Electrical technologies and energy interoperability: the META BUILD project in Bolzano

How is the technological landscape of building electrification evolving? What are the most relevant innovations in open and interoperable digital energy services? And how are the challenges related to the implementation of these systems being addressed in the different European regulatory contexts?

These are some of the issues addressed by the META BUILD project, an initiative funded by the Horizon Europe program that aims to decarbonize the building sector through an integrated approach based on electrification, energy flexibility and digitalization.

In recent days, the 40 project partners gathered for a 3-day technical meeting in Bolzano, hosted by the Eurac Research Institute , to take stock of the progress achieved and define the next actions.

The European comparison in Bolzano

During the 3-day workshop, participants presented the latest updates on the pilot projects currently underway , which include the adoption of brine-to-water heat pumps, hybrid systems, district heating networks and the integration of second-life batteries.
The solutions analyzed have been studied and applied in real contexts, in order to test their operational effectiveness and evaluate their replicability in other scenarios.

One of the central themes was the role of local stakeholders and the management of regulatory complexities , which are fundamental elements for the actual success of the projects. The partners also discussed aspects related to the financing of experimental activities, the definition of digital interfaces for interoperability and co-design with territorial actors.

Particular attention has been paid to the new hybrid solar panel developed by the consortium, capable of producing both electrical and thermal energy from a single unit. Prototypes are at an advanced stage and the first results are expected in the coming months.

In the next steps, the META BUILD project will focus on the development of open application programming interfaces (APIs) , which are essential to ensure seamless communication between different energy systems and facilitate the integration of technologies into buildings. In parallel, the prototyping and the analysis of critical issues related to installation and regulatory compliance in the various EU Member States will continue.

META BUILD: A European Ecosystem for Decarbonised Building

Funded under the Horizon Europe programme, the META BUILD project aims to actively contribute to the decarbonisation of the European building stock through the electrification of air conditioning systems, the promotion of energy flexibility and the digitalisation of management services.

Thanks to a complex network of partners, the project intends to concretely demonstrate how innovative solutions can be applied in real scenarios, accelerating the energy transition and promoting greater sustainability in the construction sector.