The Royal Chancellery of Granada, home to the High Court of Justice, is advancing its SMARTeeSTORY energy monitoring demo by progressing with equipment installation and working toward network integration. The challenge is to implement modern energy solutions while preserving the building’s historical and high-security character.

Since the initial design and permit phase, the Granada team has advanced to the installation stage. A dedicated VLAN has been enabled within the Justice network to securely integrate the project infrastructure. In addition, occupational risk prevention procedures have been approved, and the physical installation of the equipment has been completed.

As part of this deployment, a wide range of devices have been installed to monitor and control the building’s energy performance and indoor environmental quality:

• Consumption meters to track the energy use of the office spaces.
• Thermostats, CO₂ sensors, temperature, humidity and luminosity sensors at each workstation.
• Open/close window sensors to better manage comfort and ventilation.
• A flow meter to measure the output from the boiler to the fan coils for heating and cooling.
• Monitoring of split units’ consumption, together with controllers to activate/deactivate them or set temperature setpoints, enabling both energy and cost savings.

Beyond energy efficiency, these measures are designed to improve the comfort, well-being, and indoor environmental quality for the building’s users and workers.

The next phase, starting in September, will focus on commissioning the system and initiating data collection. This will mark a major milestone in ensuring that the deployed solutions are fully operational and ready to provide valuable insights into energy performance within such a unique historical environment.

More about SMARTeeSTORY at the Royal Chancellery of Granada

The Royal Chancellery of Granada, established in 1500 by the Catholic Spanish Monarchs, served as a judicial body covering southern Spain. Dissolving in 1834 during the rise of liberalism, its building, the Chancery Palace, was built from 1531 to 1587 and now stands in Plaza Nueva as a Cultural Heritage Site. Presently, it accommodates the Superior Court of Justice of Andalusia and the Provincial Court of Granada. Its historical archives are safeguarded in the Archive of the Royal Chancery of Granada. 

The decision to retain its historical integrity reflects its significance and the need for careful energy efficiency upgrades.

SMARTeeSTORY partners CUERVA, TECNALIA, CARTIF, and the Andalusian Energy Agency aim to elevate the performance of centralised heating and cooling infrastructure, and  improve the facility users' experience. Additionally, Cuerva will actively contribute to the development of an integrated energy management system, encompassing data provision and rigorous solution testing within this facility.

The Royal Chancellery of Granada, home to the High Court of Justice in Granada, presents a unique challenge: how to implement modern energy solutions without compromising its historical and high-security status. Approaching the half-point of the project SMARTeeSTORY team in Granada successfully navigated this complexity through by obtaining the necessary permits for the solution deployment and designing it to minimize its impact as much as possible

Retrofitting a historical building of such significance required securing special permits and approvals from multiple stakeholders. These permits were essential to ensuring that all modifications met strict security and heritage preservation requirements.

A major hurdle, as in many other historical heritage building, was the stringent restrictions on altering the building’s façade, rooftop, and interior spaces, which are largely original. The project team had to significantly adapt their approach, focusing on office spaces instead. This shift slightly reduced the demonstration area but, nevertheless, ensured that the majority of the building’s regular users would benefit from the implemented solutions.

Achievements and Progress

• Permit Acquisition: Successfully obtained the necessary approvals for installation and material use.
• Collaborative Planning: Finalized hardware and communication architectures and designated the final demonstration area.
• Material and Access Approvals: Approved the materials list and arranged all necessary access permits.
• Solution Design: Final installation design to ensure accurate measurement of parameters and effective equipment control, overcoming challenges related to communication capabilities.

The Granada team’s strategic adjustments have laid a strong foundation for integrating innovative energy solutions while preserving the historical integrity of the Royal Chancellery.

As part of the third SMARTeeSTORY General Assembly, a comprehensive technical site visit and inspection were conducted at the Palace of the Chancellery in Granada, the demonstration area for the Spanish pilot. All project partners participated in the tour, exploring various rooms and facilities involved in the project. This visit significantly enhanced the consortium's understanding of the building's capabilities and provided valuable insights into the optimal deployment of sensor equipment.

During the inspection, project partners identified the specific types of equipment needed to meet the project's requirements. This hands-on experience allowed for a more accurate assessment of the building's infrastructure and its support for the project's objectives. Additionally, the collaborative efforts during the visit have contributed to designing a final solution that is both suitable and effective for the working environment.

By aligning technical requirements with the practical aspects observed during the visit, the consortium is now better positioned to implement a well-integrated sensor system that meets the project goals. This meticulous planning and teamwork underscore the commitment to achieving a successful and efficient deployment of the project's technology.

Several public officials from Granada attended the SMARTeeSTORY General Assembly to express their support for the smartification of such a historically, culturally, and judicially important building in Spain. Official support is crucial for the proper development of the project. For instance, Ignacio Cuerva, CEO of Cuerva, highlighted the project's uniqueness due to the combination of its historical value and administrative functions. He stated, "It is a unique example because it is a historic and significant building that serves as practical offices for a crucial department of the organization and has administrative importance. Therefore, it is a complex building, and we must take responsibility for how we adapt and use it." The incorporation of innovative technologies such as smart sensors and energy management systems is key to optimizing resources and improving user comfort. This approach represents a significant advancement in the energy efficiency of historic buildings. Natalia Márquez, General Manager of the Andalusian Energy Agency, noted the importance of designing systems that improve energy performance in Andalusia, highlighting that "there are around 21,000 public buildings catalogued in Andalusia that could potentially be rehabilitated energetically." Finally, Carmen Navarro, Director General of Planning, Modernisation, and Fund Management in Andalusia, emphasized the historical value of the project and the importance of European collaboration in innovation.

The SMARTeeSTORY project consortium recently convened for its second project meeting in the picturesque city of Granada, Spain, marking a significant milestone as the project approaches its one-year mark. The two-day meeting, hosted by partner Cuerva, took place against the backdrop of Granada's rich historical heritage, providing an inspiring setting for discussions and workshops.

The first day of the meeting on April 3rd commenced with a warm welcome from key figures representing the community and city administrations, including Natalia Marquez García, Managing Director of the Andalusian Energy Agency, María del Carmen Navarro Cruz, General Director of Planning, Modernization, and Fund Management, and Ignacio Cuerva Valdivia, CEO of Cuerva. Their support underscored the commitment to SMARTeeSTORY's mission of promoting energy efficiency and sustainability in heritage buildings.

A tour of the demo site: Granada's Royal Chancellery, provided much input for all partners. Built in the 1500's to house the Court of Justice at the time, the building has held prisoners and seen members of court take oath and, even today, still serves as the seat of Andalucian High Court of Justice. Our technical partners assessed the demo site as preparation for initial stock taking measures, while the rest of the consortium were left inspired from the rich history of the building.

Day two of the meeting saw participants immersed in workshops focused on the project's three demonstration sites. Insights gathered from a demo site visit on the first day provided valuable context for discussions on planning the interventions to be employed in the coming months. Throughout the meeting, participants exchanged ideas, solutions, and challenges, reflecting the collaborative spirit of SMARTeeSTORY.

As the project nears its one-year milestone, there is a growing sense of momentum and progress towards the common goal of setting heritage buildings as examples of smart and energy-efficient building stock in the EU.

The meeting concluded, yet participants departed with renewed enthusiasm and a shared commitment to advancing the objectives of SMARTeeSTORY. The consortium looks forward to continued collaboration and the successful implementation of energy-efficient solutions in heritage buildings across Europe!