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Digital building logbook

The European Commission’s Renovation Wave strategy​ [1]​ states that “The Commission will introduce Digital Building Logbooks that will integrate all building related data provided by the upcoming Building Renovation Passports Smart Readiness Indicators, Level(s) and EPCs to ensure compatibility and integration of data throughout the renovation journey”. 

 

A digital building logbook is a common repository for all relevant building data. Functioning as a dynamic tool that allows a variety of data, information and documents to be recorded, accessed, enriched and organised under specific categories​ [2]​. The purpose of this novel concept is to ensure all relevant data is stored and made available to various stakeholders to support their decision-making process. For the building owner, it can enrich a Building Renovation Passport (i.e. a renovation plan for the specific building) and improve the likelihood the renovation decision is well-informed in terms of economic, environmental and social parameters. It can improve circularity by enabling construction and waste companies to identify certain materials and effectively dismantle the building at the end of its lifetime. Furthermore, it can help local authorities to plan for carbon neutral (or positive energy) districts as the logbook comprises detailed information on all the buildings. The logbook can therefore allow the local authorities to more accurately match local energy demands with energy supply (e.g. how many buildings must be renovated for low-temperature district heating to be feasible in a specific district). The instrument can also be used to drive local collective decarbonisation efforts. For example, by aggregating demand for energy renovation solutions or renewable energy installations. Furthermore, the digital building logbook can also help local authorities to more easily and accurately monitor the mitigation progress of the building stock.  

 

(Source: BPIE for Horizon 2020 project X-tendo, 2021 ​[2]​) 

 

The sub-type benefits the Digital Building Logbook can bring to enable smart and sustainable cities, are several including,:  

 

Drive local collective decarbonisation efforts. The decarbonisation efforts of buildings and cities need to become more harmonised for the EU to reach its long-term objectives. The Digital Building Logbook could be used to aggregate demand for renovations in a district, where renovation needs more easily could be identified. The Digital Building Logbook could be a useful tool in the transformation towards positive energy districts. [3] 

 

Support local authorities. The Digital Building Logbook can be used to monitor the progress towards climate and sustainability goals. For example, it is used in Flanders (Belgium) to monitor the progress of the building stock towards the long-term target. Furthermore, the Digital Building Logbook could be used to support local authorities to develop better energy and climate plans, where the logbook provides detailed information about every buildings, including which measures are required in the future. [3] 

 

Support local one-stop shops for energy renovations with data. Deep renovation is a complex process that involves a complete overhaul of a building. Most people are aware that better insulation of walls, roofs and basements will lower the energy consumption of the household but they have little information on what the benefits entail, who to contact, what measures to prioritise or which order they should be implemented. Digital Building Logbooks can enrich one-stop shops with data, enabling them to provide a stronger case for why the building owner should invest in an energy renovation. [3] 

 

Facilitate circularity in the building sector. The Digital Building Logbook can enable circularity in construction and buildings through deconstruction, reuse and recycling of materials. The logbook can include information on which materials the building comprise and where these are places, which will facilitate a more effective recycling process. Furthermore, it can improve traceability of materials and chemical substances. [3] 

 

Support the development of Building Renovation Passports. A building renovation passport provides a long-term, tailored renovation roadmap for a specific building, following a calculation based on available data and/or an on-site audit by an expert. The available data in the Digital Building Logbook allows for a more precise and cost-effective Building Renovation Passports to be developed. [5] 

(Source: VEKA – Flemish Energy and Climate Agency. Illustration of their operational Woningpas, which is the main inspiration for the digital building logbook)  ​​​​​​​

MATURITY: Look at sub-types of solutions.  

 

The core of the Digital Building Logbook is the technical solution allowing it to integrate data from several different sources (existing databases, smart thermostats etc.) and enable different stakeholder to access sections of this data. The technological innovations are related to data governance issues, including data matching, storage and security. EU projects and frontrunner cases have shown it is possible to establish a logbook interconnecting different data sources. The Digital Building Logbook concept will be further developed under Horizon Europe (2021 call). Activities are expected to start at TRL 5 and achieve TRL 7 by the end of the project. The main hampering barriers relate to data governance issues (privacy, security etc.) and data ownership limitations.  

 

CO-BENEFITS
KEYWORDS
PRE-CONDITIONS & ENABLING CONDITIONS
CONSTRAINTS/BARRIERS FOR IMPLEMENTATION
DRAWBACKS/ADVERSE IMPACTS OF THE SOLUTIONS after implementation
EXTERNAL LINKS
IMPACTS (Indicators + DNSH)
INSTRUMENTS/Processes for implementation
EXAMPLES

In this collection

Grey water treatment (including Nature Based Solutions) and reuse

Greywater is the wastewater generated in households or office buildings without serious contaminants, such as water from baths, sinks and washing machines. Greywater can be separated from blackwater (water from toilets or kitchens) and then treated on-site for direct reuse in toilets recharge or irrigation. Greywater is a relevant secondary source of water and nutrients. Many studies have analysed the environmental, economic, and energetic benefits of the reuse of greywater [1][2][6][7]. Greywater treatment systems can be introduced in new buildings or in existing buildings with retrofitting measures. There are different greywater treatment systems: diversion and filtration, diversion and treatment (using chemicals), or nature-based solutions (NBS). 

 

Traditional greywater treatment 

Greywater treatment by mechanical systems is typically based on filtration or treatment with chemicals. In filtration, the aim is to remove impurities using filters, with typically a few or several filters in a row in order to guarantee good results. In a purifying process done with chemicals, the aim is to add chemicals that bind impurities, which are then removed from the water, for example, by filters. The mechanical treatment can start with a settlement tank, where coarse particles settle in the bottom of the tank and are then removed. After that, the greywater flows through filters, typically first gravel and sand and then biological filters like wood or peat. Last, if needed, ultraviolet light or chemicals are used to remove potential bacteria. 

Green roof and greywater treatment [7] 

 

Grey water recovery system [10] 

The first filter is a biofilter, which removes the fats and oil. The sand and gravel filter removes small particulates and other impurities. 

 

NBS-based greywater treatment 

Nature-based solutions (NBS) applications are typically constructed wetlands, green roofs, and green walls [1][2][3]. 

 

Several studies have shown that NBS-based greywater treatment has high removal performances [1][5], indicating the suitability of these systems in treating domestic greywater. Planning and design parameters should be carefully considered when implementing NBS; high residence time of water can be especially important for grey water treatment efficiency (see e.g., [1]). To optimize the removal processes in NBS, appropriate plant species and substrates (as growing material), optimal hydraulic parameters, and suitable operating conditions are needed.  

 

The decentralized process consists of several stages: (i) greywater separation, (ii) storage, (iii) treatment by innovative NBS as multi-level green walls/green façades, or by mechanical systems as multi-layer filters and activated carbon, and (iv) final disinfection using commercial O3/UV systems (Ozone and Ultraviolet).  

MATURITY:  

 

Some building-level solutions for grey water treatment and reuse (including nature-based) are commercially available, for example:  

 

  • Aqua Gratis is a technology to capture and reuse the bath and shower water for flushing toilets. The solution is at the stage of initial market commercialisation. The technology development of Aqua Gratis was funded by the EU. 

  • REDI gives a solution for single-family houses, where the treated greywater can be used for watering the garden. 

  • Disinfection can be done with commercially available solutions, e.g. with ozone and ultraviolet (UV) light. 

 

Some examples of pilots are: 

 

  • Greywater treatment with nature-based solutions for indoor or outdoor modules in multi-level green walls/green façades was carried out in Houseful. The project tested also ozone and ultraviolet light for disinfection.  

  • Water management systems and how to monitor and collect water condition information for urban water management platforms were piloted in UNaLab. 

  • Green walls and constructed wetlands were piloted in NAWAMED, with a focus on grey water treatment from a public building, a parking area, and a refugee camp. 

  • A service model for grey water treatment with NBS was tested in Houseful. The service model considers a leasing contract and a payment fee per m3 of water treated and reused. 

 

The nature-based grey water systems have been tested in a rather short period of time (e.g., some months to 1–2 years). Since the operating time of grey water treatment should be closer to 15-20 years, a further full-scale testing is still needed. [1]. 

Passive building design strategies: building orientation, passive heating and cooling

Passive building design means providing passive heating, passive cooling, and natural ventilation to maintain comfortable indoor conditions with no need for energy, by taking advantage of location (climate), orientation, massing, shading, material selection, thermal mass, insulation, internal layout and the positioning of openings to allow the penetration of solar radiation, daylight, and ventilation in the desired amounts [1–8]. When duly applied, passive design strategies are a designer’s first opportunity to increase a building’s energy efficiency, without adding much less front-end cost to a project as compared to active design strategies. Efficient passive design results in smaller heating and cooling loads (so that the building’s mechanical system – if any – can be downsized) and smaller electric loads for lighting through the use of daylighting design strategies.  

 

Beyond local climate, building orientation is a key aspect for passive design. The most energy-efficient designs are facing south or north to allow better solar energy management and better quality of daylighting. Building shape is also very relevant in the design, as an elongated and narrow plant (with south or north facing façade) allows for more of the building to be receive daylight. Shading strategies properly combined with other passive design strategies are also required, especially in hot climates [9,10]. Since the main difficulty in designing natural ventilation systems driven by buoyancy and wind is the simultaneous estimation of ventilation airflows and indoor temperatures, solar chimneys are used [11,12]. A solar chimney is a vertical shaft utilizing solar energy to enhance natural ventilation. 

 

Passive heating can be achieved by capturing the heat from the sun inside the building. Tweaking the window-to-wall ratio and the building exposure to the sun, all the while controlling for the thermal mass, heat flows and insulation allows to effectively store, distribute and retain the heat. The thermal mass defines the capacity to absorb, store and release heat. Heavyweight construction materials like concrete, brick and stone exhibit large thermal mass that can be used to effectively store the heat over peak hours and release it overnight. 

Passive building design. Figure from

 

Passive cooling is a set of design strategies to reduce heat gains and favour heat dispersion. Many methods exist and include using solar shadings as well as designing openings in such a way to allow good ventilation (such as solar chimneys). Shading can either be operable (external louvres, blinds, and deciduous trees) or fixed (e.g. eaves, overhangs, fences and evergreen trees). 

 

 '

Shading devices for north-facing openings. 

Figure from https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design 

 

Passive design strategies are rated in different standards, such as PassivHaus (Passive House), BREEAM, LEED or WELL. 

 

The literature shows that today there are many net-zero, nearly-zero energy, and certified Passive House buildings worldwide, in different climate or geographic regions. Most are in Europe and North America, followed by New Zealand, Kore, Japan, China, and India [1]. Literature also shows that is it possible to achieve at least the Passive House energy standard of performance in all climate zones [13]. 

 

MATURITY:  

 

Although individual passive techniques are already commercial, their holistic implementation in buildings is still at TRL=4-6. 

Citizen Participation Platforms

E-participation [1][2][3][4][5] enables citizens to use digital technologies or platforms, e.g., combination of geographic information systems (GIS), Web 2.0 and mobile technologies (including video, mobile messaging and Internet access), for communication, engagement and deliberation on policy or planning challenges.  

 

Engagement and participation are vital tools in climate adaptation and environmental decision making as these entail increased community acceptance, support for climate actions, and provide new insights based on local knowledge [12]. Citizens can be consumers as well as producers of useful data for policy development and decision making (WeGovNow, Smarticipate, AI4PublicPolicy). 

 

There are multiple degrees of citizen participation ranging from passive, i.e., being simply informed, to responsive, i.e., contribute to consultation, to active, i.e., being fully empowered by having final decisions delegated to them (see Arnstein’s ladder [6]) [7]. In e-participation initiatives, both top-down (i.e., issues identified by public authority) and bottom-up (i.e., citizens led initiative) approaches can be applied. As multiple actors (i.e., different departmental units) are involved in the provision of e-participation, cross-organizational issues related to ownership and accountability may arise [3].  

 

Technologies supporting government processes (GovTech) can add great value to participatory processes (e.g., access to sensor kits, web portals and data), as shown by examples of Madrid (Decide Madrid), Bristol (Bristol Approach to citizen sensing – e.g., air quality, solid fuel burning etc.) [7], and Brussels (Curieuzenair). E-participation is usually considered part of e-government [5]. 

 

E-Government (or Electronic-Government) [1][2][8] refers to the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to government functions and procedures with the objective to increase efficiency of government agencies, enhance delivery of public services, and facilitate low cost and faster public engagement with public authorities. A comparative survey [8] of global e-government performance of municipalities highlights the best e-governance practices. It uses five categories of measures: privacy and security, usability, content, service and citizen and social engagement. For citizen and social engagement category Shanghai, Auckland, Seoul, Madrid, Paris, and Lisbon are ranked top cities for year 2018-19. 

 

Open Governance [9] is about transparency of and access to government data and decision making process so that innovative forms of collaborative actions (i.e. bottom-up and top-down) can be applied to solve policy problems, raise awareness, increase public participation, change behaviour, promote e-democracy, and revolutionise traditional service provision [10][11]. It is closely associated with open government data that can provide new insights about issues and services as well as offers the opportunities to participate, comment and influence plans and policy agenda to foster greater citizen participation. 

 

 

E-participation solutions range from responding to planning e.g., top-down to bottom-up urban regeneration [Smarticipate] or policy challenge [WeGovNow] or reporting a local problem (e.g., Bristol’s FixMyStreet); or bottom-up budget planning (e.g., Helsinki’s participatory budgeting) or accessing open data (e.g., Hamburg’s Transparency portal).  

 

There are several e-participation initiatives where various ICT tools are used to deliver different public services. For instance,  

Cross border e-governance initiatives such as [ACROSS], [DE4A] and [GLASS] go beyond one city’s public administrative level (even at EU level and beyond [iKaaS]) and deal with cross-border interoperable, mobile [mGov4EU] and privacy-aware public services.  

MATURITY: 

 

Many e-government and e-participation tools are available at higher TRL and are already being used by municipalities for public services and e-participation, e.g., open source Consul platform is being used in 35 countries by 135 institutions; Similarly, Organicity tools are used for over 35 experiments in various cities. 

 

Some of the example solutions fall under validation and demonstration category such as DUET and Smarticipate.  

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Last update: April 26, 2023

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