The EU-funded project CommONEnergy aims to re-conceptualize shopping malls through deep retrofitting, developing a systemic approach made of innovative technologies and solution sets as well as methods and tools to support their implementation and to assess their environmental and social impact in a life-cycle approach.

This is the closing year of the project and it can already encount many positive results to look back at:

• a clearer picture on retail buildings in EU, their features, inefficiencies and inclusion in EU policies;
• innovative technologies developed, implemented and tested improving comfort, reducing costs and energy consumption;
• useful sustainability and economical tools, addressing the retail sector needs
• and much more!

23 partners representing various industry stakeholders, as well as research and academia from ten European countries gathered to develop concept and technologies to make EU retail buildings better and smarter. The final conference in Brussels is organised jointly with the Sustainable Building Challenge award ceremony, awarding the Best Sustainable Shopping Centres for two categories (hyper and super buildings).  

Best practices of recently retrofitted shopping centres will be showcased and awarded. The event will close with a cocktail gathering retailers, architects, researchers, policy-makers and the industry to discuss in a relaxed atmosphere and discover the demo cases and technologies in a photo exhibition.

Training sessions are offered in the morning of September 7: if you are interested, book a session on one of the following:

• Continuous commissioning software
• Energy demand scenarios tool
• Environmental and social impact assessment tool
• Integrated Design Process library
• Economic Assessment Tool and data mapper