About the Initiative

This European research project "Hybrid energy solutions for buildings and infrastructure" (HYBES in short) is led by Nordland Research Institute from Norway with partner institutions from Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Ireland. Funded by Interreg - Northern Periphery and Arctic programme, it will develop new methods to make buildings and districts more energy efficient and environmentally friendly, combining the concept of ‘Living Labs’ and the roll out of innovative tools towards establishing dedicated Decarbonisation Zones (DZ) in rural and peripheral regions.

The HYBES project priority is to strengthen the capacity for climate change adaptation, and resource sufficiency in NPA communities (Northern Periphery Areas), as well as to promote energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

HYBES aims to build a knowledge-based ecosystem within communities to promote decarbonisation zone opportunities and to build citizen capacity towards achieving carbon neutral goals.

In additional to advancing technical solutions through pilots and research, each region will engage local citizens, municipalities, energy producers and businesses through social living labs.  These social living labs will support citizen and community engagement activities and innovations that support the socio-technical transition to decarbonisation. In this way, the project advances the development of replicable local solutions and enhances capacity to engage citizen and community actors as agents of change alongside industry, reseach and public stakeholders and deeping the potential for zero-emission ecosystems.

The project will jointly create knowledge-based tools and activities for promoting improved energy efficient solutions to achieve substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions within the NPA region.

Through the development of a Framework for HYBES Living Labs led by UCC, activities in the five partner regions; Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, will: