Integration of innovative and conventional renewable technologies in nearly Zero-Energy Buildings

The effective implementation of nearly zero energy buildings requires the use of proper energy technologies as well as the use of smart and efficient energy management systems. This work shows the main results of the European project Re-COGNITION, which tackles both aspects. In terms of technologies, the development of a biogas-fuelled micro cogeneration unit, a lightweight glass-free photovoltaic modules, a passive variable geometry small wind turbine, a latent heat thermal storage based on phase change materials and a hybrid solar cooling systems is presented. In addition, two tools for the optimal design and the optimal operation of the building energy system are considered. The full infrastructure is applied to various pilots (Turin (IT), Corby (UK), Thessaloniki (GR), Cluj-Napoca (RO)). The main technological advancements and the preliminary simulation results are discussed. It is shown that optimal exploitation of new technologies through optimization strategies provide significant benefits in terms of reductions of costs and emissions. The analysis in this paper is mainly focused on the use of an innovative thermal storage unit.