How do we ensure that heat pumps and other climate systems for homes and office buildings are always used optimally, even during extreme weather conditions? It is one of the central questions in TNO’s Delft Building Innovation Lab. The new lab on the TU Delft Campus was opened on 6 October by Tim van der Hagen (chairman of the Executive Board and rector magnificus TU Delft), mayor of Delft Marja van Bijsterveldt, Paul de Krom (CEO TNO) and Doekle Terpstra (chairman of Technology The Netherlands).
The lab offers advanced research facilities to develop innovations and conduct research in the field of building materials, climate systems and structures. It houses, among other things, the Heat Pump Application Centre, a unique facility with climate chambers – the first of its kind in Europe – where heat pumps, ventilation systems with heat recovery are tested under simulated practical conditions, via the so-called “hardware-in-the-loop principle”. . In addition, insulation, ventilation and the behavior of residents can also be simulated.
Photo TNO: from left to right. Machteld de Kroon (director TNO-unit Bouw, Infra & Maritiem; Marja van Bijsterveldt (mayor of Delft); Doekle Terpstra (chairman of Techniek Nederland); Paul de Krom (CEO TNO); Tim van der Hagen (chairman of the Executive Board and Rector Magnificus TU Delft)
Collaboration
Tim van der Hagen, chairman of the Executive Board and Rector Magnificus TU Delft: “As a university, we are very happy with the opening of the Building Innovation Lab on the TU Delft Campus and the unique facilities that make groundbreaking research and innovation possible. At TU Delft, we believe in the power of collaboration. This location offers the various parties an excellent place to jointly shape solutions for important challenges that affect everyone in society.”
Marja van Bijsterveldt, mayor of Delft: “Circular construction, energy transition and climate adaptation: we already know a lot, but the Building Innovation Lab will make this knowledge applicable to governments and companies. An important link in accelerating the major transitions of our time.” Paul de Krom, CEO of TNO: “With our new Construction Innovation Lab on the TU Delft campus, we are giving an extra boost to innovation for the Design, Construction and Technology sector in collaboration with TU Delft, the business community and other knowledge institutions.” Doekle Terpstra, chairman of Techniek Nederland: “Innovation is of great importance to diverse parties involved in the sector. Then we are also talking about process innovation. Digitization and data-driven solutions play a major role in this. To make the maintenance of buildings and infrastructure more predictable (predictive maintenance), further development is needed in the field of data and digitization.”
Accelerating innovation
The lab offers an answer to complex societal challenges, for which there are no simple solutions. Because how do we build a million extra homes in the Netherlands while at the same time there is a need to drastically reduce CO₂ emissions? Which sustainable building materials, such as sustainable concrete, are suitable and meet life expectancy?Collaboration is crucial to developing solutions for these and other societal challenges. That is why TNO works together with partners such as TU Delft, field labs, start-ups and companies on the TU Delft Campus. By bringing research, innovation and business together, solutions can reach society faster. The opening of the Building Innovation Lab at this location expands the possibilities for this intensive collaboration.
The building in which the lab is located is itself an innovative and circular business card. Not only have parts of the old lab been reused, such as some of the climate chambers, many measures have also been applied to reduce energy consumption, such as a transparent facade, solar panels on the roof and heat recovery installations. In addition, the building itself also functions as a living lab. The climate installation is designed in such a way that heat pumps and heat batteries can be connected to the building itself, and there is a test facility on top of the roof where innovative building parts can be connected for testing. The Building Innovation Lab designed by Group A is owned by the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund and developed by Stone22 Development.
Sustainable and circular building
The building in which the lab is located is itself an innovative and circular business card. Not only have parts of the old lab been reused, such as some of the climate chambers, many measures have also been applied to reduce energy consumption, such as a transparent facade, solar panels on the roof and heat recovery installations. In addition, the building itself also functions as a living lab. The climate installation is designed in such a way that heat pumps and heat batteries can be connected to the building itself, and there is a test facility on top of the roof where innovative building parts can be connected for testing. The Building Innovation Lab designed by Group A is owned by the ASR Dutch Science Park Fund and developed by Stone22 Development.
