MORE-CONNECT · Project

Prefab Modular Building Renovation: 5-Day Install, Near-Zero Energy, 8-Year Payback

constructionPilotedTRL 7

Imagine renovating an old apartment building the way you'd upgrade a phone case — snap on a new shell and everything works better. This project built factory-made wall and roof panels that clip onto existing buildings with plug-and-play connections for heating, air, and electricity. The whole building gets wrapped in 5 days instead of months, and energy bills drop to nearly zero. They tested this across 5 real buildings in Europe, from the Netherlands to Estonia, proving it works in different climates and building types.

By the numbers

pilot sites realized across European geo-clusters

Real Life Learning Lab environments built for testing

5 days

maximum total renovation time per building

8 years

maximum return on investment period

national markets with prototypes (NL, LV, EE, DK, CZ, PT)

consortium partners across 7 countries

58%

industry partner ratio in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Renovating aging building stock in Europe is slow, expensive, and disruptive. Traditional renovations take months, force tenants out, and often deliver inconsistent energy performance. Building owners and housing associations need a faster, more predictable way to upgrade buildings to near-zero energy standards without the chaos of conventional construction.

The solution

What was built

The project built physical prototypes of prefabricated modular facade and roof elements for 6 national markets, complete with plug-and-play connectors, integrated HVAC units, embedded sensor-based control systems, and BIM-driven manufacturing tools. These were tested at 5 real pilot sites and 2 dedicated testing labs.

Audience

Who needs this

Housing associations managing large portfolios of aging apartment buildingsConstruction companies specializing in building renovation and energy retrofitsPrefab facade and insulation panel manufacturers looking to enter the renovation marketMunicipal governments with energy efficiency mandates for public housingEnergy service companies (ESCOs) offering performance-guaranteed renovation contracts

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Building renovation and construction

mid-size

Target: Construction firms and general contractors specializing in residential or social housing renovation

If you are a construction company dealing with slow, disruptive renovation projects that drag on for months and annoy tenants — this project developed prefabricated modular facade and roof elements with plug-and-play connections that cut total renovation time to 5 days. The system was prototyped and piloted across 5 sites in Europe, with production specifications ready for industrialized manufacturing.

Social housing management

enterprise

Target: Housing associations and municipal housing corporations managing aging building stock

If you are a housing association struggling with energy-inefficient buildings from the 1960s-80s that drain maintenance budgets — this project created a one-stop-shop renovation concept delivering nearly zero energy performance with a maximum return on investment of less than 8 years. Prototypes were built for 6 national markets including the Netherlands, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Czech Republic, and Portugal.

Prefab building components manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Manufacturers of facade systems, insulation panels, or HVAC units looking to enter the renovation market

If you are a building component manufacturer looking to scale into modular renovation — this project delivered production and construction specifications, BIM-controlled manufacturing processes, and modular prefab integrated HVAC units. The system enables mass customization (individual solutions in series production) with smart embedded sensors and wireless control systems for performance diagnostics.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does a modular renovation like this cost compared to traditional renovation?

The project data does not provide specific per-unit or per-square-meter costs. However, the objective states a maximum return on investment of less than 8 years, which means the energy savings are designed to pay back the installation cost within that period. Detailed cost models would need to be discussed with the consortium.

Can this scale to large housing portfolios with hundreds of buildings?

Yes, the entire concept is designed for industrial scale. The project developed BIM-controlled manufacturing processes that enable mass customization — tailor-made solutions for individual buildings produced in a standardized factory process. Production and construction specifications were delivered for facade and roof elements.

What is the IP situation — can I license this technology?

The project involved 19 partners across 7 countries, with 11 industry partners and 7 SMEs. IP is likely distributed among consortium members. The coordinator is Huygen Installatie Adviseurs in the Netherlands. Licensing discussions would need to go through the relevant consortium partners who developed specific components.

Has this actually been tested on real buildings?

Yes. The project realized 5 pilot sites across European geo-clusters and built 2 Real Life Learning Lab environments for in-depth testing of basic modules and special features. Prototypes of prefabricated modular renovation elements were built for 6 national markets.

How does this integrate with existing building systems and energy infrastructure?

The project developed smart plug-and-play connectors covering mechanical, hydraulic, air, and electric connections with prefab airtight joints. Embedded integrated control systems with wireless sensors handle performance diagnostics. A digitized tool for modelling building performance characteristics links to BIM systems for the entire process.

Does this meet current energy regulations like the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive?

The system targets nearly zero energy performance for the total modular renovation concept, which aligns with EU near-zero energy building requirements. Based on available project data, specific regulatory certifications per country would need to be confirmed with individual consortium partners.

What kind of technical support is available for implementation?

The consortium includes 5 universities and 11 industry partners with hands-on pilot experience. Deliverables include a guide with renovation package concepts for different building types, design process specifications, and an optimization tool for energy and materials performance. The project website more-connect.eu may have additional resources.

Consortium

Who built it

The MORE-CONNECT consortium is unusually well-balanced for commercial follow-through: 19 partners from 7 countries with a 58% industry ratio (11 industry partners including 7 SMEs). This means more than half the consortium are companies with a direct business interest in bringing these products to market. The coordinator, Huygen Installatie Adviseurs from the Netherlands, is a private company (not a university), which signals a commercial rather than academic orientation. The geographic spread across the Netherlands, Denmark, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Portugal, and Switzerland covers both Western and Central-Eastern European renovation markets. With 5 universities providing technical depth and prototypes built for 6 national markets, the consortium was structured to move from research to market deployment.

Huygen Installatie AdviseursCoordinator · NL
UNIVERSIDADE DO MINHOparticipant · PT
RIGAS TEHNISKA UNIVERSITATEparticipant · LV
STICHTING ZUYD HOGESCHOOLparticipant · NL
BJW BVparticipant · NL
INVELAparticipant · DK
RD RYMAROV SROparticipant · CZ
TIMMERFABRIEK WEBO BVparticipant · NL
CESKE VYSOKE UCENI TECHNICKE V PRAZEparticipant · CZ
TALLINNA TEHNIKAÜLIKOOLparticipant · EE

How to reach the team

Huygen Installatie Adviseurs (Netherlands) — a private engineering consultancy. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the right person.

Order a report on this consortium See Huygen Installatie Adviseurs profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing modular renovation technology or partnering with MORE-CONNECT consortium members? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people — contact us for a tailored briefing.

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