RENergetic · Project

Proven Tools for Local Energy Self-Sufficiency Across Electricity, Heat, and Waste

energyPilotedTRL 7

Imagine a neighborhood that produces, shares, and manages its own energy — electricity, heating, even waste — instead of depending entirely on the big grid. RENergetic built the software and community engagement methods to make that happen, tested across three very different real-world sites: a housing district in Ghent, a university campus in Poznan that reuses data center heat, and a hospital campus near Milan with electric vehicle charging. The idea is that local people and organizations control their own energy, cut costs, and go greener together.

By the numbers

Real-world pilot sites demonstrated (Ghent, Poznan, Segrate-Milan)

Energy vectors integrated (electricity, heat, waste)

Consortium partners across 7 countries

Industry partners in the consortium

Demo evaluation deliverables completed

The business problem

What needed solving

Buildings and districts waste enormous amounts of energy because electricity, heating, and waste systems operate in silos with no coordination. Property owners, campus operators, and facility managers face rising energy costs but lack the tools to turn their sites into self-sufficient energy communities. Current solutions address only one energy type at a time, missing the savings that come from integrating all three vectors.

The solution

What was built

The project built and demonstrated an integrated energy management platform that combines smart control, machine learning forecasting, and demand response across electricity, heat, and waste at 3 pilot sites. It also delivered a Replicability Package with business models, regulation analysis, and community engagement methods for deploying energy islands at new locations.

Audience

Who needs this

Property developers building new residential districts with sustainability targetsHospital and healthcare campus facility managers with high energy costsUniversity campus managers looking to reuse waste heat from data centersMunicipal energy planners designing district-level energy systemsIndustrial park operators seeking energy cost reduction through local optimization

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Real estate & property development

mid-size

Target: Property developers building new residential or mixed-use districts

If you are a property developer planning a new residential district and struggling with rising energy costs and tenant expectations for green living — this project developed and piloted smart energy management tools at the New Docks housing district in Ghent that integrate electricity, heat, and waste into one self-managed system. The approach was tested across 3 pilot sites in 3 countries and comes with a ready-made replicability package for new developments.

Healthcare & hospital facility management

enterprise

Target: Hospital campus operators and facility managers

If you are a hospital facility manager dealing with massive energy bills and the need to integrate electric vehicle fleets — this project demonstrated demand response and EV integration at the Segrate hospital and research campus near Milan. Final evaluation reports document the measured impact, and the system combines machine learning forecasting with smart control to optimize energy use across your campus.

Higher education & campus operations

enterprise

Target: University campus managers and sustainability officers

If you run a university campus and want to reuse waste heat from data centers or server rooms to heat buildings — this project proved the concept at the Warta Campus in Poznan, Poland. The pilot recovered data center heat for campus use, with both interim and final impact evaluations completed. The 16-partner consortium includes 7 universities, so the technology was designed with campus operations in mind.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this energy island approach at my site?

The project data does not include specific implementation costs per site. However, the project developed business models and market strategies specifically for long-term economic viability, and the replicability package includes guidance for new deployments. Contact the consortium for site-specific cost estimates.

Can this scale beyond a single campus or district?

Yes. The system was demonstrated across 3 very different pilot sites — residential housing (Ghent), a university campus (Poznan), and a hospital campus (Segrate-Milan) — across 3 countries. A dedicated Replicability Package was developed and evaluated to enable deployment at new locations.

What about IP and licensing — can I use these tools?

The project was an EU Innovation Action with 16 partners including 7 industry companies. IP arrangements would depend on the specific tools and components you need. The coordinator INETUM ESPAÑA is a large IT services company, which suggests commercial licensing paths may be available.

Does this comply with EU energy regulations?

The project included a thorough regulation analysis across the 7 participating countries (AT, BE, DE, ES, FR, IT, PL) and developed business models aligned with the EU Clean Energy Package. The final deliverable specifically documents obstacles to innovation around energy islands at the European level.

How long does deployment take?

The project ran for 4 years (2020-2024), but that included R&D and community engagement from scratch. Based on available project data, the replicability package is designed to shorten deployment for new sites significantly, though specific timelines are not stated.

How does this integrate with our existing energy management systems?

The project objective explicitly states the system ensures seamless integration with existing energy management systems and cooperation with external networks. The hierarchical optimization approach and smart control strategies were designed to layer on top of existing infrastructure.

Consortium

Who built it

The 16-partner consortium is well-balanced for technology transfer: 7 industry partners (44%) and 7 universities split evenly between those who build and those who research. The coordinator, INETUM ESPAÑA, is a major European IT services company — not a university — which signals a commercially-oriented project. With partners across 7 countries (AT, BE, DE, ES, FR, IT, PL), the solutions were tested under different regulatory environments and climates. The 2 SMEs add agility, while the large industry partners provide deployment capacity. This mix makes the results more credible for businesses considering adoption.

INETUM ESPAÑA S.A.Coordinator · ES
POLITECHNIKA POZNANSKAparticipant · PL
PRIVATUNIVERSITAT SCHLOSS SEEBURG GMBHparticipant · AT
ENLION INNOVATION GMBHparticipant · AT
INETUMthirdparty · FR
INETUM REALDOLMEN BELGIUMthirdparty · BE
UNIVERSITEIT GENTparticipant · BE
UNIVERSITAET MANNHEIMparticipant · DE
INSTYTUT CHEMII BIOORGANICZNEJ POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUKparticipant · PL
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PAVIAparticipant · IT
OSPEDALE SAN RAFFAELE SRLparticipant · IT
CLEAN ENERGY INNOVATIVE PROJECTSparticipant · BE
UNIVERSITY OF STUTTGARTparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITAT PASSAUparticipant · DE

How to reach the team

INETUM ESPAÑA S.A. — a major IT services company based in Spain. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the project team.

Order a report on this consortium See INETUM ESPAÑA S.A. profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to know if the RENergetic energy island approach fits your site? SciTransfer can arrange a briefing with the project team and help you assess replicability for your specific campus, district, or facility.

Order a report on this topic More in Energy & Climate