Historic buildings are an essential part of Europe’s cultural identity and everyday life. However, improving their energy performance is not always straightforward. Renovation measures can be costly, technically complex or incompatible with heritage protection.

SMARTeeSTORY is exploring a different path. The project uses smart, non-invasive technologies to improve the energy efficiency and comfort of historic buildings while preserving their cultural value.

From building data to practical decisions

At the heart of SMARTeeSTORY is a secure digital platform that transforms building data into practical insights. It brings together four connected services:

• The Monitoring Service collects real-time data on energy use and indoor conditions.
• The Analysis and Prediction Service combines building information, weather data and user behaviour patterns to anticipate energy needs.
• The Optimisation and Control Service supports the smarter operation of systems such as heating, ventilation, lighting and shading.
• The Digital Twin Service creates a virtual model that helps building managers visualise performance, test scenarios and understand how a building behaves.

Together, these services support the project’s aim of reducing energy use while maintaining comfortable conditions for the people using the buildings.

Assessing smart readiness

To understand whether a building is becoming smarter, SMARTeeSTORY uses the EU Smart Readiness Indicator, or SRI. It assesses how effectively a building can use digital technologies to save energy, improve comfort and respond to users’ needs.

The project has also developed an SRI Calculation Web Tool. The tool helps assess a building’s smart readiness, identify priorities, highlight potential improvements and support investment decisions.

Testing solutions in real historic buildings

SMARTeeSTORY’s solutions are being tested in three heritage-protected demonstration buildings in Riga, Delft and Granada. The buildings are located in different climatic zones and each has its own architectural characteristics, technical constraints and patterns of use.

Across the demonstration sites, SMARTeeSTORY is exploring how the right combination of technologies and operational strategies can help historic buildings achieve a high level of smart readiness.

Discover the SMARTeeSTORY approach

SMARTeeSTORY connects technical insights with practical planning for building owners, public authorities and technology providers. The project demonstrates that energy efficiency, user comfort and heritage protection do not have to compete.

A new project video now brings this approach to life, presenting the SMARTeeSTORY platform, its digital services and its work across the three demonstration sites.

Watch the video to discover how historic buildings can become smarter without losing what makes them unique.