pump drawing on waste heat, air, and ground to run underfloor heating and hot water. Software manages all of it automatically, adapting to different climates from Ireland to Portugal. The entire system was designed to be cost-effective and practical for apartment buildings, offices, and public buildings.

By the numbers

40%

of EU total primary energy consumed by buildings

40%

GHG reduction required by EU by 2030 compared to 1990

27%

minimum renewable energy share required across the EU

20–30%

of primary energy consumed by buildings in industrialized countries

consortium partners across 6 countries

years project duration (2019–2023)

total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Buildings consume 40% of the EU's total primary energy, but most renewable installations only address electricity — leaving heating and cooling still dependent on conventional energy. Building owners and developers face mounting EU pressure: targets require at least a 40% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and at least 27% renewable energy share, with no widely available, affordable system that handles electricity, heat, and cooling from a single integrated installation.

The solution

What was built

An integrated building renewable energy system combining luminescent and geometric solar concentrators for improved electrical output, enhanced organic phase change materials for thermal storage, and a multi-source heat pump covering waste heat, air, and ground sources for underfloor heating and hot water. An advanced control system manages all components together to maximize electrical and thermal self-sufficiency, with the full system designed and demonstrated across multi-family residential, commercial, and public buildings in multiple climate zones.

Audience

Who needs this

Property developers building multi-family or mixed-use residential blocksCommercial building owners and facilities managers with high energy running costsHVAC system integrators and energy service companies seeking integrated renewable solutionsPublic sector organizations managing schools, hospitals, or municipal buildingsBuilding energy technology manufacturers looking to expand their product range

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Real estate development

mid-size

Target: Property developers building multi-family or mixed-use residential projects

If you are a property developer dealing with rising energy compliance requirements and tenant demand for lower utility bills — this project developed an integrated renewable energy system that generates electricity, heat, and cooling from a single building-integrated installation. The system was designed and demonstrated for multi-family residential buildings across multiple climate zones in 6 countries. Buildings account for 40% of EU primary energy consumption, and EU targets require at least a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 — this technology directly addresses both the cost and compliance pressure at once.

Commercial facilities management

enterprise

Target: Operators of office parks, hotels, hospitals, or public buildings with high energy running costs

If you are a facilities manager dealing with energy bills and pressure to meet EU carbon targets — this project built an advanced control system that manages solar generation, thermal storage, and heat pumps together to maximize a building's energy self-sufficiency. The system was explicitly optimized for commercial and public buildings and includes demand-side management to reduce grid dependence. With EU policy requiring at least 27% renewable energy share and a 40% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, this technology maps directly onto upcoming compliance requirements.

HVAC and building energy systems

any

Target: HVAC manufacturers or energy system integrators seeking to expand into integrated renewable energy products

If you are an HVAC manufacturer or system integrator dealing with demand for all-in-one renewable solutions — this project developed a multi-source heat pump integrated with solar panels, phase change material thermal storage, and an underfloor heating and hot water circuit. The consortium included 5 industry partners and 4 SMEs across 6 countries, meaning the technology has already been shaped with commercial partners at the table. A completed Exploitation Plan outlines formal pathways for commercial take-up of the project results.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does it cost to install?

Based on available project data, no specific installation or operational cost figures are published in this dataset. The project objective states the goal was to 'cost effectively exceed current RES efficiencies,' indicating cost competitiveness was a design requirement — but specific pricing would need to be requested directly from the consortium.

Can this be scaled to large buildings or entire developments?

The system was specifically designed for multi-family residential, commercial, and public buildings — not single homes. With 15 consortium partners across 6 countries including 5 industry organizations, the project has the commercial reach to support scaled deployment discussions.

Who owns the IP and can we license it?

The project produced an Exploitation Plan covering both consortium-wide and individual partner IP strategies, with a stated intent to exploit results 'on a global scale.' Licensing terms and IP ownership would need to be discussed directly with the coordinator at Trinity College Dublin.

Does this comply with EU energy and building regulations?

The system was designed to support EU targets of at least a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and at least 27% renewable energy share — the binding targets referenced in the project objective. Site-specific regulatory compliance would still need assessment for individual projects.

Does it work in colder or cloudier climates?

Climate adaptability was a core design requirement — the project title itself refers to 'Climatically Tunable' systems. The consortium spans 6 countries including Ireland, the UK, Portugal, Italy, Spain, and Serbia, a range explicitly chosen to validate the system across different European climate conditions.

How far along is the technology — is it ready to deploy?

The project ran for 4 years from 2019 to 2023 as a Research and Innovation Action, closing with a completed Exploitation Plan and three dissemination workshops. The technology reached a tested and demonstrated stage, but there is no evidence of commercial product launch in the available project data.

What support is available for integration into an existing building project?

Based on available project data, the consortium includes 4 research institutes and 4 universities alongside 5 industry partners, providing strong technical depth for follow-on work. The Exploitation Plan was designed to guide commercial take-up, and engaging the coordinator at Trinity College Dublin is the recommended first step.

Consortium

Who built it

The IDEAS consortium brings together 15 partners from 6 countries — Spain, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Serbia, and the UK — with a strong mix of 5 industry organizations, 4 universities, 4 research institutes, and 2 other entities. With 4 SMEs and a 33% industry ratio, the project has meaningful commercial representation, which increases the likelihood the technology was shaped with real-world deployment in mind. The lead coordinator is Trinity College Dublin, one of Europe's leading research universities, providing strong technical credibility. The geographic spread across northern and southern Europe suggests the system was designed and validated across genuinely different climates. The formal Exploitation Plan deliverable indicates the consortium has gone beyond research and planned how results are to be taken to market.

THE PROVOST, FELLOWS, FOUNDATION SCHOLARS & THE OTHER MEMBERS OF BOARD, OF THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY & UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH NEAR DUBLINCoordinator · IE
PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL PRODUCTS LTDparticipant · UK
ENERGY CO-OPERATIVES IRELAND LIMITEDparticipant · IE
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI CAGLIARIparticipant · IT
Laboratorio Nacional de Energia e Geologia I.P.participant · PT
CONSORZIO FUTURO IN RICERCAthirdparty · IT
INSTITUT MIHAJLO PUPINparticipant · RS
ASSOCIACAO PORTUGUESA DAS EMPRESASDO SECTOR FOTOVOLTAICOparticipant · PT
ACONDICIONAMIENTO TARRASENSE ASSOCIACIONparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITY OF ULSTERparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI FERRARAparticipant · IT

How to reach the team

The coordinator is Trinity College Dublin (Ireland). Search for the project PI via the university's engineering or energy research department, or use the CORDIS contact form linked at the project page.

Order a report on this consortium See THE PROVOST, FELLOWS, FOUNDATION SCHOLARS & THE OTHER MEMBERS OF BOARD, OF THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY & UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH NEAR DUBLIN profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

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