1 Foreword

The collaboration is part of the research activities for efficient solutions that can reduce primary energy consumption in ‘building-plant-user’ systems in the residential sector, especially for the supply of air conditioning systems coupled with renewable generation systems. To this end, in the three-year period 2019-2021, RSE launched a project to identify and validate by means of tests solutions for energy management in buildings that can adapt from time to time to changing plant conditions through appropriate control techniques, and optimize consumption taking into account comfort conditions, energy efficiency performance, climatic conditions, as well as usage behaviors and habits. This activity led to the development of an energy management system called SEM – Smart Energy Manager, which allowed for increased self-consumption in a home equipped with photovoltaics and a heat pump, depending on the weather and comfort conditions required by the user.

2 Objectives of the expression of interest

RSE intends to explore the topic of energy management by experimenting in its laboratory with commercial/experimental BEMS (Building Management Energy System) systems that can reduce primary energy consumption in “building-plant-user” systems in the civil sector, especially to manage air conditioning systems coupled with renewable generation systems.

Commencement is scheduled for April 2024.

3 Recipients of the expression of interest

This expression of interest is aimed at manufacturers of BEMS (Building Management Energy System) systems who will voluntarily make their existing or newly manufactured products available for this trial.

Manufacturers must demonstrate that they have been developing energy consumption monitoring systems for at least 5 years and have marketed at least 1000 BEMS systems.

Briefly outlined below are the requirements and main features of energy management systems:

• The proposed system must comply with UNI EN ISO 52120-1;
• it must be designed to operate in residential and/or tertiary environments;
• it must be able to interact with heat pump systems, photovoltaic systems, and charging stations in order to manage electrical loads and increase self-consumption;
• prospectively, it should be able to communicate with the heat pump system and any storage systems in order to perform dynamic modulation of the electrical power absorbed/delivered based on commands from outside (Demand Response);
• it must enable wireless communication between the installed devices and the communication hub;
• it must make APIs (Application Programming Interface) available to communicate with third parties.

4 Role of RSE

RSE acts as project coordinator and undertakes to test and evaluate the commercial and/or experimental devices made available, and will define, together with the project participants, the tests to be carried out to assess their functionality and the achievement of the objectives.

RSE will make available to the partners the information and technical results of the joint testing activities, suggest possible improvements for the tested products, and ensure adequate visibility to all stakeholders through scientific (articles, conferences, institutional working tables, etc.) and generalist (the web, social media, public events, etc.) channels.

5 Expense reimbursement

Given the activity that will enable the subjects participating in this trial to complete product development at a level very close to commercialization, no expense reimbursement will be paid by RSE for participation in this joint development activity. Each subject will therefore have to bear its own expenses for participating in this joint activity. RSE will be responsible for making the EffE laboratory in Piacenza available for testing devices for control.

6 expression of interest

All interested parties are invited to express their interest in writing by email at Lorenzo.Croci@rse-web.it no later than March 22, 2024, specifying the e-mail address and telephone number of a contact person.