Where Science Meets Practice –
Our Research Projects
Our Research Projects
Research & Innovation
Science is part of our DNA. Founded from a research project at RWTH Aachen University, we remain committed to research to this day. We actively participate in research projects to integrate new insights and technologies directly into our platform. This allows us to bring innovation from the lab into real-world building operations and ensure that our customers benefit from the latest scientific developments.
Research Project: DatEff
Title: Data-Based Identification of Efficiency Deficiencies for Energy Savings in Buildings
Duration: 2025-10-01 to 2028-09-30 (36 months)
Objective: The project aims to automatically detect, prioritize, and assess operational faults in existing buildings. By combining machine learning with expert knowledge, energy losses are identified using minimal sensor technology, and concrete recommendations are provided to reduce costs and CO₂ emissions.
aedifion’s role: aedifion contributes practical expertise to the project and enables cloud-based use of the developed algorithms. aedifion supports data preparation, automated fault detection, and the creation of recommendations, analyzes sensor requirements, and validates the methods in real buildings. In addition, aedifion provides access to further properties via its existing digital infrastructure.
Partners: RWTH Aachen University, eurogard GmbH, aedifion GmbH
Funding body: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany (BMWE)
Research Project: COMM-X
Title: COMM-X – Open Data Space and Marketplace for Optimizing the Operation of Municipal Buildings
Duration: 2025-06-01 to 2028-05-31 (36 months)
Objective: Comm-X is developing an ecosystem consisting of a data space for digital twins and a marketplace for software services that enables free and sovereign interaction between data owners and service providers. Based on a Gaia-X architecture, building automation functions are provided as a service, making services interchangeable, fostering innovation, and enabling more efficient and climate-friendly building operations.
aedifion’s role: aedifion contributes its cloud expertise for building platforms and provides services for real-time monitoring and visualization of building data. aedifion supports the definition of requirements, the scalability of the ecosystem, and the implementation of Gaia-X-compliant solutions. In addition, aedifion leads the work package on dissemination and further development of the open-source ecosystem and coordinates collaboration with the Gaia-X Hub Germany.
Partners: RWTH Aachen University, TH Köln – University of Applied Sciences, Berlin University of Applied Sciences (BHT), aedifion GmbH, Schneider Electric GmbH, Entendix, Phoenix Contact Deutschland GmbH
Funding body: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany (BMWE)
Research Project: FAE-R
Title: FUBIC ALL ELECTRICITY‑REALIZATION (FAE‑R) – Demonstration Project for Electricity‑Based Heating Transition in a Technology District
Duration: 2021-02-01 to 2027-01-31 (72 months)
Objective: The project focuses on implementing Germany’s first CO₂‑ and emission‑free all‑electric energy system in a non‑residential district. Building on an existing concept, the project maximizes the use of renewable energies, relies exclusively on certified green electricity, and eliminates all local emissions. It also develops a viable business and operating model as well as a transferable blueprint for future all‑electric districts.
aedifion’s role: aedifion contributes its expertise in cloud‑based building automation and IoT platforms to the project. The focus is on further developing data integration and monitoring solutions for electrical energy and smart city applications, as well as on developing interfaces to energy and mobility applications. In addition, aedifion is responsible for co-designing, implementing, and operating a district energy management system for all‑electric systems.
Partners: WISTA Management GmbH, RWTH Aachen, Freie Universität Berlin (FU Berlin), Blockheizkraftwerkträger- und Betreibergesellschaft Berlin mbH (BTB), aedifion GmbH
Funding body: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany (BMWE)
Research Project: TransUrban.NRW
Title: TransUrban.NRW – Transformation of Network‑Based Urban Heating and Cooling Supply Through Intersectoral Power‑to‑Heat Solutions as a Contribution to Structural Change in North Rhine‑Westphalia’s Coal Regions
Duration: 2020-05-01 to 2025-04-30 (60 months)
Objective: The large‑scale real‑world laboratory demonstrates at four locations in North Rhine‑Westphalia how traditional district heating areas can evolve into low‑CO₂ district energy systems. Using power‑to‑X technologies and 5th‑generation energy systems, the project showcases the integration of waste heat and renewable heating and cooling sources. At the same time, it highlights the transformation of municipal utilities into low‑temperature platform operators and opens new technological and economic opportunities in regional structural change.
aedifion’s role: aedifion contributes its advanced IoT cloud platform to the project, enabling continuous acquisition, storage, and provision of all building data. The company plays a key role in integrating heating and cooling demand into 5th‑generation energy systems, defines requirements and KPIs for the monitoring system, and develops interfaces between building automation and central as well as decentralized control systems. In addition, aedifion generates automated reports and transfers optimization logic into the cloud platform to ensure realistic control and efficient building operation.
Partners: E.ON Energy Solutions GmbH, RWTH Aachen University, Fraunhofer ISE, Catella Group (CAT), RMI Montan Immobilien, heatbeat engineering, aedifion GmbH, AVACON Natur
Funding body: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany (BMWE)
Completed Projects
Here you will find an overview of our successfully completed projects. They demonstrate how our research and development have already delivered practical benefits, innovations, and sustainable solutions for the building sector.
NextGenBAT
NextGenBAT demonstrated fully cloud‑based building automation without local control hardware through IoT technology. The project developed prototype gateways for connecting conventional field devices to the cloud, as well as cloud‑based control applications for HVAC systems and thermal systems.
BIMpact
BIMpact combined Building Information Modeling (BIM), wireless IoT sensor networks, and AI-based metadata analysis to create a fully digitalized building automation workflow from planning to operation. Successful validation in a mock‑up and demonstration building proved the practical viability of cloud‑based control without local automation hardware.
energyTWIN
EnergyTWIN developed digital twins to optimize the planning, control, and operation of energy‑flexible buildings within districts. Validation in the real‑world laboratory demonstrated significant energy savings and CO₂ reductions through predictive model‑based control (MPC) and sector coupling.
BAWebConTest
BAWebConTest developed cloud‑based automated testing methods for evaluating and optimizing control loops in building automation systems. The model‑based method (MBM) improved control quality by up to 90 % through simulations, while the data‑based method (DBM) automatically detects faults during ongoing operation.
Funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
The research projects presented here are supported by funding programs of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). As a technology partner, aedifion is actively involved in applied research to develop innovative solutions for energy‑efficient and sustainable building operations and bring them into real‑world practice.
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