B4B: Key Figures
- 39 partners
- Coordination by TU Delft
- 5 Working Packages
- Living Labs, Use & validation cases
- 6.9 Million Funding from Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate
- Start: May 1, 2021
- Duration: 4 years
About
Brains for Building’s Energy Systems (B4B) is a multi-year, multi-stakeholder project focused on developing methods to harness big data from smart meters, building management systems and the Internet of Things devices, to reduce energy consumption, increase comfort, respond flexibly to user behaviour and local energy supply and demand, and save on installation maintenance costs. This will be done through the development of faster and more efficient Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence models and algorithms. The project is geared to existing utility buildings such as commercial and institutional buildings.
Partners
The Brains4Buildings project was developed within the framework of TKI Bouw &Techniek (previously known as the Building and Technological Innovation Centre; BTIC), a partnership of various parties in the construction industry. The goal of TKI Bouw & Techniek is to ensure that open, multi-year knowledge and open innovation programs are implemented whereby the content of the various initiatives are aligned and the results are shared as widely as possible.
The B4B project brings together 39 partners from knowledge institutions, installation companies, energy consultancies, platform/interface developers, building owners and managers, technology suppliers, industry associations and other subject matter experts. The project is coordinated by TU Delft.
Our ambition
Even in the most modern buildings, 10-30 % of the energy is lost due to faulty installations or incorrect use of the systems. In addition, the indoor climate is often substandard and the operational costs are high. By giving buildings a ‘brain’, data from smart meters, climate control systems and the ‘Internet of Things’ can be used to make better decisions. Techniques are very promising, but current models and algorithms are not yet fast and efficient enough to actually make buildings smarter, and implementation is difficult.
The B4B project adds operational intelligence to buildings in order to achieve a transition towards energy-efficient and flexible buildings. The ambition of this project is to develop:
- Validated integrated prototypes of software plug-ins for:
– smart monitoring and control of buildings and installations, resulting in 20-30% reduction in energy consumption & lower maintenance costs
– increasing controllable energy flexibility in buildings, applied to multi-commodity buildings. - Validated prototypes of data-driven and user-centric user interfaces that contribute to user comfort, health and well-being.
- Standardised Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) and quick-scan
- Methods, guidelines and standards for data integration for smart building infrastructure, with associated open data platform
- A Learning community to share/exchange knowledge on self-learning software for smart buildings and the link to smart grid
MOOI subsidy program
The Brains4Buildings is sponsored by the Dutch grant program for Mission-Driven Research, Development and Innovation (MOOI). This program was established by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Change and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and executed by RVO Netherlands Enterprise Agency.