Imagine having a smart assistant that tells you exactly which insulation materials to use in a house to keep it warm while spending the least amount of money. It's like a digital tailor for buildings, picking the right 'fabric' and thickness based on the local weather and the building's age. This helps homeowners and builders stop guessing and start using materials that don't harm the planet.
Buildings cause 36% of EU GHG emissions and 35% of waste, yet achieving Zero-Energy Building (ZEB) status is often too expensive or complex for planners. There is a lack of data-driven tools to pick the cheapest, most sustainable insulation for specific climates.
["An AI-powered Digital Tool Assistant for predicting thermal insulation options.", "Sustainable-by-design insulation materials and lightweight prefab solutions.", "An open-access technical and LCA insulation materials database.", "A BIM-interoperable Digital Building Logbook for lifecycle data tracking."]
If you are a design firm dealing with strict Zero-Energy Building (ZEB) targets — this project developed a Digital Tool Assistant that uses AI to predict the best insulation layouts. This allows you to maximize energy efficiency and minimize GHG emissions at an optimal cost.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with the shift toward circular economy requirements — this project developed sustainable-by-design thermal insulation and lightweight prefab solutions. These materials are designed for market deployment to compete with current market solutions on cost.
If you are a developer dealing with the high cost of retrofitting old offices — this project developed a Digital Building Logbook. This tool keeps all building data in a digital format, making it easier to decide when and how to upgrade insulation to reduce operational costs.
The methodology is specifically designed to achieve energy efficiency and ZEB ratings at an optimal cost level. It uses AI to range several options to find the most cost-effective balance between performance and price.
The project is testing the methodology on three real-world demonstrators: a new house in Norway, a refurbished residence in Switzerland, and a refurbished office in Spain. This indicates a transition from lab testing to real-world application.
Based on available project data, the specific licensing terms are not mentioned, but the insulation materials database will be released as an open data outcome.
It directly addresses the EU goal to transform all existing buildings into Zero-Energy Buildings (ZEBs) by 2050. It provides the tools to reach these ratings more easily.
The Digital Building Logbook is designed to be interoperable with BIM (Building Information Modeling), ensuring it fits into standard digital construction workflows.
The consortium is heavily industry-weighted with 10 industrial partners (59% ratio), including 6 SMEs. This strong commercial presence, spanning 11 countries, suggests the project is focused on market viability rather than just academic research. The mix of research centers and universities provides the technical foundation, while the high number of industry partners ensures the resulting AI tools and materials are practical for real-world construction sites.
Contact AIDIMME in Spain for details on the AI Digital Tool Assistant.
Contact us to connect with the SNUG consortium for early access to the insulation database.
