HYBUILD will develop two innovative hybrid storage concepts: one for the Mediterranean climate primarily meant for cooling energy provision, and one for the Continental climate primarily meant for heating and DHW production. HYBUILD action is a systematic approach for developing operationally integrated thermal and electric components and systems from TRL4 to TRL6 and beyond. The hybrid storage concepts are based on: a compact sorption storage, based on a patented way to integrate an innovative adsorbent material within an efficient high surface heat exchanger, a high density latent storage, based on a high performance aluminum micro-channel heat exchanger with additional PCM layers, and an efficient electric storage. The balancing of thermal and electrical energy flows will be realized by seamless integration of electric building components in a DC coupled system and by efficient conversion and upgrading of electric surplus and renewable thermal energy sources by compression and adsorption heat pumps. The components will be integrated to realize the full-scale hybrid storages (with overall volume between 1 and 2 m3), which will be properly managed by advanced control and building energy management systems (BEMS), able to optimize the interactions between components and district network. Such a configuration will allow reaching energy savings ranging between 20 and 40%, on yearly basis, both in Mediterranean and Continental climate for non-connected and district-connected buildings. HYBUILD hybrid storages will be used to upgrade existing building configurations and monitored in three different demo sites in near-life operation, both for non-connected and district-connected buildings in different climates.

The Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region faces rapid population growth (currently about 400 million inhabitants) as well as political and socio-economic instabilities. These challenges, experienced by a part of the world that is already hot and arid, are exacerbated by droughts and the extreme weather conditions associated with rapid climate change. Extremes of temperature, in combination with increasing air pollution and windblown desert dust, could in the near future lead to intolerable conditions, ultimately compromising human habitability and promoting migration. Since climate change and air quality share many common sources, it appears logical to focus on the development of amelioration strategies that combine the goals of limiting climate change and reducing air pollution. It has been estimated that mankind may have a relatively small-time window - up to the middle of the century - in which to implement solutions to these challenges, particularly as far as climate change is concerned. Edu4ClimAte will engage Advanced Partners (from France, Austria, Germany, Finland) to strengthen the scientific excellence of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from twin islands of widening countries (Greece, Cyprus) with a view to establish a “regional hub of knowledge” in air pollution and climate change research and innovative solutions, engaging their respective surrounding ecosystems from the quadruple helix in addressing these societal challenges over the wider EMME. Edu4ClimAte will enhance local, regional, and international clusters led by its consortium with a view to build the foundation of an inclusive European Universities Alliance made of Advanced and Widening HEIs in Climate & Atmospheric Sciences to optimally support the current EU Green Deal ambition and its regional challenges, train and educate the next generation of researchers and innovators to achieve the EU long-term 2050 climate-neutrality objectives.