Today, the BIPED (Building Intelligent Positive Energy Districts) project team convened for the first day of meetings at the DTU campus in Copenhagen, marking an important milestone in the development of the BIPED approach to building innovative positive energy districts (PEDs).
This gathering brought together the whole consortium to share updates, undertake workshops and advance steps for creating sustainable, energy-efficient districts, starting with Brabrand in Aarhus. Updates from the team include:
Cross-Sectoral Collaboration for Positive Energy Districts
The day kicked off with discussions on cross-sectoral soft data modelling. A significant focus was on collecting traffic data to establish a comprehensive traffic model for Aarhus. This initiative will integrate a macroscopic traffic model, with an API currently being developed to facilitate data accessibility.
User Stories and Data Accessibility
A request made during the meeting was to work on understanding the need to build user stories aimed at forging connections with relevant data owners. This "human-in-the-loop" model seeks to enhance data accessibility regarding occupied properties, contributing to the overall indoor climate and energy consumption modelling for buildings.
Data Space Provisioning and Stakeholder Engagement
The team has made strides in establishing connections to the EU data space to introduce
BIPED functionalities. They conducted two webinars, two workshops, and a series of open debates, highlighting their commitment to stakeholder engagement. The objective is to democratise the Positive Energy District (PED) concept, ensuring broad participation and support.
Framework Development for Aarhus
As the project progresses, the need to establish and extend the PED assessment framework was emphasised, particularly concerning Aarhus's district heating systems. The team plans to model and assess the flexibility of various options, with activities set to commence in early 2025.
Ethical Considerations and Data Management
An important aspect of the meeting was the discussion around privacy and ethical implications. While no immediate risks have been identified, the team is proactively addressing ethical concerns. A data management plan was delivered, as well as a privacy and ethics Local Data Transfer (LDT) implementation manual which is a living document continuously updating best practices for data handling and compliance with the EU AI Act.
Evaluation Methodologies
Evaluation and assessment methodologies were also a focal point. The team discussed
employing a blend of Cost Effectiveness Analysis (CEA), Social Cost Benefit Analysis (SCBA), and Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) to measure the 'energy' initiatives undertaken with the digital twin technology. This approach will help quantify the project's impact and inform future strategies. Exploring potential KPIs under specific project themes was extremely important in order to capture growing impact of the digital twin development and use. However, we reminded ourselves as a Consortium that our focus is on outcomes, and not just the technology itself. This project is not about an absolute outcome, rather its a journey.
The final sessions of the day focused on hosting for the digital twin, and on aligning the different types of stakeholder engagement taking place within BIPED. After a long day, the team concluded discussions over a well-deserved project dinner.
Stay tuned for insights from Day Two!
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