DVU
The DVU (Data Space for Energy Reduction in Non-Residential Buildings) initiative was set up as an initiative by RVO (Netherlands Enterprise Agency); a government agency tasked with supporting, advising, and stimulating innovation for Dutch businesses. In line with the Dutch Energy Saving Obligation, and the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) this data space initiative addresses the need for secure and efficient data sharing in the pursuit of optimising CO2 reduction projects. This initiative is aimed specifically at non-residential buildings (offices, schools, shopping centres, etc.). With the goal of helping owners and tenants of these buildings, DVU allows the comparison of energy consumption and building data. And it facilitates the exchange of energy-consumption data with stakeholders, allowing stakeholders to provide innovative solutions to optimize energy consumption of the building.
The puzzle
Challenge and Context
Non-residential building owners face significant challenges in sharing crucial data with project partners to enhance CO2 reduction initiatives. Traditional energy labels often fail to accurately reflect real-world energy consumption, delaying the development of ambitious CO2-reduction projects. Complete and up-to-date data on measured energy consumption, combined with key construction features, is essential for creating digital twins and optimising CO2 reduction strategies effectively.
Solution
DVU offers a comprehensive solution to overcome data-sharing barriers in the market. DVU supports the WEii protocol developed by the Dutch Green Building Council. This enables Data Service Consumers to access and utilise data on measured energy consumption for modelling CO2 reduction scenarios. These digital twins serve as valuable tools for developing cost-effective CO2 reduction projects with reliable business cases.
How it works
DVU operates as a federated data space, leveraging the iSHARE Trust Framework to ensure secure data sharing in the energy sector. Through a user-friendly interface provided by RVO, Entitled Parties initiate data-sharing requests with Data Service Consumers. eHerkenning facilitates a smooth authentication process, ensuring the legitimacy of data transactions. Upon successful authorisations, data sharing occurs between Data Service Providers and Consumers, supporting various types of data services.
Added Value Through the iSHARE Trust Framework
The Trust Framework sets the standard for identification, authentication, and authorization, enabling individual data owners to share their data within reasonable limits. The use of policies and the incorporation of a hyperledger-based participant registry improve trust among participants. This enables efficient scaling of the solution while providing legal safeguards for data access and usage. While this all may sound complicated, the actual user journeys are surprisingly user friendly.
Contributors
