The HOMES collaborative innovation programme has signed a cooperation agreement with the French Electrical Contractors’ Association (FFIE) to set up pilot sites for testing the programme’s solutions. Didier Pellegrin, HOMES Programme Director, and Jean-
Claude Guillot, FFIE President, signed the agreement on Tuesday, February 2 in Paris.

The buildings selected as pilot sites will offer a ready-made environment in which to verify the effectiveness of functional prototypes designed by the programme under real-life conditions. The programme’s teams will work with an existing structure, utilities in operation and people going about their daily business.

“Real-life testing in pilot sites is a major step for the HOMES programme,” explains Didier Pellegrin. “Not only with this allow us to verify our solutions’ contribution to energy performance, but it will also enable us to ensure that these solutions maintain or improve the level of comfort in buildings. Testing is crucial before large-scale development of the HOMES innovations can begin.”

Two methods will be used. The first will rely on monitoring and using data from simulators, which will involve installing sensors, setting up a communication center and interviewing building occupants.
The second will rely on monitoring and installing prototypes, which will require adding controllers to switchboards and integrating display systems.

“As a key player in the electrical industry, it was natural for FFIE to support the HOMES programme through its network of affiliated contractors,” notes Jean-Claude Guillot. “Our companies will bring their technical skills, availability and responsiveness to the testing process. Most important, this cooperation will provide an in-situ opportunity to invent, learn and circulate good practices for making buildings more energy efficient.”

In their agreement, the HOMES programme and FFIE have selected six pilot sites to represent offices, hotels, stores, schools and residential buildings. Located across France, the sites offer varied weather conditions and diverse profiles, ranging from new buildings to renovated and older structures.

The results are to be measured in two stages, with an initial analysis in March 2011 and a full analysis a year later.