InSite - Monitoring and evaluation of innovative demonstration buildings

Initial situation/motivation

In the "Stadt der Zukunft" and "Smart City Initiative" programmes, a large number of demonstration projects have been implemented and scientifically accompanied in recent years.

During the programme periods, a pool of highly innovative implementations with different solution approaches and use categories has been formed in Austria.

At present, however, it is difficult or even impossible to present the results and findings from the heterogeneous project portfolio in a collected form, to compare them and to communicate them to the relevant stakeholders for future building projects (architects, building owners, investors, etc.).

Contents and objectives

The objective of InSite is therefore to meet this challenge and to accelerate the market introduction of the respective innovations by means of a uniform data collection, evaluation and assessment. For this purpose, 10 selected demonstration projects will be investigated within the framework of an energy, ecological and social monitoring over a period of 24 months and the interpreted results will be made publicly available.

Methodological approach

As a basis for the comparative evaluation of the 10 demonstration projects, a two-layer measurement concept will be developed in the project. The first layer is a basic evaluation matrix suitable for a wide range of use cases. This should primarily contain and present those energy and ecological parameters that can be collected in the same way for the majority of the demonstration buildings (e.g. specific heating demand, flexibility potential, comfort) and thus enable simple comparability.

The second layer deals with selective in-depth measurements and evaluations, e.g. in order to be able to assess key innovations with more detail. The set-up of the data transmission and any retrofitting on the building will be coordinated and carried out with the respective project consortia; existing technical structures (sensors, data loggers) will be built upon, or a connection implemented.

In addition to the measurement of energetic and ecological parameters, targeted sociological surveys of relevant stakeholder groups will be carried out. In addition to user surveys on comfort, practitioner groups (planners, architects, etc.) will also be surveyed. In the user surveys, attention will be paid to a balance between male and female respondents, and gender-specific differences will be considered in the evaluation of the surveys and interviews.

The quality and plausibility of the measurement data obtained will be continuously and automatically checked and stored in a central monitoring database. In combination with the results of the user surveys, these data provide the basis for the ongoing evaluation and presentation of the results of the energy, ecological and social performance of the demonstration sites.

Expected results

The findings and recommendations for action will be published in an open study and uploaded to the publicly accessible InSite platform at regular intervals. This platform will be developed and implemented as a web-based, interactive presentation of the monitoring data in the project.

Project management

DI Walter Becke, AEE INTEC

Project or cooperation partners

• e7 GmbH
• Interdisciplinary research centre IFZ

AEE INTEC
DI Walter Becke
Feldgasse 19
A-8200 Gleisdorf
Tel.: +43 (3112) 5886 231
E-Mail: w.becke@aee.at
Web: www.aee-intec.at