RES4BUILD will develop renewable-eneRRES4BUILD develops renewable energy-based solutions for decarbonising the energy used in buildings. The approach of the project is flexible, so that the solutions are applicable to a wide variety of buildings, new or renovated, tailored to their size, their type and the climatic zones of their location. In the heart of the solution lies an innovative multi-source heat pump with a cascading configuration, including a magnetocaloric (bottom cycle) and a vapour compression heat pump (top cycle). The heat pump will be combined with other technologies in tailored made solutions that suit the specific needs of each building. These technologies will be selected on a case by case basis from a mix of standard equipment available in the market and from innovative components that will be specifically explored within the project. The innovative technologies include innovative collectors that integrate in one panel photovoltaic cells and solar thermal energy collectors (PV/T) and borehole thermal energy storage (BTES). For all solutions, advanced modelling and control approaches will be developed and will be integrated in a Building Energy Management System, allowing the users to select their objectives and to optimise the use of the system accordingly, allowing the activation of demand response and the exploitation of the full value of smart appliances and smart charging of electric vehicles. The project adopts a co-development methodology, where the end-users and other relevant stakeholders are engaged in an interactive process, where a RES$BUILD system is designed for their buildings with their active participation. In parallel, a full life cycle assessment and life cycle costing analysis will be carried out, showing from an early stage the real impact of each proposed design. The diverse consortium and the dedicated exploitation tasks will connect the project with the market, paving the way for wide application of the developed solutions.

The adaptation of RES technologies and machinery and their demonstration at a large-scale on farm level, require supporting measures with respect to spatial planning, infrastructure, different business models and market organisation, trends that are not all under control from a farmers’ perspective. RES4LIVE project will fill these gaps ensuring a wider adoption of RES and energy efficiency technologies, machinery and techniques in livestock farms towards a zero-fossil fuel consumption. A great part of RES4LIVE technical work deals with the adaptation of specific technologies for both renewable energy and biofuels so that to perfectly fit livestock farming and becoming attractive in terms of cost effectiveness, operational flexibility and with low maintenance. The key technologies include PVT systems, modular heat pumps, biogas upgrading to biomethane, and tractors retrofitting to be fuelled by biomethane. Except these technologies, standard RES and other solutions are included in the integrated energy system, such as the use of PV panels, geothermal energy, and electrification of on-farm machinery. The RES4LIVE project emphasises on the demonstration of the selected technologies in 4 pilot farms in Belgium, Italy, Germany and Greece, for a duration of at least 12 months, to serve as the means of de-fossilising evidence and impact generation. The aim is to totally replace the fossil fuel consumption of certain needs in the pilot farms, proving that fossil-free-energy farming is possible to be achieved with a sustainable way. At the same time, the replicability potential is another key activity so that to prepare the commercialization process of the solutions. The overall objective is to provide advanced and cost-effective technologies to the livestock sector that ensure the sustainability of the farms’ operation, and the superior thermal comfort of the animals for increased productivity with minimum climate change impact.