Objectives – SmartSquare (2024)

Objective 1

The development of a set of tools and services that will boost the uptake of the SRI scheme
amongthe member states of the European Union

Smart Squareaims to create the conditions for the issuance of a large number of SRI ratings during the implementation of the project, as well as to lay the grounds for the awareness raising of EU citizens that will allow the untapping of the EU market uptake of the SRI. Towards achieving this goal, a key objective of the project is to establish the mechanisms and means that will support the issuance of the largest possible number of ratings during the project, as well as after the completion of the project’s lifetime.

Objective 2

The roll out of ICT smart ready technologies including AI and IoTfor smarter SRIs

Smart Squareaspires to initiate applications and practices that will support the successful rollout of ICT and Smart Ready technologies, towards supporting SRIs to become smarter. Specifically, one of Smart Squarekey objectives is the development of the appropriate modules for the integration of AI practices in the SRI assessment procedure, the transfer and evaluation of data under cybersecurity conditions, as well as the identification SRI with other relevant European initiatives.

Objective 3

The commissioning of a cloud based open platform for assessing the intelligence of buildings,
tailored for building designers, facility managers and building users

One of Smart Squaremain objectives is the design, development, commissioning and operation of an SRI open cloud-based platform, which will allow the user friendly, quick and easy issuance of SRIs by engineers, facility managers and end users, coping with the requirements of Method A and Method B of the SRI scheme for on-line self-smartness assessment of buildings. The platform will aspire to become a reference tool for the penetration and establishment of the SRI scheme in Europe and beyond.

Objective 4

The development of an SRI audit process, with the aim to act as the forerunner
of a standardized procedure

Smart Squareproject aims to develop, validate and deliver a comprehensive SRI audit methodology, which will be based on well – established building audit concepts, and specifically on the energy audit procedures described under the EN 16247:20012 standards series. The development of the SRI audit procedure will be based on a comparative assessment between the needs of an energy and an SRI audit, and the definition of the required components for the SRI audit procedure.

Objective 5

The establishment of the required grounds for the integration of the SRI rating
in building digital logbooks

In the near future, SRIs will constitute a new layer of information related to the BACS of new and existing buildings. A common European approach that will aggregate this information and will ensure, through increased data transparency and availability to a broad range of market players, that the SRI data would be maintained in a common repository for building data is expected to be the Digital Building Logbook. To this end the project aspires to develop the required background and knowledge, towards enabling the integration and storage of all information related to the SRI into the building digital logbooks.

Objective 6

The development of a comprehensive methodology for the identification of smartness cost
optimal building upgrades based on life cycle costing principles

The definition of minimum SRI requirements for new and existing buildings will require the development of a cost-optimal approach which will monetize the energy savings related to the potential upgrade of the SRI indicator of a building. To this end, Smart Square project aims to investigate and realize a comprehensive and holistic calculation approach, with the help of which the functionality levels of different SRI services and domains will be linked to an energy consumption level, enabling in this way the calculation of the energy savings in case of an SRI change. The objective of the project will be to exploit the relevant methodology described in the EN 15232:2017 standard, and further enrich the approach with additional services and functionality levels. Smart Square will aim to deliver innovative life cycle costing and specified indicators, such as allowed investment per area for given IRRs and discount rates.

Objective 7

The establishment of services that will bridge the gap between SRI and EU citizens

One of the main objectives of the Smart Sqaure project is the development of initiatives and tools, that will bring SRI closer to the European citizen, and will make SRI part of our daily lives. To this end, Smart Square will develop services and tools that will ensure that SRI knowledge and experience are shared with European citizens on a regular, integrated basis. Smart Sqaure will launch important initiatives in the field of SRI, such as the SRI Observatory, the SRI FAQ, a type of SRI for dummies that will bring SRI knowledge to European citizens in a simplified way and in simple language, but also other frameworks such as the SRI call centre and the SRI days. The main objective will be to raise the awareness of EU citizens with regard to the new scheme of the EU.

Objective 8

The enhancement of the smart readiness aspects in buildings energy performance

Smart Square project aims to the integration of the SRI calculation procedure into the EPC extraction processes. This will be realized through the development of a comprehensive methodology, by which the intelligence readiness of buildings will be included in the energy class of the building. The methodology that will be followed, concerns the detailed documentation of the overlapping as well as the missing information between SRI and EPCs. The purpose will be to create and develop a parallel layer of information, which will be required, in addition to the information provided to calculate the energy efficiency of buildings, in order to enable the calculation of both the EPC and the SRI simultaneously and in parallel. This should result in the integration of the SRI score of a building to its energy performance certificates, contributing also to the calculation of the energy class of the building. Smart Square aspires to convert the SRI evaluation as an element of buildings energy classification.

“Funded by the European Union, under the Grant Agreement Nº 101077241. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”

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