THUMBS UP

The THUMBS UP project “Thermal energy storage solUtions to optimally Manage BuildingS and Unlock their grid balancing and flexibility Potential”, financed with funds from the Horizon Europe programme, it aims to achieve high-performance results that significantly contribute to the development of a sustainable economy in the European Union.

PROJECT

THUMBS UP aims to develop and demonstrate thermal energy storage (TES) at daily (based on environmental friendly PCM) and weekly level (based on TCM sorption technology) solutions to be easily integrated in EU buildings (both connected and not-connected to DHN) to increase their energy efficiency as well as to exploit Power-to-Heat (PtH) approaches also to make EU Buildings as grid flexibility actors. THUMBS UP wants to overcome all the limits of state-of-the-art building-integrated PCM and TCM TES technologies, increasing TES energy density and reducing CAPEX.

To capitalize on know-how already available within the consortium structure, THUMBS UP will promote complementary digital innovations, aimed at simulating, optimizing and maximizing the technical, operational and economic benefits of the proposed solutions, through:

• the Smart Building Energy Management System (performed by algoWatt) to integrate, control and manage design solutions at the building level, maximize the use of local RER, optimize the efficiency of H&C – Heating & Cooling systems and coordinate operation with other building assets and with energy demand;
• the Digital Twin to (i) optimise and maximise the energy flexibility and load-shifting benefits that building-integrated solutions provide to the electricity grid (through supply services for heating/cooling and grid in aggregation) and (ii) (for buildings connected to DHN) to coordinate the operation of the solutions with the supply of thermal energy from DHN, reduce peak thermal power and enable a more flexible use of heat.

The THUMBS UP project, with a total duration of 48 months and with investments of approximately Euro 7.6 million (with financing of approximately Euro 6.4 million), is coordinated by Veolia Servicios Lecam Sociedad Anonima Unipersonal (ES) and sees the participation of 18 companies, universities and research centres, including the University of Genoa, Messina and the Polytechnic of Turin.

The THUMBSUP project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe research and innovation program under Grant Agreement n. 101096921.

CONSORTIUM

THUMBS UP is coordinated by Veolia Servicios Lecam Sociedad Anonima Unipersonal and sees the participation of 18 elements:

• algoWatt Spa
• Fundacion Cartif
• Universita Degli Studi Di Genova
• Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche
• Universidad De Lleida
• Pluss Advanced Technologies Bv
• Sorption Technologies Gmbh
• Gradyent B.V.
• Ethniko Kentro Erevnas Kai Technologikis Anaptyxis
• Johanneberg Science Park Ab
• I-Tes Srl
• Grid Singularity Gmbh
• Universita Degli Studi Di Messina
• Kelvin Bv
• Ubitech Energy
• Nanophos Anonimi Emporiki Etairia Anaptixis Kai Ypiresion - Nanophos Commercial Societe Anonyme Of Services And Development
• The Economic And Social Research Institute Lbg
• Politecnico Di Torino

PARTNER:

• Birmingham University