A distributed collaborative platform for multi-stakeholder multi-level management of renovation projects

Abstract

To meet European energy-saving and decarbonisation goals, the annual renovation rate of buildings requires to be at least twice its current level; an aspiration to which the use of innovative and automated solutions can contribute. This paper presents such a solution, the RINNO Retrofitting Manager (RRM) which is part of a large, ambitious research and development project (RINNO) that aims to provide an augmented intelligence-enabled framework for deep, energy-focused retrofitting of buildings. The RRM uses web-service technologies to rationalise the retrofitting process and optimise the delivery of renovation works, while making data readily accessible through an integrated set of role-based user interfaces. The RRM is designed and developed as an open distributed system, that is extensible and portable, by implementing a collaborative research and development approach. The RRM platform implements a multi-level, multi-stakeholder planning approach. It addresses the dearth, insufficiency, and isolation of existing renovation tools by enhancing collaboration, interoperability, and data security, and avoiding information loss and misunderstanding. Employing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model, tests conducted with users from independent construction organisations confirmed the RRM's satisfactory performance, ease of deployment, and overall suitability for the management of renovation projects. While this research provides a free collaborative platform for managing renovation projects that can be used by all building retrofit stakeholders in Europe, it also introduces a set of web-services that can be easily reused by third-party developers and integrated into their software tools.