Completion of the European R+D AZEB project, in which OHL has participated as the only Spanish construction company

OHL has been one of the eight members of the European consortium and the only Spanish construction company participating in the R&D AZEB project (Affordable Zero Energy Building) which will be completed next May. Launched in June 2017, this initiative has been supported by the European Commission through the European Horizon 2020 program and has enabled the development and large-scale dissemination of an effective methodology for the cost optimization of nearly zero energy or “energy +” buildings – those producing more energy than they use – throughout their entire life cycle, from design to maintenance and with the possibility of being applied in the different climate zones in Europe.

The AZEB methodology includes a selection of technologies applicable to the different climate zones in Europe, some of them developed in the project itself, which have been evaluated in several case studies under real conditions, in the countries participating in the consortium: Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria and the Netherlands.

In relation to sustainability applied to buildings, OHL adds to its extensive experience in this type of projects the construction currently underway of 465 social housing units in Ireland in a consortium with the company JJ Rhatigan. This project uses the advanced standards in the Building Information Modeling (BIM) methodology and is being built in accordance with the Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) criteria, meeting the requirements of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2010/31/EC).

European R&D consortia

AZEB has joined other projects in which OHL has participated through large European consortia. In the specific field of unique construction, the company was part of RESSEEPE (REtrofitting Solutions and Services for the Enhancement of Energy Efficiency in Public Edification), aimed at the efficient energy rehabilitation of public buildings applying innovative technologies; and BUILT2SPEC (Built to Specifications: Tools for the 21st Century Construction Worksite), whose objective was to determine improvements in the quality controls of construction processes in order to reduce the gap in energy consumption of a building and/or a structure, once it is built or rehabilitated.

More information about AZEB: www.azeb.eu

Access to the on-line training platform on the AZEB methodology (with free resources) in this link.