HELIOS – Holistic Energy-efficient Living and Integrated Optimization System is an innovative and ambitious project that aims to transform the way buildings are monitored, managed and optimised through the development of an adaptive and integrated Digital Twin. The project is a collaboration between companies, research centres and academic institutions within the BI-REX Competence Centre as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRP), with funding from the European Union – Next Generation EU.
An advanced digital twin for smart buildings
At the heart of the HELIOS project is the realisation of a next-generation digital twin: a living and dynamic digital model of a built building, capable of evolving over time and updating in real time thanks to the integration of IoT sensors, monitoring systems and environmental data. Unlike traditional BIM management, HELIOS offers an interoperable and integrated real-time vision with the urban and energy ecosystem, enabling more efficient and sustainable management of the entire building stock.
Project goals
- Data-driven energy optimization: HELIOS makes it possible to monitor consumption in real time, analyse user behaviour and simulate future energy scenarios. This data-driven and model-based approach enables the implementation of targeted energy efficiency strategies that improve the operational and environmental performance of buildings.
- Smart management and predictive maintenance: Thanks to the digital twin, the building manager can reorganise management and maintenance processes, anticipate faults, optimise resource planning and increase living comfort while reducing operating costs.
- Contribution to climate neutrality: HELIOS fits into the framework of European climate strategies, inspired by the goals of the Fit for 55 package, according to which 75% of buildings must improve their energy efficiency. Against this backdrop, the project aims to develop replicable models to improve the efficiency of the national building stock, which today accounts for around 40% of total energy consumption.
An initiative with high technological and social value
HELIOS is supported by a multidisciplinary consortium that combines expertise in engineering, sustainability, energy, digital technologies and virtual modelling. In particular:
- BI-REX, the national centre of excellence for Big Data and enabling technologies for Industry 4.0, is coordinating the project as part of its mission to accelerate the digitalization of the Italian production system through applied research, technology transfer and training.
- The University of Bologna, the scientific reference partner, plays a key role in the research and development activities and guarantees a high standard of methodology and innovation.
Activities and legal framework
The activities foreseen within the project include industrial research and experimental development in full compliance with the GBER (Art. 25) and the PNRR agreement signed by BI-REX with the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (MIMIT). All actions are aimed at achieving tangible and transferable results in the real world, contributing to the adoption of smart solutions in the field of building management and to the construction of a more sustainable and resilient building model.
