SMART DeCARB

Smart Sector Coupling for Decarbonisation of Public Buildings (SMART DeCARB)

Priority Axis 2: Green investments in environmental protection and efficient risk management
Operation start date: 1 July 2024
Operation completion date: 31 December 2026
Budget: EUR 1.321.620,90
Number of partners: 5

Operation purpose and expected achievements:
The project deals with the issue of energy inefficiency of public buildings in Karlovac County and the cities of Bihać and Nikšić. Project will tackle several challenges: unavailability of energy data for public buildings, lack of digital tools to assess potential decarbonization measures and the low level of awareness of the availability of innovative RES/EE technologies. The project will develop, test and implement pilot solutions and provide support for building the capacity of stakeholders to carry out the decarbonisation of public buildings. Through the project a tool for managing energy data for public buildings will be developed and tested, as well as a tool for optimizing technical RES solutions for the decarbonization of building energy systems, and three pilot investments in different types of public buildings (schools, administrative buildings and innovation centres) will be implemented. The project will also establish and support three regional decarbonisation hubs in Karlovac, Bihać and Nikšić that will provide support for stakeholder capacity building and assistance in decarbonisation of buildings.

Beneficiaries:

The Lead Partner (LP), North-West Croatia Regional Energy and Climate Agency (HR), is responsible to form a group of technical experts that will develop and pilot the Energy Data Management Tool (EDM). LP will work on mapping public buildings in the pilot region and collect energy data for the EDM Tool’s database. REGEA will be responsible for development of a Tool for the optimisation of RES technical solutions for the decarbonisation of building’s energy systems, assist the Karlovac County with the implementation of decarbonization investments in school in Karlovac, assess the potentials for implementation of virtual power plants in partner regions, perform capacity building programme for RAUSK and Tehnopolis, work on piloting and establishment of the Regional Decarbonisation Hub in Karlovac, and perform capacity building for project replicators.

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Karlovac County (HR) is responsible of implementing decarbonisation investments in Mixed industrial-craft school in Karlovac (solar power plant with hybrid exchangers, battery blocks and 2 charging stations for electrical vehicles, solar bench and sensors for measuring indoor air quality, electricity, water, natural gas and thermal energy consumption meters). PP2 will test the functionality of the EDM Tool, map public buildings in the pilot region, collect energy data which will become a part of the EDM Tool’s database and select public buildings for further technical analysis through feasibility studies. Karlovac County will become a part of the Regional Decarbonisation Hub in Karlovac.

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Development Agency of Una-Sana (BA) RAUSK is responsible for development and piloting of the EDM Tool, collection of energy data for EDM Tool’s database and piloting of Tool for optimization of RES technical solutions for decarbonisation of building’s energy systems and assessing the potentials for implementation of virtual power plants in BA. PP3 will take part in the internal capacity building programme performed by LP, work on piloting and establishment of the Regional Decarbonisation Hub in Bihać, perform capacity building for project replicators in other regions in BA, organize the peer review session, and promote the project.

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City of Bihać (BA) is responsible for the pilot partner setting and testing the functionality of the EDM Tool, mapping public buildings in the pilot region and collecting energy data for the EDM Tool’s database. PP4 will monitor the piloting of the Tool for the optimisation of RES technical solutions for the decarbonisation of building energy systems, and it is in charge of implementing decarbonisation investments in its administrative building in Bihać (solar power plant, a battery system and a charger for electric vehicles, heat pump, solar bench and monitoring of heating system, consumption, thermal energy and electricity production, air quality monitoring). The City of Bihać will participate in the internal capacity-building programme performed by LP, and will be a part of the Regional Decarbonisation Hub in Bihać.

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Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Tehnopolis (ME) will assist with the development and piloting of the EDM Tool, collection of energy data for EDM Tool’s database, assist the City of Nikšić with selection of public buildings for further technical analysis in form of feasibility studies, and work on piloting of Tool for optimization of RES technical solutions for decarbonisation of building’s energy systems. PP5 is responsible for implementation of decarbonization investments in their innovation centre in Nikšić (solar power plant with battery storage, charger for electric vehicle, electric vehicle, monitoring energy and air quality) and assessment of the potentials for implementation of virtual power plants in ME. Tehnopolis will work on piloting and establishment of the Regional Decarbonisation Hub in Nikšić and organize the final project conference.

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