Programme: Horizon Europe

Duration: 48 months (01/2025 – 12/2028)

Budget: € 5.8 millions

Site: Under construction

Summary: The DigiFab consortium is revolutionizing building renovations by developing a digital process chain that encompasses: 1) A comprehensive digital workflow with detailed assessment and co-design methodology; 2) Adaptable prefabricated modules featuring passive and active technologies to achieve near-zero energy building (NZEB) standards and minimize environmental impact; and 3) Building Information Modelling (BIM)-enabled software for assessment and monitoring to automate the process. This solution reduces installation time to 2 days per unit and cuts costs by 30% by digitizing the entire renovation process—from design to completion—centralizing data to eliminate uncertainties that cause delays and cost overruns. Co-creation with occupants, high-quality digital twins, and automated energy/structural analyses optimize technology combinations. Prefabricated modules, manufactured using modern methods of construction (MMC) and “just-in-time” (JIT) principles, incorporate lightweight concrete, bio-based materials, active envelope heating, and energy generation systems. Adaptive installation, monitored via laser scanning, is complemented by worksite solutions for managing demolition waste and noise. Three demonstration sites in Spain, Austria, and Greece will validate the approach across diverse building typologies.

Our Role:

Plug and Play PV façade with Smart Energy Management System: As RENEL, we collaborate with CER to design and manufacture a smart solar façade system with PV panels (10kWp, yielding 15,000 kWh annually) and durable, recyclable metal structures, featuring a clip-on mounting system for quick installation and integration with AI-powered energy management systems.

Programme: Business Innovation Greece

Duration: 24 months (09/2021 – 09/2023)

Budget: € 0.7 millions

Site: https://thesmartproject.gr/the-project/

Summary: The SMART project aims to create a groundbreaking mindset and deliver an innovative solution to support next-generation transmission infrastructure, addressing the rising demands of electric vehicles (EVs) and societal energy needs. Its core goal is to develop a novel product and energy service integrating renewable energy production (via 20 kWp PV installations), a charge station, and a storage system with batteries, while optimizing collaboration between energy storage and real-time stochastic forecasting models. The project focuses on researching and developing a SMART Solar Charge Station with an integrated model for real-time energy management, leveraging IoT technologies for data transfer and machine learning-based optimization. This model incorporates climatic, economic, statistical load, and market price data to forecast grid electricity demand and recommend actions to station owners, such as storing energy from the grid or renewables, selling energy to the grid, or consuming purchased energy. The system includes a smart metering IoT infrastructure for real-time data transmission and a web/mobile application to enhance interaction with operators and consumers, ensuring efficient and effective energy management tailored to modern opportunities and regional needs.

Our Role:

• Coordination: We were responsible for the project coordination, ensuring effective collaboration among teams and stakeholders to align efforts with project objectives.
• Solution development: The development included providing technical specifications for the SMART Solar Charge Station and installing a pilot system combining photovoltaics, storage system and IoT infrastructure.

Programme: EPAnEK 2014-2020

Duration: 24 months (09/2021 – 09/2023)

Budget: € 2.4 millions

Site: https://zeroenergy-cluster.eu/en/

Summary: The Zero Energy Cluster operates as a Collaborative Innovation Cluster (CIC), or “Cluster,” dedicated to pioneering zero-energy initiatives across Greece. It brings together a diverse group of businesses, organizations, and experts specializing in Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and Energy Saving (ES). Our mission is to actively support the research, development, and design of innovative, practical products and services aimed at creating and sustaining infrastructures with zero energy consumption. Our vision is to cultivate a thriving, collaborative ecosystem that champions sustainable energy solutions to meet modern challenges. The ultimate goal is to drive impactful innovation within the energy sector while equipping our members with enhanced skills and expertise. This empowers them to boost their competitiveness and expand their influence in both local and global markets, positioning the Cluster as a leader in the transition to a sustainable, zero-energy future.

Our Role:

• Coordination: We were work package leaders, responsible for on-time deliverable submission from all partners, ease the communication and collaboration among partners, responsible to organise dissemination and communication activities.
• Solution development: We developed and installed a 10-kW building integrated photovoltaic system combining batteries, a charging station for electric vehicles and a weather station. The system is installed on the roof of an office building in Volos area and is grid connected under a net metering scheme. A control system was developed to optimize energy management, ensuring reliable and efficient operation of the PV-battery system and uninterrupted charging of electric vehicles.

Programme: Business Innovation Greece

Duration: 16 months (01/2023 – 04/2024)

Budget: € 1.3 millions

Site: https://altitudeproject.gr/

Summary: The ALTITUDE project aims to develop an automated aerial network inspection system using UAVs (drones) and machine learning. It includes a data collection protocol for inspecting medium/high voltage networks with UAVs, followed by an online tool that uses high-resolution aerial photos and trained algorithms to assess the network and flag issues via geo-visualizations, aiding users like HEDNO in maintenance planning. The system integrates UAS technology, 5G data transmission, and deep learning (e.g., convolutional neural networks) to monitor electric grids using optical and thermal data from automated drone flights. ALTITUDE offers an affordable, scalable solution for routine, large-scale network inspection and mapping by regulatory bodies and stakeholders. By leveraging advanced AI, it identifies risks and proposes actionable solutions, enhancing grid reliability. The project standardizes drone operations with specific flight patterns for consistent data quality. It supports both immediate repairs and long-term infrastructure strategies across diverse regions

Our Role:

• Coordination: We managed the administrative framework, ensuring compliance with project timelines, documentation, and regulatory requirements. Financially, we oversaw budgeting, resource allocation, and cost tracking to maintain fiscal efficiency throughout the project. Our coordination efforts facilitated seamless collaboration among teams, stakeholders, and partners, aligning technical development with project goals.

Equipment-related responsibilities: We handled the procurement, maintenance, and deployment of essential equipment, including UAVs and related technologies, to support the project’s operational needs.

Programme: Horizon Europe

Duration: 48 months (10/2022 – 09/2026)

Budget: € 12.6 millions

Site: https://rehouse-project.eu/

Summary: The REHOUSE project aims to revolutionize building renovation across the EU by developing and demonstrating 8 innovative renovation packages, advancing them to Technology Readiness Level 7 (TRL7). These packages address a wide range of renovation needs, including deep renovations, by integrating active/passive elements, prefabrication, and off-site construction while adhering to circularity principles and respecting buildings’ aesthetic, architectural, and historical value. Designed to overcome barriers slowing EU renovation rates, REHOUSE employs a people-centric social engagement strategy to ensure affordability, satisfaction, and appeal for residents and owners. The solutions, deployed in demonstrators across Greece, Italy, France, and Hungary, cover five key renovation principles, offering flexible, scalable, and replicable technologies to tackle nearly 100% of EU building renovation challenges, while addressing economic, technical, social, regulatory, and data security aspects.

Our Role:

• Adaptable/Dynamic Building Envelope: Develop and install an aluminium-glass façade on a student residence with modular, prefabricated units tailored-made to the building’s needs. The BIPV façade is mounted on a modular structure made of recyclable materials, reducing the carbon footprint of the building and allowing easy installation due to high level of prefabrication. The building envelope solution can combine various technologies, such as solar panels, battery systems, insulation materials, and ventilation units. The ADBE system will enable adaptability to various building geometry topologies, tailored-made to customers’ needs.
• Hydraulic and electrical connections: Hydraulic and electrical connections of a multi-source heat pump with a solar thermal park and geothermal field

Boiler room upgrade: Design and install a new pumping system at the demo site building