The energy efficiency rating, the construction elements and the techniques and materials used are all factors determining the total energy consumption and environmental impact of the buildings that surround us. EnergyVille will help you reduce the environmental impact and energy consumption of buildings, building materials, technical systems and renewable energy systems.

EBECS

AN ENERGY-SAVING ALGORITHM FOR RENOVATORS

32 % renewable energy and 30 % less energy consumption by 2030. Those are the EU targets representing a major challenge for the government, the industry and householders in Flanders. In the energy system of tomorrow, fossil fuels will make way for renewable energy from the sun, wind, biomass and heat from below the ground. We will also be investing in energy-efficient homes wherever it is financially viable. Companies can use the EnergyVille Building Energy Calculation Service (EBECS) to help private individuals change to renewable energy and invest in boosting the energy efficiency of their homes.

The most accurate energy renovation tool 

Calculations for an EPB or EPC certificate only take into account the building itself. As its basis, EBECS uses the actual energy consumption of the home, the family’s composition and the behaviour of its residents. The tool consists of a set of algorithms that your company can use as a starting point, around which to build your application.

EBECS benefits

  • EBECS lets you select and simulate a variety of renovation measures
  • The algorithm shows the energy consumption reduction you can achieve
  • How much the owner will save on his/her energy bill
  • Total investment costs
  • Payback period

How does it work?

Online questionnaire

the renovating home owner fills in their address, along with information about their property, family and energy consumption. EBECS utilizes birds-eye views generated by the Flemish government, to calculate the dimensions of the house. Based on the volume of the home, the surface areas of the roof, the size of the plot and the façades, together with the answers to the questions, the tool calculates the most effective options when it comes to saving energy.

Supplying the data

you give us the date about your dwellings and about your customers’ consumption. The more detailed the data, the more extensive our savings recommendations will be.

Data from sensors

EBECS 2.0 directly receives data from sensors inside the home.

KBC uses EBECS for its Energy and Renovation Check. The algorithm tells KBC clients the extent to which their home fulfils the objectives of the Flemish Energy Plan 2021-2030:

  • What energy-saving measures do their homes need?
  • What are the costs of each measure?
  • How much can they save each year on their energy bill?

Added value for

  • Construction companies
  • Distribution network controllers
  • Energy suppliers
  • Energy auditors
  • Real estate websites
  • Investors and financial institutions

Building energy management

Balancing and buffering energy

First, we calculate the energy demand of buildings. We then take account of the living and working habits of the users. Based on these findings, an smart optimisation system controls the solar panels and the heat pumps of each building and aligns energy demand with the supply of the available self-generated energy available. That way, the buildings make maximum use of the energy they produce. Buffer vessels and batteries provide additional flexibility.

Our software does not only use the electricity generated by the solar panels to power our VITO building in Mol. It also supplies the charging points for electric vehicles.

Energy flexibility – smart control of the available energy supply

A large number of tools are currently available to help you reduce your energy consumption. The next step is energy flexibility – skillfully managing the supply and demand and the surpluses and shortages of energy in order to optimize sustainable energy production.

Buildings use about 40% of energy in the EU and generate 36% of CO2 emissions.

Benefits 

Next-generation recommendations to achieve optimum and flexible energy consumption
They enhance the profile of your company or product within the market as an example for others to follow

Building energy management systems are useful for:

  • Energy suppliers
  • Network controllers
  • Installation companies
  • Construction companies
  • Project developers
  • Domotics producers
  • Energy-intensive industrial companies

REnnovates

249 homes renovated to make them fully energy-neutral - REnnovates is a European project that sets out to renovate homes to make them energy-neutral, by minimising their energy consumption and by maximising the use of renewable energy. In the Netherlands, 249 homes have already been renovated and made energy-neutral. Each was first fitted with a building shell containing the right amount of insulation. After that, each one was fitted with solar panels, a heat pump and a smart control system, and connected to a smart network. The control software was developed by VITO/EnergyVille. Consumption equals the amount of energy produced on site Thanks to solar panels, the homes actually generate electricity themselves and are heated using the heat pumps, which are also powered by the solar panels.

The smart network:

  • Controls the heat pumps
  • Captures the surplus energy flow from the solar panels and stores it in batteries
  • Coordinates energy demand with energy supply

The annual consumption in the homes equals the amount of green electricity they produce themselves. Software by vito/energyville

Thanks to the energy data captured from the homes, the software becomes even smarter over time. We are continually developing, testing and evaluating the algorithms.

Publications

Dynamic modelling of operational energy use in a building LCA: A case study of a Belgian office building
Year: 
2023
Journal: 
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
Ramon, D; Allacker, K; Trigaux, D; Wouters, H; van Lipzig, NPM
Life cycle assessment of geothermal plants targeting the lower carboniferous limestone reservoir in northern Belgium
Year: 
2022
Journal: 
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
Gkousis, S; Harcouet-Menou, V; Damen, L; Welkenhuysen, K; Laenen, B; Compernolle, T
Assessing and Developing Circular Deep Renovation Interventions towards Decarbonisation: The Italian Pilot Case of "Corte Palazzo" in Argelato
Year: 
2022
Journal: 
SUSTAINABILITY
Mazzoli, C; Corticelli, R; Dragonetti, L; Ferrante, A; Van Oorschot, J; Ritzen, M

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