Sustainable Plus Energy Neighbourhoods

Syn.ikia aims at achieving sustainable plus energy neighbourhoods with more than 100% energy savings, 90% renewable energy generation triggered, 100% GHG emission reduction, and 10% life cycle costs reduction, compared to nZEB levels. This will be achieved while ensuring high quality indoor environment and well-being. Our main strategy for achieving these goals is to deliver a blueprint for sustainable plus energy buildings and neighbourhoods, leading the way to plus energy districts and cities, through: I. Demonstrating new designs and efficient operation of sustainable plus energy neighbourhoods through the balanced application of integrated energy design, energy- and cost-efficiency measures, local renewables, local storage, energy flexibility, and energy sharing and trading. This will be demonstrated in four real-life development projects with plus energy apartment blocks located in four climatic zones and representing four different types of urban development strategies. II. Delivering customized designs, innovative technologies, and decision support strategies and tools that enable informed decisions to be made by the key stakeholders in Europe. III. Encouraging community engagement and empower user’s control facilitated by digital platforms and driven by housing affordability, improved quality of life, and environmental consciousness to inform and enable behavioural change. IV. Unlocking the potential of neighbourhoods as flexibility providers that enable more RES to enter the system and allow for flexible management of energy demand and RES generation in neighbourhoods, to avoid costly reinforcements of distribution grids while improving the quality and reliability of supply. V. Providing big data based infrastructure management and smart networks that, together with new and validated construction technologies and materials, unlock the flexibility potential, enable community engagement, and provide well-managed housing for the citizens.