The ICT Roadmap for Energy-Efficient Neighbourhoods (IREEN)

Framework: FP7 — Cooperation
Programme: Information and Communication Technologies
Destination: ICT for a low carbon economy
Action type: Coordination and support actions
Countries involved: United Kingdom,France,Finland,Spain,Netherlands,Italy,Austria
Call:  (FP7-2011-NMP-ENV-ENERGY-ICT-EeB, 2011)
Start date: 2011-09-01
End date: 2013-11-30
Duration (months): 27.0
Total project cost (EUR): 1600874.0
EU funding (EUR): 998443.0
Participants: 10
Project status: CLOSED

IREEN will deliver a comprehensive strategy (including the identification of drivers and gaps, future policies and operational support for their implementation, and the identification of new appropriate multi-disciplinary stakeholders value chain and partnerships) for European-scale innovation and take-up in the field of ICT for Energy Efficiency and performance in large areas including neighbourhoods and extended urban/rural communities.. The implementation of this strategy will be further detailed by an innovation roadmap (linking and prioritizing all actions over the innovation life-cycle: RTD, experimentation and validation, transfer to market and deployment, and standardisation). Active engagement of a broad set of stakeholders from different disciplines (e.g. ICT, energy, construction, local authorities, building owners, facility managers, etc.) will facilitate validation of the outcomes of IREEN and act as catalysts for their implementation. The IREEN coordination action will be implemented through: - engaging European and other International experts and stakeholders in real and virtual hearings and collaborative workshops on the continuous elaboration and assessment of the innovation strategy and roadmap over the IREEN duration and beyond; these experts/stakeholders are expected to offer a full coverage of the entire value-chain, including: - the energy sector, including RES, energy providers and distributors, ESCOs etc., as well as new entrants to an open and diversifying market; - the ICT industry - appliance/equipment, infrastructure, software and advanced systems, - the Construction sector, including "urbanisers", built environment and process engineering specialists, - stakeholders from the demand side including local and regional authorities and NGOs; - supporting the Advisory group - ICT Infrastructure for energy-efficient buildings and neighbourhoods for carbon-neutral cities; - supporting the Smart Cities European Innovation Partnership; - the production and dissemination of results describing state-of-the-art (ICT-based) supply-side solutions and best practices, demand-side visions and scenarios, and step-by-step implementation recommendations that are both user-driven and business-oriented; - the assessment and validation of IREEN results (innovation strategy and roadmap) by relevant stakeholder communities, for prioritisation of research, experimentations and pilot projects, take-up and deployment in the market, and standardisation activities; The IREEN work programme will be developed within the overall context of the industrial and socio-economic trends and challenges Europe is facing in the current period. All relevant stakeholders brought together under the IREEN umbrella will contribute to extend the notion of energy-positive performance from homes and buildings to large areas including neighbourhoods and extended urban/rural communities in a holistic dimension.

Keywords: energy efficient neighbourhoods,roadmap ict,public spaces,green competitiveness business opportunities buildings energy positive,renewable,eco responsible behaviours,collaborative workshops