enCOMPASS - New pilot applications to save energy in buildings

Effective and user-friendly systems for making energy data consumption available and understandable for all users ( eg domestic consumers, schools, public buildings, energy saving companies) and improving consumption management of energy, without reducing the comfort level within the premises is the main goal of the European enCOMPASS project. Over the next three years, the project, in which the National Documentation Centre is a participant, will implement an integrated socio-technical approach towards behavioural change in energy saving.  

The objective of the project, which is funded by Horizon 2020, is to demonstrate how stakeholders can still meet their needs while being energy efficient by using a holistic approach integrating visualisation of energy data from smart sensors  and user-generated information with energy saving proposals, intelligent control and adaptive gamified incentives. 

As part of the project, pilots to evaluate the achieved change in daily energy activities and any consequent savings will be conducted in three countries, of which Greece is one. In Greece’s three case studies, the enCOMPASS system will be deployed in a variety of buildings. The first case involves the assessment of the achieved change in everyday energy activities of visitors to and personnel of the library at the National Documentation Centre (EKT); in the second , the system will be installed in the offices and receptions of two commercial buildings: the Watt & Volt Headquarters, Athens and the WVT Retail Store, Thessaloniki; the third case will target a wide range of residential customers of WVT from flats in buildings in Athens and Thessaloniki in addition to the Delta Institute in Thessaloniki which will represent school buildings.

Specifically, enCOMPASS will be implemented as an open platform and will combine:

• energy usage data based on information from sensors in buildings (eg smart sensors, smart home heating and power devices
• user-generated information (automatic and manual monitoring activities)
• visualisation of energy data using gamification
• intelligent control and automation

The aim of the platform’s development is to bring about sustainable change in energy consumption patterns without reducing user comfort levels. enCOMPASS will integrate existing technologies, products and services of utilities, adapting and expanding them in order to offer new and improved services and products.

enCOMPASS will validate its effectiveness using geographical areas of Europe representing three different climatic conditions (humid continental climate of Haussfurt, Germany, Mediterranean climate of Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece and continental climate of Gambarogno, Switzerland) and three different types of buildings  (residential, school and office).

The system will have social, economic and environmental impact both within and beyond the pilot areas, while this approach could be used in other contexts.

Those involved in the project include not only the Greek participants, National Documentation Centre (EKT), CERTH – The Centre for Research & Technology Hellas, Watt & Volt, but also Politecnico di Milano (PMI) as co-ordinator – Italy,European Institute for Participatory Media (EIPCM) – Germany, Stadtwerke Haβfurt GmbH (SHF) –Germany,  Naturschutzbund (NABU) - Γερμανία, Societa Elettrica Sopracenerina (SES) – Switzerland, Scuola Universitaria Profesionale della Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI) – Switzerland, Set Mobile S.R.L (SMOB) – Rumania, Kaleidos Games (KAL) – Italy, Kaunas Univeristy of Technology, Social Responsibility Research Centre (KTU) – Lithuania, Paradox AG (PDX) – Switzerland and Gravity R&D Zrt (GRA) – Hungary.

The National Documentation Centre (EKT) will support the development of enCOMPASS by being responsible for the pilot infrastructure in Athens. In addition, it will promote and extend the effects of the implementation of the pilot infrastructure within its domain and via academic visitors and the business community. It will increase the awareness of energy consumption within the general government sector in Greece, a sector which is strongly motivated to reduce energy costs of public buildings. EKT will provide SMEs and environmental services providers with further tools and information. EKT will also be instrumental in future expansion or local implementation of enCOMPASS within Greece.