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Energy Efficiency Achievements in 5 Years Through Experimental Research in KUBIK

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The European construction sector (a fragmented SMEs dominated business with high economic and environmental impact and high technological inertia) faces a major challenge to reduce the emissions by almost 90% in 2050. This requires new innovative solutions and services to be rapidly implemented in the market. Research Infrastructures that give support for later-stage developments (high Technology Readiness Levels) can play a relevant role in both the technological development and market introduction of construction products for energy efficient buildings. The following paper describes such an infrastructure (KUBIKby Tecnalia) located in Bilbao (Spain) and its major outcomes in the period 2011-2015.
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... KUBIK is a full-scale experimental infrastructure for R&D on energy efficiency and testing of building envelope systems [54]. Located in the vicinity of Bilbao (Spain), KUBIK allows for the validation of systems in conditions close to those of service, in terms of ...
... The full installation procedure was tested, including the installation of anchors in the façade, hanging of façade elements on them and sealing of junctions, and the entire assembly process was checked. A validation protocol was set so that the system proved to be adaptable to variations in anchor locations in 3D, allowed access for the assembly team to perform such KUBIK is a full-scale experimental infrastructure for R&D on energy efficiency and testing of building envelope systems [54]. Located in the vicinity of Bilbao (Spain), KUBIK allows for the validation of systems in conditions close to those of service, in terms of architectural design, implementation and performance assessment. ...
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The present paper focuses on the architectural and constructional features required to ensure that building envelope renovation are safe, functional, and adaptable to the building stock, with particular focus on “plug and play” modular facade construction systems. It presents the design of one such system and how it addresses these issues. The outcome of early-stage functional test with a full-scale mock-up system, as well as its applicability to a real construction project is presented. It is found crucial to obtain high quality information about the status of the existing façade with the use of modern technologies such as topographic surveys or 3D scans and point cloud. Detailed design processes are required to ensure the compatibility of manufacture and installation tolerances, along with anchor systems that deliver flexibility for adjustment, and construction processes adapting standard installation methods to the architectural particularities of each case that may hinder its use or require some modification in each situation. This prefabricated plug and play modular system has been tested by reproducing the holistic methodology and new technologies in the market by means of real demonstrators. When compared to more conventional construction methods, this system achieves savings in a real case of 50% (time), 30% (materials) and 25% (waste), thus achieving significant economic savings.
... One of the panels is made from conventional concrete with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) as a binder, while the three others are concrete samples from different manufacturers using Belite-Ye'elimite-Ferrite (BYF) binders of lower carbon footprint. With the aim of characterising their dynamic thermal performance when exposed to realistic outdoor and indoor exposure conditions, panels of identical geometry were produced and subsequently installed in the Kubik experimental facility at Tecnalia's headquarters near Bilbao (43 • 17′ N 2 • 52′ W) [46,47]. The building is exposed to an oceanic climate (Cfb in the Köppen-Geiger classification) representative of Western Europe [48]. ...
... The building's main functionality is its capability of creating realistic conditions for the purpose of analyzing energy efficiency, thanks to the intelligent management of its HVAC and lighting systems. A complete description of the structure is provided in [55]. The experimental procedure developed for the purpose of this study was performed on the first floor of the building; the planimetry of the floor is reported in Fig 1 (b). ...
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This paper presents the results from the experimental application of smartwatch sensors to predict occupants’ thermal comfort under varying environmental conditions. The goal is to investigate the measurement accuracy of smartwatches when used as thermal comfort sensors to be integrated into Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) control loops. Ten participants were exposed to various environmental conditions as well as warm - induced and cold-induced discomfort tests and 13 participants were exposed to a transient-condition while a network of sensors and a smartwatch collected both environmental parameters and heart rate variability (HRV). HRV features were used as input to Machine Learning (ML) classification algorithms to establish whether a user was in discomfort, providing an average accuracy of 92.2 %. ML and Deep Learning regression algorithms were trained to predict the thermal sensation vote (TSV) in a transient environment and the results show that the aggregation of environmental and physiological quantities provide a better TSV prediction in terms of Mean Absolute Error (MAE) and Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), 1.2 and 20% respectively, than just the HRV features used for the prediction. In conclusion, this experiment supports the assumption that physiological quantities related to thermal comfort can improve TSV prediction when combined with environmental quantities.
... An experimental campaign over the BERTIM system is presented [32]. This campaign was conducted in the KUBIK by TECNALIA test facility [33]. The research aimed for full-scale realistic testing and this setup allowed for validation of constructional and energy performance issues, not only under ideal conditions but with real-life issues, such as junctions with other systems and thermal bridges. ...
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(1) The overall energy requirement of a building may be impacted by the building design, the selection of materials, the construction methods, and lifecycle management. To achieve an optimum energy-efficiency level when dealing with a new building or renovation project, it is important to improve the entire construction process as it is not enough to merely focus on the operational phase. If conventional construction practices do not evolve, compromise, or adapt to necessary changes, then it becomes challenging to deliver an ultimate low energy building. (2) This paper demonstrates the trend of off-site prefabrication and its production principles and the notions of open-building design and Design for X, as well as offering an overview of the development of automation in construction, which provides both insights and evaluations based on the context of the research. (3) Three European Union Horizon 2020 research projects were evaluated, and the outcome of the projects served as the backbone for the research and inspired the design of the proposed integrated façade system. Two design scenarios were proposed to demonstrate the potential improvements that could be achieved in a new build as well as in renovation projects. (4) The research lays a foundation for establishing a larger cross-disciplinary collaboration in the future.
... The thermal performance of the insulated wall core was verified by means of an experiment extending from March to July 2017. A full-scale test was performed at Kubik [35] , the adaptive experimental building of Tecnalia near Bilbao (43 °17 N 2 °52 W) in an area of oceanic climate ( Cfb in the Köppen-Geiger classification) which is representative of Central and Western Europe [36] . A prototype of the multi-layer wall was constructed and installed at the east-facing façade of Kubik, forming the external envelope of a roughly 3 × 3 × 3 m test cell at the ground floor of the building ( Fig. 2 ). ...
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Building envelope systems are rapidly evolving, driven by increasingly stringent requirements for limiting energy consumption. Current trends favour lightweight, prefabricated wall assemblies with high levels of insulation, which have been shown to be particularly sensitive to thermal bridging through anchoring and framing elements. This paper presents a self-supporting multi-layer wall component made from bio-based materials, where novel biocomposite profiles are used instead of conventional metallic frames. The thermal performance of the proposed solution is calculated from numerical modelling and characterised through in-situ measurement of a full-scale prototype. For the plane areas of the wall with continuous insulation, theoretical calculations are broadly in line with results from experimental monitoring (7–15% deviation). Additionally, an area along a framing profile was specifically monitored, and it was found that the numerical model overestimated thermal resistance with a deviation of 121%. The presence of air gaps between the rigid insulation and framing elements, linked to the fabrication process of the prototype, was identified as a plausible cause. A subsequent explanatory numerical assessment, considering the effect of such cavities in the numerical model, provided results that are consistent with measurements from the experiment and previous literature. The study aims at demonstrating the insulation levels achievable with the use of novel bio-based materials of low thermal conductivity, and more generally, contributing to a better understanding of the thermal performance of framed lightweight insulated assemblies in service conditions, by monitoring and modelling the impact of thermal bridges and workmanship at framing elements.
... In Fig. 5, output data from a calibrated model in VOLTRA (PHYSIBEL, 2009) is compared to experimental data taken from a façade-slab junction constructed in the KUBIK experimental building (Garay, Chica, Apraiz, Campos, Tellado, Uriarte, & Sanchez, 2015). ...
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KUBIK is aimed to the development of new concepts, products and services to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. The main characteristic of KUBIK is the capability to built realistic scenarios to analyse the energy efficiency obtained from the holistic interaction of the constructive solution for the envelope, the intelligent management of the climatisation and lighting systems and the supply from renewable energy sources. The R&D infrastructure consists of a building able to provide up to 500 m2 distributed in an underground floor, a ground floor and up to two storeys; the main dimensions are 10,00 m. width x 10,00 m. length x 10,00 meter high (plus and underground floor 3,00 m. depth). The supply of energy is based on the combination of conventional and renewable energy (geothermic, solar and wind). In addition, the building is equipped with a monitoring and control system which provides the necessary information for the R&D activities. KUBIK's main structure provides an experimental, adaptable and reconfigurable infrastructure to create the indoor environments to analyse and to allow the assembly of the constructive solutions for the envelope, floors and partitions which performance must to be assessed under realistic conditions.
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Achieving the energy savings in buildings is a complex process. Policy making in this field requires a meaningful understanding of several characteristics of the building stock. Reducing the energy demand requires the deployment of effective policies which in turn makes it necessary to understand what affects people’s decision making processes, the key characteristics of the building stock, the impact of current policies etc. Amid the current political discussions at EU level, BPIE has undertaken an extensive survey across all EU Member States, Switzerland and Norway reviewing the situation in terms of the building stock characteristics and policies in place. This survey provides an EU-wide picture of the energy performance of the building stock and how existing policies influence the situation. The data collected was also used to develop scenarios that show pathways to making the building stock much more energy efficient, in line with the EU 2050 roadmap.
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The overarching objective of this study is to contribute to a common and cross-national understanding on: • an ambitious, clear definition and fast uptake of nearly Zero-Energy Buildings in all EU Member States; • principles of sustainable, realistic nearly Zero-Energy Buildings, both new and existing; • possible technical solutions and their implications for national building markets, buildings and market players. The study builds on existing concepts and building standards, analyses the main methodological challenges and their implications for the nZEB definition, and compiles a possible set of principles and assesses their impact on reference buildings. Subsequently the technological, financial and policy implications of these results are evaluated. Finally, the study concludes by providing an outlook on necessary further steps towards a successful implementation of nearly Zero-Energy Buildings.
Europe´s building under the microscope. A country-by-country review of the energy performance of buildings
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Economidou et al. Europe´s building under the microscope. A country-by-country review of the energy performance of buildings. BPIE. 2011. ISBN: 9789491143014
Energy-efficient buildings: Multi-annual roadmap for the contractual PPP under Horizon
COM (2011) 21. http://ec.europa.eu/recource-efficient-europe. [3] Energy-efficient buildings: Multi-annual roadmap for the contractual PPP under Horizon 2020. http://www.ectp.org/cws/params/ectp/download_files/36D2981v1_Eeb_cPPP_Roadmap_under.pdf [4] Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and the Council of 19 May 2010. http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2010:153:0013:0035:EN:PDF.
Principles for nearly zero-energy buildings. Paving the way for effective implementation of policy requirements
  • Atanasiu
Atanasiu et al. Principles for nearly zero-energy buildings. Paving the way for effective implementation of policy requirements. BPIE. 2011. ISBN: 9789491143021
Open building approach for the construction of an unique experimental facility aimed to improve energy efficiency in buildings
  • J A Chica
Chica, JA et al, KUBIK: Open building approach for the construction of an unique experimental facility aimed to improve energy efficiency in buildings. Proceedings of the O&SB2010 "Open and Sustainable Building", ISBN: 978-84-88734-06-8