B4B

Brains for Buildings’ Energy Systems

Brains for Building’s Energy Systems (B4B) is a 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 is done through the development of faster and more efficient Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence models and algorithms. The project is geared to existing commercial and institutional buildings.

Even in the most modern buildings, 10-30 % energy is lost due to faulty installations or incorrect use of 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. Current models and algorithms are not yet fast and efficient enough and implementation is difficult. The B4B project adds operational intelligence to buildings by researching and developing:

  • Validated prototypes of software plug-ins for:
    - smart monitoring and control of buildings and installations, resulting in 20-30% reduction in energy consumption & maintenance costs
    - increasing controllable energy flexibility in buildings 
  • Validated prototypes of data-driven user-centric user interfaces contributing to comfort, health and well-being.
  • Standardised Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) and quick-scans
  • Methods, guidelines and standards for data integration for smart building infrastructure and open data platform

Facts

Funder: Brains4Buildings is funded 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.Brains4Buildings is funded 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.
Programme: Mission-Driven Research, Development and Innovation (MOOI)
The Brains4Buildings project was developed within the framework of Building and Technological Innovation Centre  (BTIC), a partnership of various parties in the construction industry. The goal of BTIC 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.
Overall budget: € 9.6M
Grant amount:

€ 6.9M

€ 2.7M (funded by partners)
Contribution to TU Delft: € 1.2M

Grant number:  MOOI32004
Role TU Delft:  Lead partner
Project duration: May 2021 - April 2025
TU Delft researchers:                

Prof. dr. Laure Itard
Prof. dr. ir. Tamas Keviczki
ass. prof. dr. Neil Yorke-Smith
Prof. dr. David Keyson
The Green Village: Pauline van der Vorm
Campus Real Estate 

Project partners

39 partners: 
Knowledge institutes:
TU Eindhoven, TNO, Hogeschool Windesheim, Hogeschool Arnhem Nijmegen, Haagse Hogeschool, Avans Hogeschool

Companies
Air-teq, Almende, APTA Technologies, Art Energy, BAM Energy Systems, ChessWise, Cloud Energy Optimizer, Deerns, DWA, DYSECO, Heroes, Kropman, Kuijpers, O-Nexus, OfficeVitae, Peutz, , Royal HaskoningDHV, Sensing360, Simaxx, Spectral, Strukton, SystemAir, Unica, W/E adviseurs

Others
Philips Real Estate, Rijksvastgoedbedrijf, Building G100, DGBC, FHI, FME/VLA, NEN, WOI