Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment DRIVE 0 Project
The DRIVE 0 is a four-year, EU H2020-funded research project which is scheduled to conclude in December 2023.
Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment DRIVE 0 Project
The project focuses on circular deep renovation solutions and consumer-centred business models, with implementation (seven R&D pilots) in seven different countries: Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Estonia, Italy, Slovenia, and Greece.
For each country industrial partners or concept developers are ‘twinned’ with a technical partner (university, research institute or consultancy) to develop the specific holistic circular renovation products and concepts. For the market uptake and dissemination of the results, the DRIVE 0 consortium is effectively supported by three important European umbrella associations.
The Irish case study is a typical Irish two 1970s social houses located in Athlone, County Westmeath. The energy rating of the houses was poor and the challenge was to provide a deep energy retrofit of the dwelling involving an advanced thermal upgrade to the envelope via circular modularised solutions including upgraded space and water heating with ventilation systems and renewables. The retrofit incorporated modular wall panels and extension systems grounded in environmental and circular design principles.
The project’s key feature was the development of the modular construction system, which integrated low-carbon and circular solutions. The Irish team, comprising TU Dublin as the lead/research partner, along with industry partners COADY Architects and Vision Built, adapted an existing light gauge steel structural wall system into a demountable, pre- finished wall panel embodying circularity principles.
Case specific outcomes:
- This type of intervention can support revised approaches to deep energy retrofits based on a systematic industrial scale solution, resulting in improved occupant comfort and health, increased space and utility, improved circularisation of production and use and reduced environmental impact.
- There is also likely to be positive impacts in real estate value and a shortening of payback time of renovation, representing also a commercial and business opportunity manufacturing and construction companies who can foster this type of strategy.
Case specific profits:
- Development of modular prefab ‘Plug & Play’ solutions for façade upgrades and extensions, both 2D as 3D, fostering faster renovation and acceleration of the process
- Improvement of property functionality, performance, utility, thermal comfort, health and lower energy bills for the occupants.
- Improvement in the property asset and increased value for the owners.
Case specific impact indicators:
- The Percentage of primary energy saving after renovation (measured in kWh/m2 y) is estimated from energy assessments to be circa 65-68%
- Percentage of CO2 emissions reduction (measured in Kg/ m2 annually) will be circa 70%
More information about the Drive 0 Irish pilot available from here.
Patrick Daly, School of Architecture & Building & Environment Lecturer and researcher as well as principal investigator (PI) in Drive 0, who presents the key learnings from the Irish demonstrator project available here.
Our sincere congratulations to the whole TU Dublin team:
- Patrick Daly (PI, School of Architecture, Building and Environment),
- Paula Gallego Barril (School of Architecture, Building and Environment),
- Dr Philippe Lemarchand (Head of Sustainability Intelligence, TU Dublin)
- Joseph Little (Head of Discipline, School of Architecture, Building and Environment)
- Dr Maria Chiara Leva (School of Environmental Health)
The above are also members of TU Dublin Bio and Circular Economies Research Group which is a multidisciplinary group (Engineering, Science, Construction, Food Science, Environmental Health, Education, Financing, Management and Materials) of researchers working towards a common goal of contributing to the circular and/or bio-economies.
We are also grateful to the Irish non-academic partners: #WestmeathCoCo, #CoadyArchitects, #JohnSisk&Son and #VisionBuilt! for their involvement and contributions.