The SUREFIT technologies were demonstrated and validated in five real domestic buildings across different European climates — Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Northern.
Each demo site tested specific combinations of innovative prefabricated technologies to achieve significant reductions in energy use, CO₂ emissions, and renovation time, while improving indoor comfort and air quality.
Social house in Mafra Municipality, Portugal
(Update: February 2025)
Implemented technologies:
Measured impacts (simulated):
Key findings:
The Portuguese Pilot Building has recently undergone extensive renovations to improve living conditions, tackle key issues such as humidity and heat loss, and prepare for the integration of SUREFIT technologies. The Municipality of Mafra, which owns the building, has been responsible for part of this refurbishment. They have replaced windows and frames, and carried out internal waterproofing and painting to enhance the building's durability and aesthetic appeal. Additionally, CJR has made significant upgrades to the building's infrastructure. They have revamped the hydraulic and electrical systems, ensuring a more efficient and safer environment. Furthermore, CJR has replaced two windows and their frames to accommodate advanced technologies such as PV Vacuum Glazing and Window Heat Recovery. These specific interventions aim to boost energy efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and provide a more comfortable and sustainable living space. This comprehensive renovation not only addresses existing problems but also equips the building with state-of-the-art, eco-friendly technologies.
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Small apartment building in Peristeri, Greece
(Update: February 2025)
Implemented technologies:
Measured impacts:
Key findings:
The Surefit renovations in the Greek building concern the 1st floor of the building. The PV-Thermal system provided by SOLIMPEKS was installed. In addition, the WINCO membrane was installed on the ceiling of the ground floor (that is a non-heated/cooled space) in order to enforce the insulation of the 1st floor. The balcony doors of the 1st floor were replaced with double glazed energy efficient balcony doors with PVC frame and roller shutters. The prefabricated facade panels provided by CJR were installed on the North and South facades and the PV vacuum glazing windows provided by UNNOT, were placed in one balcony door on the South facade. Moreover, sensors and actuators for controlling the active systems was installed by AMS.
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Video Demonstration
Semi-detached house in Nottingham City, UK
(Update: February 2025)
Implemented technologies:
Measured impacts:
Key findings:
The Surefit project installed seven technologies that allowed the home to achieve significant reductions in primary energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and monthly operating costs to the residents. The technologies were monitored for 18-monhts, allowing assessment throughout the year, to include the long cooler winters and the warmer summers of the UK. The Smart Control system allowed the solar PV systems, heat pumps, window heat recovery unit, and storage systems to be controlled with minimal user input, providing comfort and optimum energy use. The novel insulation systems greatly reduced the heating and cooling requirements of the home.
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Mill houses in Valladolid, Spain
(Update: February 2025)
Implemented technologies:
Measured impacts (simulated):
Key findings:
The Surefit renovations in the Spanish building improved insulation, energy efficiency, and daylight management. A PV-Thermal system and prefabricated facade panels with silica aerogel and XPS were installed to enhance thermal performance. PV vacuum glazing windows and a breathable membrane further optimized insulation, while PCM panels contributed to temperature regulation. Smart controls and window heat recovery units improved energy efficiency, and daylight louvers enhanced natural lighting while reducing overheating risks. Monitoring results confirmed a nearly 60% reduction in primary energy consumption, improved airtightness, and lower thermal losses, demonstrating the effectiveness of prefabrication and renewable energy solutions in deep retrofits.
Photo Gallery
Video Demonstration
Prefabricated house, Finland
(Update: February 2025)
Implemented technologies:
Key findings:
The SUREFIT daylight louvers were installed on bedroom and dining room windows at the Finnish demo site. The installation, carried out by the team from AALTO, proceeded smoothly and was completed in a couple of hours. The apartment's occupant was present during the installation and had positive first impressions of the louvers. Subsequently, the remaining louvers for the balcony windows were also installed, with this process again proceeding without any issues and taking a few hours. Monitoring of the indoor conditions in the apartment is ongoing to determine the effectiveness of the louvers in improving them.
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The project leading to this application has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 894511.
This website reflects only the author’s view and that the European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
ONCONTROL TECHNOLOGIES
Oncontrol Technologies is a SME dedicated to engineering, automation, control and information technology systems. The company has large expertise in designing and deploying control infrastructure to industry. We offer services in all automation levels, from instrumentation to high level corporate information. Our solutions include, energy monitoring, advanced control, artificial intelligence and process monitoring & visualization. We employ Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Fuzzy logic, in our services to industry, in order to create value and gain insights from process and/or shop floor. We are also experts in remote monitoring solutions, specializing in systems where we need to have a PLC-based control. In these situations, our solutions provide data collecting and direct access to PLC for programming and system maintenance, which is different from other solutions in the market. The company has a complete portfolio of solutions to operational-technical-strategic levels. The company major success is an advanced control system, based on Fuzzy Logic, for mill optimization, to the cement and mining industry. Our control system has achieved improvements in the order of 4-10% and reduction of specific energy consumption (KW/ton) in the order of 5-20%.
CJR | CÂNDIDO
JOSÉ RODRIGUES S.A.
Founded in 1970, the CJR Group is a multinational business group, headquartered in Guimarães, Portugal, with projects in more than 20 countries. This group is segmented by two main companies, CJR, SA, being its core business the construction of roads and buildings and CJR Renewables, specialized on renewable energy sector. Over 50 years of operation, the company has been expanding its operational reach. The CJR, SA started its journey renting heavy machinery, an activity still in operation, alongside the construction of roads and infrastructures, becoming a full scope engineering and construction company, also acting on buildings, rehabilitation, urban projects and environmental projects. CJR Group is well known by its projects in engineering, construction and renewable energy.
AALTO | AALTO
KORKEAKOULUSAATIO SR
The New Energy Technologies Group (NEW) at Aalto University (formerly Helsinki University of Technology) in Espoo- Otaniemi, Finland is actively involved with the science and research of advanced energy technologies and systems. The Group has some 20 members working on solar cells, fuel cells and urban energy systems, including materials and complex systems work. The Group has worked in the past with PV-facades, BIPV technologies, Intelligent Buildings, Building Energy Simulations, Solar Cities, Polygeneration, among others. The New Group has operated in the past a test site for multifunctional facades, in particular advanced PV designs, such as thin film PV, translucent PV, and PV façade elements. This included also a fully-controlled PV testroom. The Group has several in-house simulation codes for advanced building energy simulations, incorporating multifunctional façade elements to whole building simulation environment including a range of buildingrelated RES technologies. This includes also polygeneration systems.
FSM | FUNDACIÓN SANTA MARÍA
LA REAL DEL PATRIMONIO
HISTÓRICO
https://www.santamarialareal.org/
FMS (Santa María la Real Foundation) is a non-profit organisation founded in 1977, whose fundamental mission is to promote sustainable development initiatives based on heritage and the natural and human environment of this heritage. It undertakes interdisciplinary works on the patrimony objects restoration, including architects, engineers, historians and restorers. Main activities are related to restoration or conservation of the old buildings, preserving their integration in a natural environment. Today, the institution has become a prime example that heritage can fuel economic development in an area. Moreover, the Santa María la Real Foundation has created a development model based on heritage that is being successfully exported to other places, regions and countries. In each and every one of Fundación Santa María la Real departments encourages the generation of ideas and projects based on the principles of quality, efficiency, and innovation so that heritage itself can become an element in generating socio-economic development.
KOST | KOESTER HELMUT OTTO
WILHELM
http://www.koester-lichtplanung.de/
KÖSTER Lichtplanung Ltd.’s daylight technology is worldwide applied for more than 20 years with over 400,000 m² glass roofs and facades. Here are some of the recent construction projects with daylight systems from the office KOST Lighting design: Bank Santander in São Paolo/Brazil; BlueWin Tower in Zurich / Switzerland; Headquarters of the SCHOTT Glass AG, Mainz/Germany; Highrise of the Energie AG, Linz/Austria; Triple Towers, Sofia/Bulgaria; Kassenärztliche Vereinigung KVWL, Dortmund/Germany; Standard Bank of South Africa, Johannesburg/South Africa; Central Bank of Kuwait; Laboratory building Hoffmann-La Roche, Basel/Switzerland; Building projects in Beijing/China; Office building BNP- Paribas, Paris/France.
PCM | PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL
PRODUCTS LTD
PCM Products Ltd. (PCM) specialises in phase change material (PCM) technologies/HVAC systems and their applications. The company has research and development facilities and also manufacturing base in the UK and license outlets around the world which offer bespoke products to meet unique customer and application requirements. The company has expertise in chemicals and materials including desiccants, PCMs and adsorbents. PCM is committed to providing improvements to current storage, heating/cooling technologies by offering more energy efficient and environmentally-acceptable solutions. For more than a decade, the company has been involved in the development of PCMs, energy storage, desiccant and HVAC systems. With unrivalled experience in designing and advising on PCM storage installations and applications, it continues to push the boundaries In desiccant materials usage for the benefit of its ever-growing customer base. In addition, PCM Products Ltd has been providing full consultancy and product development services for more than two decades.
WINCO TECHNOLOGIES
Founded in 1988, WINCO Technologies is a French company specialized in thermal and acoustic insulation. Acting in different countries all over Europe, Asia and America, WINCO Technologies has historical partnerships in automotive, iron and steel, petrochemical and military industries. In 2003, WINCO Technologies decided to share its know-how to the world of construction by providing innovative thermal insulation solutions. Based upon permanent innovation and entrepreneurship, WINCO Technologies vision is to improve energy efficiency, comfort and safety.
SOLIMPEKS ENERJI SANAYI
VE TICARET A.S.
SOLIMPEKS is a market leading provider of cutting edge technology in the solar energy field, established in Konya (Turkey) in 2009. It is part of a global network expanding over 70 countries, with over 40 years of experience in developing, manufacturing and distributing high end products for commercial and residential use. SOLIMPEKS manufactures the highly acclaimed aesthetically appealing Hybrid PV-Thermal (PV/T) solar collectors to achieve both hot water and power generation from the sun as a clean and free energy source. A combination of solar PV and solar thermal in a single unit, it is capable of delivering twice as much renewable energy in the same rooftop footprint as standard solar, therefore also delivering twice as much carbon displacement.
UNOTT | THE UNIVERSITY
OF NOTTINGHAM
University of Nottingham (UNOTT) is a research-led University in the United Kingdom with annual research awards totalling €190 million. It has the largest number of top-rated (by Higher Education Funding Council) Departments in UK Universities for research following Cambridge, Oxford and London Universities. It is the home of many ground breaking discoveries and inventions such as magnetic resonance imaging, and is also the 4th ranked UK University for research grant income from private industry.
AMSOLUTIONS | ADVANCED MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS
– PROIGMENES EREVNITIKES DIAHIRISTIKES EFARMOGES
AMSolutions Ltd is an SME, founded in 2004 with the goal to provide state-of-the-art technical services and contract research to both public and private companies. Its activities are focused on two main areas: • “Turnkey eco-solutions” improving the energy efficiency of the buildings. • Research, production, integration and application of various environmentally friendly materials to improve energy efficiency in building, including new insulating materials and coatings. • AMS has great experience in large civil engineering projects gathered during the Athens Olympics. It has extensive experience regarding advanced industrial applications, having successfully commissioned over 100 projects. • AMS has cooperated to the development and implementation of innovative eco-solutions with numerous companies active in building and the energy sector, ranging from oil processing to solar panel manufacturing.
ISQ | INSTITUTO DE SOLDADURA
E QUALIDADE
ISQ is a private non-profit making technological association with Public Utility status. ISQ’s mission is to contribute to the constant improvement of industry and services, resulting in an expanded international presence, by collaborating with the state, regional councils and businesses with regard to the sharing and development of technology, new products and processes, structured management practices and quality control, hygiene and safety, energy conservation and environmental protection, and systematic maximization of human resources. The strategy of ISQ growth goes through an increasingly important and sustained presence in the world having offices, branches and affiliates in 20 countries.
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