The main goal of Solar-Win is the industrial scale-up, validation under real-world operation conditions (TRL8) and commercialisation of next generation transparent and non-intrusive photovoltaic (PV) windows. The project will result in a unique transparent and electricity-generating window that merges the functionality of a PV module and a window in one, allowing a strong increase in the surface available in the building for generation of PV electricity. Solar-Win will revolutionize the Building Integrated PV (BIPV) and the architectural sectors, by providing a PV window solution featuring a unique set of characteristics, namely: (1) transparent and visually non-intrusive windows (with controlled visible transparency from 40% to 75%) able to generate up to 30 W/m2 of green electricity; (2) full compatibility with existing window manufacturing technologies; (3) lifespan equivalent to standard windows (20 years); and (4) cost effectiveness (cost increase of just 30% with respect to a standard window). To achieve these goals, solar-Win involves two Technology-based SMEs (PHYSEE and SUNPLUGGED from the Smart Window and PV sectors, respectively) coordinated by a flagship RTD organisation with a strong experience and background in technology transfer and optimisation of advanced PV technologies (IREC) and a leader constrution company (ACCIONA) which is the main costumer segment. The Project concept relies on the solar window patented technology developed by PHYSEE at TRL6, and on the highly flexible PV technology of SUNPLUGGED, which will be further optimised and customised for Solar-Win application. Solar-Win will overcome a major barrier that presently limits a further deployment of BIPV solutions, which relates to its intrusive character. Moreover, Solar-Win will allow achieving a disruptive advance extending drastically the possibilities for integration of PV solutions to virtually any kind of buildings, just by installing and/or replacing building windows.

STILORMADE will validate an innovative technology platform (developed by S’Tile) for the design and manufacture of customized (non-standard) photovoltaic modules achieving >18% module efficiency with tailored mode of operation (current and voltage), >99% production reproducibility, operational thermal (environmental) stability, and mechanical flexibility; at a production cost of 50% power (efficiency) improvement compared to existing custom modules at >30% lower costs. The design freedoms enabled by the STILORMADE platform empower product designers to fully integrate customized PV systems into their product architectures with beautiful / stylised aesthetic appeal and without compromising performance or cost. Flexible automated production processes enable the platform to rapidly reconfigure to the needs of niche markets enabling rapid growth through mass customisation. Cell and module design and simulation software developed by TU-Wien will be upgraded to enable faster design and optimisation of custom modules meeting unique client requirements. The customised modules will be integrated into two product applications (Building Integrated Photovoltaics and Solar Street Lighting) representing two of the largest markets for non-standard solar cells and validated at market replication sites in Spain, Israel and France. Market replication results will be demonstrated to over300 potential users (manufacturers of solar street lighting products, architects, construction companies, etc…) and stakeholders to accelerate market takeup and exploitation. This will enable the consortium to capture ~1.5% of the €7 billion global customised modules market five years after commercialisation, translating to consortium revenues of over €200m and a >66 fold return on investment.

Air cargo has experienced tremendous growth. Essential components and open field of technological advancement are air-cargo containers (ULDs) which have not followed the technological advances of aircraft structures and systems. The faced challenges are: reduce ULD and aircraft weight; enhance container fire/smoke detection and suppression; eliminate permanent moving and locking hardware; enhance flight safety, loading/unloading logistics and maintenance. The main goal of the proposal is to develop, manufacture and validate a new intelligent lightweight aircraft cargo container with integrated functions for restrain, transportation, fire/smoke suppression, with sensing and wireless monitoring capabilities. The outlined approach entails development of a full composite ULD, manufactured by low cost, high output methods (pultrusion, RTM). Following common certification practice, a building block approach is employed to design and validate the container. A self-moving platform allowing the motion of the ULD inside and outside the aircraft. Low-cost and low-energy sensors in the container track status (ID, location, locking state) and detect critical events, fire/smoke, impacts and accidental misuse. The status of each container will be available to the pilots though a wireless communication network, such that problems would be detected and proper measures would be taken. Lab-scale and full-scale tests are proposed for the validation of the ULD. Obtained numerical and test data will pave the routes to certification and industrialization. The ambition of the project is to provide a major break-through in the state of the art of current ULD technology and aircraft cargo operations. Substantial impact is anticipated on the CleanSky program, the reduction of aircraft payload and weight, safety, maintenance and lean aircraft operation processes. INTELLICONT will be a game changer for the air-cargo industry with substantial broader impact on air-cargo handling operations.

Intelligent Energy Europe expects district heating to double its share of the European heat market by 2020 while district cooling will grow to 25%. While this expansion will translate into 2.6% reduction in the European primary energy need and 9.3% of all carbon emissions, it will not be achieved through modernization and expansion alone but requires fundamental technological innovation to make the next generation of district heating and cooling (DHC) systems highly efficient and cost effective to design, operate and maintain. E2District aims to develop, deploy, and demonstrate a novel cloud enabled management framework for DHC systems, which will deliver compound energy cost savings of 30% through development of a District Simulation Platform to optimise DHC asset configuration targeting >5% energy reduction, development of intelligent adaptive DHC control and optimisation methods targeting an energy cost reduction between 10 and 20%, including flexible production, storage and demand assets, and system-level fault detection and diagnostics, development of behaviour analytics and prosumer engagement tools to keep the end user in the loop, targeting overall energy savings of 5%. Development of a flexible District Operation System for the efficient, replicable and scalable deployment of DHC monitoring, intelligent control, FDD and prosumer engagement, development of novel business models for DHC Operators, Integrators and Designers, validation, evaluation, and demonstration of the E2District platform, and development of strong and rigorous dissemination, exploitation and path-to-market strategies to ensure project outcomes are communicated to all DHC stakeholders. E2District addresses specifically the call’s objective related to the development of optimisation, control, metering, planning and modelling tools including consumer engagement and behaviour analytics and supports the integration of multiple generation sources, including renewable energy and storage.

District Heating and Cooling networks distribute energy from a centralized generation plant to a number of remote customers. As such, actual DHC systems suffer from • significant heat losses • highly unexplored integration potential of different available energy sources (e.g. renewables and waste heat) into the network • high installation costs. FLEXYNETS will develop, demonstrate and deploy a new generation of intelligent district heating and cooling networks that reduce energy transportation losses by working at “neutral” temperature levels. Reversible heat pumps and chillers will be used to exchange heat with the DHC network on the demand side. In this way, the same network can provide contemporary heating and cooling. FLEXYNETS solutions will integrate effectively multiple generation sources (including high- and low-temperature solar thermal, biomass, PV, cogeneration and waste heat) where they are available along the DHC network, by managing energy at different temperature levels and assuring optimized exergy exploitation. Together with storages, control strategies that optimize the harvest of renewable energy sources are key from the technical and economic points of view. On the one hand, strategies will be assessed that assure a thermal balance among diffused heat generation, storage and utilization. On the other, policies will be elaborated to decide when energy is to be gathered locally or exchanged (both purchased and sold) with the electricity and gas networks. The optimal management of such new generation networks will lead to a synergic effect on primary energy savings (hence on the reduction of the CO2 emissions), assuring at the same time investment and operation profitability. As such, FLEXYNETS will contribute to a higher penetration of smart DHC networks on the heating and cooling market, and will contribute to the European recovery plan.