The purpose of the training sessions, organised by the Basque government, FCC and TECNALIA, was to demonstrate the various innovative solutions used in the design of very low energy buildings for different European climates, and particularly targeted specialists in the construction, architecture, engineering and technical architecture sectors.

The training sessions were opened by Iñigo Basañez, Manager of the Basque Government Housing Council, and talks were given by Txema Ipiña, (Manager of Eraikune, Basque Construction Cluster), Eneritz Barreiro (Technical Coordinator of the Project in Spain) representing TECNALIA, Juan Carlos Barrio (architect of the building constructed in Portugalete), Nuria Gallego (FCC Technical Manager of Installations, Networks, Maintenance and Systems) and Elizabeth Rodríguez (Head of R&D&I Projects for FCC Construcción).

These training sessions were held due to the completion of the last building under the "Buildsmart" project, which was financed by EU funds. The aim of the project is to show that by using innovative solutions and technology, constructing energy efficient and profitable buildings with primary energy consumption under 60 kWh per m2/year, which are also easy to use and maintain, is possible. Furthermore, by using display devices, energy consumption data can be shown in real-time to educate and foster efficient energy use and to raise awareness among property owners, users and the general public about the impact their habits have on consumption.

This project comprises the design, construction and monitoring of four nearly zero-energy buildings, three of which were constructed in Sweden and one in Bilbao, which are used as an international knowledge exchange network.

The first of these buildings was constructed in 2014 in the Swedish city of Malmö, located in the far south of the country. The last building to be constructed was the one recently inaugurated in Portugalete, Bilbao.

Nuria Gallego (Technical Manager of Installations, Networks, Maintenance and Systems)

This project will finish at the end of 2016 with an event in the city of Malmö, at which analysis will be carried out on the measurements obtained from all the inhabited buildings. Assessments will also be carried out on which of the technologies used work best to reduce the carbon footprint, the underlining aim of the 2020 objectives of the EU regarding climate and energy.

The EU has granted €4 million under the Seventh Framework Programme for the development of the Buildsmart project.
Among the project participants are construction companies, centres of investigation, public institutions and companies. The participants from Spain include the Basque government, the Tecnalia Research & Innovation Foundation and FCC Construcción S.A.
The Swedish participants include the city of Malmö, the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute (technology centre), Roth y Skanska (promoters/construction), and the company WSP. Codema, the Irish energy company, has also participated.
 
You can find out more on the project and the respective study cases via the following link. http://www.buildsmart-energy.eu/