Email:
weiwei.chen@ucl.ac.uk
Address:
1-19 Torrington Place London WC1E 7HB
D-HYDROFLEX
The European Commission-funded project 'D-HYDROFLEX' which stands for Digital solutions for improving the sustainability performance and FLEXibility potential of HYDROpower was launched on 01 September 2023 to tackle the challenges posed by the European Green Deal and the Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030 for Europe.
University College London, represented by Dr Weiwei Chen, from The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, is one of the 18 partners involved in this project. Dr Weiwei Chen's research group will create digital models for the dam and design a digital twin platform to support applications for improving sustainability.
The Horizon Europe D-HYDROFLEX project held its kick-off meeting in Brussels at the end of September 2023, aiming at advancing excellence in research on digital technology for hydropower, paving the way towards more efficient, more sustainable, and more competitive hydropower plants in modern power markets.
The consortium brings together five power plant operators/energy producers (EDF, TEE, PPC, INTEX, TAGSA), six European research institutes and universities (CARTIF, PWR, UCL, UOC, UoA, ENERGYLAB) and seven technology providers (UBI, NOVA, UBE, MINDS, FASADA, IDEA, CINT). D-HYDROFLEX is a 36-month project and will carry out five demonstration campaigns in seven hydropower plants.
Consequently, D-HYDROFLEX will develop a toolkit for digitally ‘renovating’ the existing hydroelectric power plants based on sensors, digital twins, AI algorithms, hybridization modelling (power-to-hydrogen), cloud-edge computing and image processing.
INHERIT
On average, 21.6% of the building stock in the European Union dates to before 1945, with a notable portion possessing heritage value. This not only enhances the cultural richness of communities but also positions Europe as a preferred destination for cultural tourism. Nevertheless, preserving, restoring, and managing these heritage buildings present diverse challenges and dilemmas. To address these issues, the INHERIT project was launched on 02 November 2023 in Athens, aimed at promoting energy and resource efficiency, sustainability, and inclusiveness of historic buildings.
UCL, represented by Dr Weiwei Chen, from The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, is one of the 18 partners getting involved in this project. Dr Chen's research group will develop a ‘design & renovation’ service, i.e., the interactive screen use and AR-VR interfaces for heritage building design and renovation construction, which encompasses the hardware and software tools enabling H-BIM and Digital Twins.
Over the next 42 months, INHERIT aims to elevate Europe's cultural heritage by addressing energy, circularity, climate resilience, and accessibility challenges. Leveraging cutting-edge ICTs like Internet of Things (IoT), AI, and big data analytics, the team strives for sustainable, inclusive, and resource-efficient solutions.
Beyond individual buildings, INHERIT envisions socially innovative interventions at urban levels. The project spans the entire life cycle of heritage structures, evaluating solutions at eight EU cultural sites. INHERIT aspires to transform the landscape of heritage preservation, ushering in a new era of sustainable and resilient historic buildings.